Beauty is all about how you feel inside. The more you feel great and healthy, the more beautiful you become. Shine on and be your best version inside and out!
Castor oil is one of the wonders of nature that promotes beauty inside and out. Perhaps, most women think that castor oil is only beneficial for hair and skin health. Little did we know that it can also aid your health in so many ways!
As you read through this article, forgive yourself if you ever have to painfully say: “If only I knew this before.” Cheer up because I’ve been there too. And now, I’m the biggest fan of castor oil! Now, it’s your time to enjoy this legendary oil and experience the benefits it could bring you in menopause! ?
How does castor oil help on the outside?
Nowadays, being fast-paced seems to be the standard for living. It isn’t a shock that people, especially us midlife women, are in a constant state of stress! Sometimes, we forget how valuable relaxation is. Loosening up from a tight, busy lifestyle is one of the best ways to keep you glowing! And castor oil has been a great partner to women in attaining their glow. Let’s have a run-through of the oil’s well-known beauty benefits! ?
1. Moisturizes Skin
Castor oil is often used in facial and body cosmetics. It promotes hydration — which effectively helps reduce wrinkles and age spots! Many moisturizing products contain potentially harmful chemicals. This could irritate the skin and harm your overall health! Swap out these products with inexpensive castor oil to minimize your exposure to unsafe chemicals!
2. Helps Wounds Heal Faster
Castor oil stimulates tissue growth. This forms a blockage between the wound and the outside environment — which decreases the risk of infection! It also reduces dryness and dead skin cells that delay wound healing. This oil is an effective relief for wound pain and inflammation!
3. Reduces Acne Problems
Castor oil contains antimicrobial properties. This helps fight bacterial overgrowth when applied to the skin! It helps soothe the inflamed and irritated skin if you have acne problems.
4. Promotes Hair Growth
While the average human hair grows for over a centimeter monthly, some claim that using castor oil can spur hair growth 3-5 times the average rate! Dry or damaged hair can also benefit from an intense moisturizer like castor oil.
5. Prevents Hair Loss
Ricinoleic acid, a monosaturated fat, is one of the most dominant compounds found in castor oil. This acid is essential in preventing hair loss! When applied to the scalp, castor oil enhances the hair follicles’ health and, in turn, prevents hair loss problems!
6. Volumizes Eyebrows and Lashes
Castor oil remains to be an affordable and all-natural option for one’s beauty needs! Ricinoleic acid contains high levels of triglycerides. This fat is found to help moisturize eyelashes and brows! Castor oil also contains omega-6 fatty acids — which generally improves the health of hair.
7. Relieves Dandruff or Scalp Problems
Castor oil can be an effective treatment for dandruff caused by Seborrhoeic Dermatitis. The oil is said to bring dandruff relief by moisturizing dry, irritated skin and help reduce flaking! These are made possible by castor oil‘s anti-inflammatory properties. ?
A friendly reminder: Generally, there are no serious safety issues for the use of castor oil. However, it is advisable to do a skin test on your chin or arm for a quick allergy-check! ?
It’s More Than Just a Beauty Aid
As promised, you are about to discover that castor oil is truly a legend — not only for beautifying but also for your menopause symptoms!
What brought my attention to castor oil was my constipation. It is a very common struggle for us in midlife, isn’t it? After I started using castor oil packs over my stomach area, it has amazingly helped me with bloating. It did help me have a flat tummy again too! ? Oh, nothing is as stubborn as belly fat, but castor oil always saves my day!
Castor oil harnesses the wonders of nature that support our body’s natural ability to heal. Now, it’s time to see what castor oil has got for your health!
1. A Stimulant Laxative
I can personally attest to this! One of the most known health benefits of castor oil is by working as a natural laxative. Classified as a “stimulant laxative”, castor oil increases muscle movement that pushes waste materials through the intestines. Thus, it helps clear the bowels and relieve constipation!
2. Promotes Better Mouth Health
Castor oil has antifungal properties. This helps fight off “candida“, a type of fungus that causes dental issues like plaque overgrowth, gum infections and root canal infections. Castor oil also helps treat denture-related “stomatitis” — a common condition in adults wearing dentures. It is caused by candida overgrowth!
