Castor Oil Pack – After care and FAQs
Thank you for making your body a priority and welcome to the wonderful world of Castor Oil!
Having experienced the benefits of using Castor Oil packs over the years, I often witnessed in my clients a reluctance to begin the process because of it being seemingly complicated. The treatment I offer was born out of a desire to help ‘initiate’ others into this healing practice, so they would be free to incorporate this wonderful ally into their own self-care toolkit. To support this, I have put together some FAQs but please feel free to contact me by email or WhatApp should you have any further questions.
Remember, we are all, every one of us, reclaiming what it means to embody deeply loving self-care and trust me, every time you choose to listen to your body, rather than the toxic voices of modernity you are actually participating in a radical form of activism.
With all my love and blessings on your healing path.
Sam x
I just had a treatment with you. How long shall I wait before doing the next Castor Oil pack? Unless I have advised otherwise, I recommend beginning by using the Castor Oil pack NOT more than once a week.
I have the pack here at home but I have forgotten what to do. Can you remind me? First of all get together everything that you will need.
• Castor Oil pack • Sarong/scarf or bit of old cloth to tie around • Hot water bottle • Blanket • Candle, incense, music etc… whatever you choose to create a sacred healing space for yourself.
Unfold the Castor Oil pack. If it feels sticky to the touch when you open it then you are good to go. If it’s dried out then drizzle a bit more oil and fold it back up to spread the oil around a bit. You don’t want it dripping with oil but you don’t want it dry either. The plastic bag is an important barrier between the pack and the hot water bottle. You an also change this if it’s sticky. Talking of sticky, Castor Oil is a disaster for clothing so I recommend an old clothes specifically for this ritual.
Start by creating the space for yourself. Phone off. Candles. Nice music. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Whatever you need to create a comfortable healing space. Lie down. First place the pack over your abdomen with the plastic bag on top. Then wrap the sarong (or cloth or whatever you are using) around you and the pack to keep everything in place and rest the hot water bottle on top. Pull the blanket over yourself so you are nice and cosy. Now connect with your intention and relax.
How long do I leave the pack in place? I recommend a minimum of one hour. 90 minutes is amazing. And I have had moments in my life where I have actually kept the pack on all night. I highly recommend an all-nighter for inflamed joints but you risk making a sticky mess of the bed if you try and keep it on your abdomen! Not impossible, but you might want use old sheets or sleep on a towel. If you find yourself distracted, it can be really wonderful to combine use of the Castor Oil pack with a yoga nidra recording to focus your full attention on the body. Most music platforms offer some nidras but Yoga Nidra Network offers a free library of yoga nidra recordings.
I have just finished, taken the pack off any my belly is all sticky. Now what? Just wash the belly with your favourite organic soap and warm water. You can also use bicarbonate of soda if you need to. Dry yourself off. Consciously close this healing space in whatever way feels right to you. Could be simply re-visiting the intention or blowing out a candle with your full presence. Trust what comes. Then fold the pack up inside the plastic bag and put it away for next time.
How many times can I use the same Castor Oil pack? Common sense applies here really. If you stuff it in a drawer and don’t use it for months on end the oil could go rancid and you might need to start again, but if you are using it weekly for instance, you could keep drizzling oil and use the same pack for 10-15 times. The easiest way to store it is folded up in a tuppa.
But if it’s detoxifying then isn’t that dirty? No, the detoxification is happening through the stimulation of the liver so the internal organs will process what’s released. You can support this really well by drinking plenty of water or herbal tea after using the pack.
Does it matter what Castor Oil I use? Yes, it really does. You are looking for organic, cold-pressed oil. Yes, I know it’s more expensive but the alternatives use a chemical called Hexane to extract the oil and you absolutely DO NOT want to introduce this chemical back into the body.
What happens when it’s time to start a new pack? Just start throw away the old cloth (it’s impossible to wash and re-use, sorry) and then cut some new cloth to size (preferably not dyed) and begin by putting a good coating of oil on the cloth. You can also do this to create smaller packs for inflamed joints for example.
Can I use the pack during pregnancy or to support conception? I do NOT recommend using the pack on the abdomen during pregnancy. It could be a a very useful tool for anyone wanting to prepare the body for conception but I would suggest stopping when lovemaking becomes focused on pregnancy.
Can I use the pack during menstruation? This really depends on how you experience your menstruation. My advice is for each woman to connect with her experience of menstruation and then connect with the experience of the treatment and explore how it might be to overlay the two experiences. For example, I had a moderate flow and already entered an altered state during menstruation. If I was able to give time to overlaying the two experiences I actually found it to be a deeply nourishing and restorative process which I then continued to do for several years during menstruation and then through peri-menopause. I am now in menopause and it continues to be an important element of my own self-care.
For women experiencing a very heavy bleed, whilst at the same time needing to work or take care of the family there could be a ‘too-much-ness’ to the experience. That said, it can help a woman carve out time for herself to really go deep and the liver-stimulating properties can help with oestrogen-dominant conditions, such as fibroids, by moving excess cortisol through the liver paving the way for excess oestrogen to be released. On the flip side, if the menstruation is not coming it could help bring it on simply by bringing awareness to the pelvic area and facilitating deep relaxation. The bottom line is, it’s not black and white. If in doubt please contact me.
Can I use my Castor Oil pack anywhere else on the body? Yes! Absolutely! Although it’s a wonderfully complete treatment on the abdomen it can also be used to reduce inflammation locally. I have recommended Castor Oil packs for joint pain many times… knees, shoulders, ankles all benefit although applying heat can be more tricky. The heat element is not necessary in this situation as often joint pain can be quite ‘hot’ in itself.
