The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Arthritis
Posted by Charlotte (Texas) on 08/11/2017
★★★★★
My castor oil pack for knee osteoarthritis consists of a cotton cloth saturated with castor oil, Saran Wrap to cover it, and an Ace Bandage to cover all that. It's not too messy, and works well with a heating pad applied, or just to sleep with alone overnight.
Application Tips
Posted by Prioris (Fl, US) on 09/25/2014
★★★★★
I really like the idea of using a hair dryer to help castor oil absorb. This can be used on humans also.
Today I was using a hand held infrared device when I was applying castor oil on part of my abdomen. Most infrared devices are just too expensive purchase. The one I had I bought on amazon (infrarex st-302) for $20 and it works for a small area. It comes with an extra bulb. Before I bought it I wondered why it was so cheap and why the other products couldn't bring down the price so I was leery. I have had it a couple years and it's worth every penny. It gives one more options in treating various situations.
I saw a infrared device in a chiropractors office but expensive model. Instead of someone paying $50 a treatment, I had them use this cheap device themselves and they got positive results. It's a good addition to your medicine chest at very low cost.
Many people have difficult financial situations so any DIY approaches to pet care are very helpful.
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Brooke (Montgomery, Tx, Usa) on 01/04/2011
I have been using Castor oil on my face for 20 years and have never had a problem with facial hair growing.
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Molly (Tucson, Az) on 01/14/2016
I have also used Castor Oil on my face with good results. No facial hair growth but my eyelashes are thicker!
Dry Eyes
Posted by Sophey (Lax, Usa) on 08/23/2010
★★★★★
Hi I have been using castor oil on my eyes lids with warm compresses, it seems to be better but if I put in my eye it makes my eyes red in when I wake up, I read about sterilized no preservative castor oil eye drops that compounding pharmacy can mix together. I think sterilized drops is important so you don't end up infecting your eye. Anyhow my dry eyes are slowly getting better! I've also increased both Vitamin A and 25, 000 I. U. Of beta-carotene as well as fatty acids. I also read the of the B vitamins is important in treating dry eyes, but vitamin B6 aids in the proper absorption of magnesium. Magnesium assists the body in producing a hormone called prostaglandin E-7, which is necessary for tear production. I also take Vitamin C and D3. Apparently potassium is considered the most important mineral for dry eye symptoms, potassium is usually very low in dry eye patients. This is usually linked to low intakes of folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B6 along with high sugar consumption. You can take in at least 500 mg per day by increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables (one banana contains 400 mg). Anyhow perhaps this information will help someone else who is suffering from dry eyes.
Toenail Fungus
Posted by Patricia (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) on 08/02/2009
★★★★★
I noticed a question about using caster oil with nail fungus. I have a story you might find interesting. I had read about its anti-fungal action, and when I began to notice some nail damage, I began applying caster oil twice a day. As I was about to travel and I worried about getting more damage, I went to my podiatrist. He looked at my nail and said that he was sure it was a fungal infection but that he would take a sample for testing. When I returned a month later, he checked back on the test, and was shocked to note that there was no fungus there at all. He wanted to know if I were sure that I had damaged my nail --in other words, he began to look for another reason for the nail problem. There was no other problem and no fungus! caster oil works for nail fungus prevention and most likely treatment.
Internal Use of Castor Oil
Posted by Glenn (Toronto, Canada) on 05/19/2020
★★★★★
I purchased the "food grade" castor oil and gave it to my teen aged daughter for a spring clean out. Even though I put it in a bit of orange juice, I was shocked that she drank it without any fuss. I remember when I had to take it as a child that it was very unpleasant to drink and I put up so much fuss. The dosage I gave her, 2 table spoons, should have had purgative effects on her but nothing happened!!! I was quite surprised so I checked the bottle to make sure I got the right stuff. It was fine and not expired but I noticed the oil was thinner and clearer than I remembered. Also the bottle said tasteless and odourless. I feel like whatever process was done to make the food grade / taseless / odourless castor oil somehow made it much less effective. My parents told me that when they bought castor oil in the past that there wasn't a "food grade " tasteless odourless option. I don't know if that's something new. I'm going to try the cold pressed hexane-free organic one, on myself first, and see if it works and is what I remember from my childhood. Has anyone else experienced the same thing with the new food grade tasteless odourless castor oil? Has anyone recently consumed a cold pressed hexane free organic oil and had good results? t.i.a.