3. Stimulates the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is responsible for removing waste from the cells in our body. The system relies on active body movement — making exercise an essential support! This is one reason why a sedentary or inactive lifestyle leads to illness. Fortunately, castor oil stimulates the lymphatic system! And that’s through cleansing the reproductive organs and promoting healing of damaged tissues.
4. Cleanses the Circulatory System
Castor oil packs promote better circulation by bringing fresh and nutrient-rich blood, to the reproductive organs. Healthy circulation promotes healing, scar tissue repair and breakdown of old adhesions!
5. Detoxifies the Liver
The liver’s main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract. It removes biologically active molecules such as hormones and drugs. Then it passes the filtered blood to the rest of the body! If excess toxins and hormones are overwhelming the liver, they are stored unhealthily. This can lead to hormonal imbalance and eventually impair fertility! Good thing, castor oil encourages movement of chemicals inside the body — resulting in a detoxifying effect!
6. A Treatment for Autoimmune Conditions
Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor and advocate of functional medicine, claims that a castor oil pack works better for autoimmune conditions! Its capability to help engage with the vital force stimulates one’s overall healing and rebalancing! ?
Know More about Castor Oil Packs
Always remember, your gut and liver health are foundational in restoring your hormonal balance. Balance is achieved when you keep your skin radiant, your mind sharp and your body vitalized!
Here are the various ways how castor oil packs can help you:
- Keeps stress hormone cortisol balanced, promoting feel-good hormones
- High in antioxidants and resets your body’s cleansing mechanisms
- Keeps your bowels moving – digestion and elimination
- Helps with progesterone production
- Keeps inflammation low and alkalization high
- Resets your microbiome, break down biofilm
See this simplified instructional video on how to make a castor oil pack! How to make a Castor Oil pack – simplified method [4:44]
TIP: Castor oil can be used in a couple of different ways too! You can apply it directly to the skin or mix it with other oils as a topical remedy. Orally, it can be added to milk or lukewarm water. It can also be taken in the form of a supplement! Fairly, this super oil is indeed incomparable!
What Makes Castor Oil So Beneficial?
In the book “Heal the Body Holistically”, authored by Carolyn J. Williams, it is believed that most of the castor oil’s benefits are from its high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids. Researchers and doctors claim that the high levels of these good fats are the reason for the wonder oil’s incredible health benefits!
Know more as Dr. Shawna Eischens, a naturopathic and primary care doctor at Rockwood Natural Medicine Clinic, discusses Ten Ways To Use Castor Oil for Medicinal Purposes! 10+ ways to use castor oil for medicinal purposes [5:10]
The Takeaway
People have used the powerful castor oil for ages as a natural treatment for various health issues. By now, chances are you have already SEEN how impressive castor oil is! But don’t stay there — EXPERIENCE IT! ?
Include castor oil packs in your daily routine as one of your health-promoting habits. This will undoubtedly make you live life to its fullest, regardless of how old you are!
Don’t hold back to discover more about what castor oil is really capable of! If you think that one (or more) of its benefits can potentially serve you, give it the green light and be a witness for yourself! You will fall in love with this wonder oil. ?
References
healthline.com/nutrition/castor-oil#section5
healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/castor-oil-hair-growth#longer-locks
medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325541#types
terrywahls.com/castoroilpacks/
verywellhealth.com/using-castor-oil-for-hair-growth-4172190
raisedgood.com/five-fertility-secrets-wish-id-known-sooner/
healthybe.co.uk/castor-oil-pack/
hormonesbalance.com/articles/castor-oil-packs-for-hormonal-balance/
drmarisol.com/estrogen-dominance-and-castor-oil-your-best-tool-for-a-real-and-relative-problem/
food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/7-incredible-castor-oil-benefits-for-beautiful-skin-and-hair-1630059
oneagorahealth.com/30-outstanding-castor-oil-uses-and-benefits.html
kresserinstitute.com/gut-hormone-connection-gut-microbes-influence-estrogen-levels/
stylecraze.com/articles/castor-oil-help-lose-weight/
Gita is the founder of My Menopause Journey. Since 2014, she has been supporting midlife women by sharing hard-earned learnings from her own experience. To advance her knowledge, Gita puts a lot of her time and effort into understanding the broad spectrum of women’s health. She immerses in extensive research about the physical, mental and emotional aspects of menopause. Gita believes in the life-changing power of healthy, holistic living — this is where she anchors her message to all women. Learn more about her marvelous mission in About us - My Menopause Journey.