Castor oil packs have been used as a natural remedy to promote healing, improve circulation and reduce inflammation for thousands of years. In fact, the use of applying castor oil to the body topically can be traced back to medical textbooks in Egypt as early as 1550 B.C. and is now regarded by naturopaths around the world as a very effective tool for liver detox. 

Castor Oil Packs work by stimulating your lymph and liver function by increasing your lymphocyte count, which then allows the body to speed up the process of removing toxins from your tissues.  The essential fatty acids, in particular the ricinoleic acid that castor oil contains, encourages movement of chemical energy within the body, resulting in a detoxifying effect. Castor oil also contains all the colours of the spectrum and colour & light are crucial to energy production and movement within the body. 

It has been reported that castor oil packing has many benefits to health.  Some of the health benefits include: more effective elimination of waste, reduction of nausea, pain relief, improved digestion, reduced inflammation, increased relaxation, and immune enhancing benefits.  For a comprehensive list of benefits see Mary Kate Gowdy's blog attached below.  

Castor oil packs shouldn’t be used in pregnancy as you do not want to create a cleanse when someone is pregnant. Not to used if you are lactating or menstruating either. If you have sensitive skin it would be advisable to do a patch test before commencing. 

You should also make sure that you are moving your bowels well when doing castor oil packs to ensure that whatever you are shifting is actually exiting the body.  For that very reason it is often advised to do them together with enemas. They can also be used on other parts of the body but you must ensure you pack your liver at the same time and, as mentioned above, that you are using something to ensure that waste leaves the body. 

Castor Oil Packs are basically a super cleanse for your body. As they support and encourage your body’s natural ability to detox and heal itself. 

How to Do A Castor Oil Pack for Liver Detox 

Use a high-quality Castor Oil (organic, cold-pressed, 100% hexane free) stored in glass bottles. Get an unbleached and dye-free wool or cotton flannel (or an old towel/flannel shirt that has been washed in a toxin-free detergent many times as a last resort). 

Take your castor oil packing material and fold into several layers. 

Drizzle the castor oil over the cloth – it needs to be wet (but not dripping) – you can aid this process by rubbing the cloth together on itself to spread the castor oil around more thoroughly. 

Place the castor oil pack over the liver (located on the right side, underneath the right side of the rib cage)

Cover with plastic to prevent leakage, place a hot water bottle or heated wheat bag (put an old towel or pillowcase between/around the heating pad for protection from the oil even a trash bag or saran wrap as a last resort)  over the top of that area to warm the oil – this assists its uptake by the liver via the skin.  Then place a big old sheet or towel over it and fasten securely.  Wear some old clothes over the top as it is very greasy and will probably stain your clothes / bed sheets and is very difficult to get out of fabric. 

Because it can create a lot of elimination it is wise to start by packing for just 15 minutes 3 consecutive days in a week.  Find a comfortable place to relax preferably with your legs elevated comfortably and don't forget to protect the area you lie or sit from the oil. 

The next week you can increase this to 30 minutes if you are reacting ok, 45 minutes the week after, and so on in 15 minute intervals until you are up to 1 ½ hours for 3 consecutive days a week. 

Because they are very calming they should ideally be used in the evenings, but this is not essential – whatever fits your lifestyle. 

When time is up, gently remove the heating pad and flannel and rub in the excess castor oil if going to sleep. If moving on with your day, wear an old shirt or wipe the excess castor oil off with warm water (can use soap or baking soda for better cleanup). Authors of various referenced articles recommend that a castor oil pack treatment would be followed by a water enema the next morning if possible to ensure that whatever is being released is being fully exited from the body.  Walter Last recommends taking 1 tablespoon of olive oil after a treatment before bed to induce the gallbladder to empty. 

The oil-soaked flannel can be stored in a glass container with a lid, and kept in the fridge between uses. and reused for 30-40 times (i.e. around 2-3 months) before the cloth needs to be discarded and a new pack made – if you keep it longer the oil may start to go rancid.   

Make sure to wash towels/clothes used during your castor oil pack session separately. Never put your actual castor oil pack through the wash.  

Ref: This article is made up with excerpts from the following sites: 

https://www.healthybe.co.uk/castor-oil-pack

Mary Kate Gowdy, MS, CNS, LD  https://www.purelyrootednutrition.com/post/the-magic-of-castor-oil-packs 

For further reading on Castor Oil Packs  

 - Heal Yourself by Walter Last 

 - The Oil that Heals by William A McGarey