Dry Eyes
Posted by Peggy (Tn) on 02/02/2017
★★★★★
I use castor oil for eye dryness. Opthamologists do not recommend it, but it works. Restasis contains castor oil.
Arthritis
Posted by Littlewing (Boston) on 07/28/2016
★★★★★
Castor Oil for arthritis is terrific. Yesterday my hand was "achin' like a toothache" (as my dear mother used to say) all day. I tried ibuprofen, some ointment I had (stuck at work) – nothing. When I arrived home I took out my trusty castor oil, just enough so I could rub my hands together for a few minutes (it's not watery at all) and voila! – not 30 minutes later the ache was all gone and still feels good this morning. Love it!
Abscessed Tooth
Posted by Marcig (In) on 05/09/2018 5 posts
Makes me wonder if I could brush my teeth with it?
Vaginal Itching
Posted by Mm (Bangalore, India) on 04/20/2013
★★★★★
Castor oil works like magic for vaginal itching. Simply wash and clean the area and apply castor oil liberally. The itching stops immediately and if it recurs apply again.... In a day or so the itching disappears altogether! :-)
Sprains
Posted by Wendy (London) on 03/02/2023
★★★★★
I walked home ricked my ankle maybe on uneven paving. Carried on no pain then walked home. That evening foot started to hurt then got worse and worse until I could hardly walk. Restless night in pain. Next day massaged my foot and ankle with castor oil 3 times and the following day, like magic the pain was all gone. I couldn't believe how wonderfully it worked.
Torn Achilles Tendon
Posted by Pinetreelady (Dunedin, FL) on 03/25/2021
★★★★★
Just want to put my 2 cents about the amazing healing benefits of castor oil.
Several years ago, I had a bad UTI which I couldn't get rid of so went to the doc and was put on Cipro, which attacked my Achilles' tendons on both ankles. The pain was excruciating. Docs gave me a muscle relaxant, which did nothing. As a last resort, I had my hubby rub castor oil on my ankles several times a day. Took pain away within one day...haven't had a problem since...
I might add that I since found out there was a class-action suit against the makers of Cipro as it was causing tendon ruptures in many people. Guess I was lucky and the Castor oil healed it on me. I use it for many things, including the packs, and take it orally occasionally, but only organic cold-pressed and hexane-free.
Candida
Posted by Mandandi (Gaborone, Botswana) on 05/08/2015
★★★★★
I have been fighting candida overgrowth since Jan 2014. Tough battle, but I believe I am now winning it.
I have blended two bundles (not cloves, whole thing) with various green vegetables, used apple cider vinegar mixed with aloe vera juice(1 cup of each) on my skin, taken 1/4 of each of these twice a day: borax, bicarbonate of soda and Epsom salts.
I also did the herbal enemas adding a tablespoon to half a cup of these: apple cider vinegar and aloe vera juice; 10 drops of hydrogen peroxide as well as a cup of whey liquid to repopulate bacteria in my gut.
All these have worked, albeit with severe die-off effects. That's not discouraging tho. I noticed that the soda gives me high blood pressure, so I drank ginger tea or other herbs that lower blood pressure available locally, once or twice a day to lower the blood pressure.
Lately, I have added castor oil to the regime, applying it on the skin and taking it orally ( 3 tablespoons castor oil plus one teaspoon of either coconut or olive oil once a week). Candida is definitely going away now. I feel so much better. My tongue has finally been pink for the whole afternoon since I was in my teens! I have more energy, less pain in my body though the die-off is still there mildly. Castor oil is very strong against candida. Even applying it on the skin diluted with coconut and lavender oils produced die-off symptoms(Mixed 50ml of each into a separate bottle). I used the latter two for a year with no die-off symptoms at all. I apply the mixed oils on the skin in the morning, and apply castor oil on its own each evening.
I use all these at the moment. I know there is candida protocol suggested by Ted, but I could not find some of the suggested ingredients so I used what I could find locally since cash flow is not so good. These ingredients are relatively cheap locally. I used tap water due to cash flow problems, but also collected rain water now and then for use.
Activates T Lymphocytes
Posted by Marcelle (South Australia) on 06/29/2023
That's incredible. Thank you for sharing that information.
Application Tips
Posted by Maureen (Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada) on 09/12/2010
★★★★★
Castor Oil Use during Work-Out
A few months ago I decided to experiment and apply Castor Oil to my face, neck, torso and legs before starting my work-out. I figured since I sweat profusely the oil would absorb into the skin as the pores opened up. I find that it does completely absorb into the skin with the exception of my legs. They feel tacky since they do not sweat as much as the rest of my body. I do not use a towel as I would normally do to dry my face and neck as I begin to drip, instead I rub my hand over the area as little as possible but as needed because I do not want to rub off the oil. Clothing will get stained slightly but tends to come out in the wash because it is watered down with sweat. To be safe, do not use "good" clothing. I work-out (jog) at home not outside. Getting greased up to go outside may not be a good idea although by the time you are finished there is no grease to be seen. So start making your work-out do double duty with the use of Castor Oil or any other oil for that matter! I have not noticed any benefits I just do it because the oil is good for the body in general. Maureen
Jammed Finger
Posted by Joshua (Windsor, WI) on 02/05/2009
★★★★★
i use castor for so many things, though i work in construction and one day bent my index finger back to quite a painful extent...instantly began to swell to the size of a big toe. i left work briefly and picked up ol'faithful...castor oil. i soaked and wrapped it thouroughly and finished the day of work. as well...i play drums and had three days worth of gigs lined up starting that night...i would simply keep it soaked and wrapped until i had to play and then rewrap when i was done. using this method led my finger to heal quickly, even with the extra abuse i had put it through. great for wrist problems as well.
Warts
Posted by Virginia (Cushing, OK) on 01/29/2008
★★★★★
A foot doctor said to put cold-pressed castor oil on a large wart on my sons' toe then put a sock on his foot nightly til the wart goes away. Amazing but it did within a week.
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Posted by Bianang (Sarasota, FL) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★
I tried the ACV orally plus the ACV, H202 & epsom salt bath to help reduce my son's swollen lymph nodes. I did this for 5 days and it did seem to help soften it a bit but the most improvement I've noticed was after I massaged the swollen nodes with CASTOR OIL. After applying the castor oil, I applied a piece of cloth (should be flannel), then a plastic bag then a heating pad. I also applied did the CASTOR OIL PACKS in the stomach area. This is supposedly outlined in the Edgar Cayce's readings (he was a healing psychic). There was a significant reduction in swelling (flattening) within 2 days after I started with the castor oil. If you do an internet search on castor oil for swollen lymph nodes it will give you the detailed procedure.
PMS
Posted by Angie (Sparta, MO) on 08/21/2007
★★★★★
I have been taking the herb vitex for my pms and it has helped so much. I used to get severe pms. recently in the past couple of months the pms has acted up again. It has made me feel to so bad thats its been hard to think&function. I wondered what was going on. One night it dawned on me that my liver may be congested, so I got out a piece of flannel and soaked it in castor oil and applied it over my liver area with a heating pad. My pms improved greatly, so it hardly bothered me. Then yesterday it happened again, I did the same thing again with the castor oil pack and the pms has went away again. I hope this testimony will help someone else too going through the same problem.
