Castor oil can help with many women’s health issues: Menstrual symptoms, joint pain, digestive issues, HPV, and stress reduction. In this week’s episode, I’m excited to talk with my friend, Dr. Marisol Teijeiro, about how to use castor oil in a therapeutic way. 

Dr. Marisol was in practice for over a decade as a naturopathic doctor and became so passionate about helping patients use castor oil to help them heal that she decided to put all her focus on raising awareness about the benefits of castor oil. 

Now she is the award-winning author and founder of Queen of the Thrones® line of products including the original heatless, less-mess, reusable Castor Oil Packs that supports better sleep, better bowel movements and feeling better hormonally. 

Castor oil has been used by naturopathic doctors traditionally, way before Dr. Marisol and I were trained to use it. Yet right now it’s really getting its time in the spotlight as this new and very effective treatment for many different health issues.

Dr. Marisol’s Journey with Castor Oil

Castor oil came into Dr. Marisol’s life serendipitously. For many years she thought it was a “woo woo” treatment. She thought castor oil packs were crazy. She didn’t understand how putting oil on a piece of cloth on your body could do anything.

Over time she realized there was nothing woo about it at all. She hopes it doesn’t take people a decade like her to adopt castor into their self-care routine. She just needed to warm up to it. Once she did, she realized how much it changed her life and her patients’ lives for the better. It made her a complete believer.

The biggest problem was it was difficult to do – hard to find the tools and good quality oil. That became her mission – to make it easy to access and use castor oil. She developed key protocols people can use with castor oil packs, which she’ll be sharing in this episode.

Typically you practice before bed for an hour, ideally overnight. Dr. Marisol recommends putting a castor oil pack on before bed and sleep with it on. That’s when they deliver their main benefits – help you poop better, sleep better, and feel hormonally better, like reduced anxiety and stress.

Castor Oil Packs: Benefits and Unique Properties

It’s amazing how putting some oil on your belly while you sleep can have so many benefits. It opens your eyes to see something so simple yet so powerful for us in our healing journey. We’re literally talking about an oil from a bean used since ancient times. This magical bean has so many benefits that people are just discovering in the modern era.

You can use castor oil topically (on the skin) for sunburns, skin reactions, bruises, scars after they’ve healed from surgery, and even for anti-aging around the eyes to reduce bags. It can help hair growth on eyebrows and eyelashes. You can also use it to wash your face as a facial cleanser.

Dr. Marisol confesses she uses castor oil for her whole beauty routine at this point – face washing, scrubs, masks, you name it. She and her husband have made it part of their self-care rituals. Every Sunday they do castor oil facials, then take a bath with castor oil added to the water. Afterwards they apply their custom liver detox castor oil packs and go to bed. She proclaimed they’re just slathered in castor!

And castor oil is not just for women. Castor oil supports hormone balance, liver detox, skin rejuvenation and vitality for both sexes. It’s an easy habit partners can share.

Unique Properties of Castor Oil

What makes castor oil different than other plant oils? Dr. Marisol explained it has five unique healing properties:

1. Castor oil is anti-inflammatory like fish oil due to its similarities to prostaglandin molecules.
2. It’s highly rich in antioxidants – glutathione, vitamin E, quercetin and nitric oxide. These support anti-aging and vital organ function.
3. It balances the microbiome and breaks down biofilm. Biofilm contributes to many chronic health issues.
4. Castor oil promotes healthy peristalsis in smooth muscle tissue found in the lymphatics, circulatory system, digestive tract and reproductive organs. This facilitates good drainage and flow.
5. Unlike any other oil, castor can penetrate deeply below the dermis near small arteries, lymphatic vessels and nerves. Anything absorbed simultaneously gets transported directly to deeper tissues and organs. This makes castor oil so uniquely powerful!

It’s astonishing that an oil from a bean can have pharmacological properties science is only now rediscovering. This tiny magical bean contains ancient wisdom supporting health and self-repair even in the modern age. No wonder it was used medicinally in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Quality Considerations for Castor Oil

Therapeutic grade castor oil should come in darkened glass bottles to prevent light exposure. It must be certified organic cold-pressed or expeller pressed using no harsh chemical solvents. The extraction method matters less than the chemical integrity. You always want hexane-free oil.

Practitioner-strength castor oil has more stringent production standards and third party purity testing. Every step of manufacturing and packaging should avoid plastic exposure. Dr. Marisol warned against buying castor oil from Amazon or other online retailers using third party sellers. Unknown sources and production practices make it extremely difficult to verify quality. Many brands falsely claim “100% pure organic” while cutting corners to reduce costs. 

Sticking to reputable suppliers like Dr. Marisol’s company Queen of The Thrones ensures the purity and potency you need for therapeutic benefits. Trust goes a long way when it comes to natural medicine.

Liver Support and Detoxification with Castor Oil

Dr. Marisol describes the classic overnight liver detox method. You place an oil-soaked cloth, referred to as a “pack”, over your liver (upper right abdomen) before bed to take advantage of peak overnight cleansing cycles. She always combines this with a thyroid pack (castor oil on the neck) to protect the thyroid from circulating toxins. The packs help the body relax so detox pathways open fully.

It’s best to commit to a seven day consistent liver detox regimen in order to properly stimulate drainage pathways. Water and electrolytes are essential for transporting released toxins out of the body. If results are not seen within a week you may want to evaluate your hydration habits.

Hormone Balance Support Across the Menstrual Cycle

Castor oil can also help women balance hormones for conditions like PMS and menopause. From menstruation to ovulation, female bodies are in “cleanse mode” – dumping toxins released from tissue breakdown. Simultaneously the liver ramps up its own detox efforts. Castor liver and thyroid packs capitalize on this first half of the cycle by enhancing the body’s natural proclivities.

After ovulation more energy goes toward nourishing and building up the reproductive organs again in anticipation of supporting a pregnancy. So pack placement gets moved to the pelvic and breast areas accordingly. This technique harmonizes with and ultimately stabilizes monthly hormonal flows. 

It retrains the organs back into a balanced biological rhythm. All of this helps with PMS, PMDD, menstrual cramps, and to prevent recurrent vaginal and urinary infections, as well as HPV and abnormal paps. 

Fertility Support, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Recovery

Castor oil can be used when trying to conceive as well. Dr. Marisol employs liver packs during the lead up to ovulation for enhanced detoxification prior to pregnancy. Once pregnant, they must be discontinued until after delivery. Then pelvic organ and C-section scar packs promote postpartum realignment and faster healing.

Castor can also be used for nursing mothers to improve breast milk production since the oils enhance ovarian and mammary health simultaneously. The packs almost act like a full body herbal supplement but get absorbed without needing digestion. 

Peri-menopause, Menopause and Hysterectomy Support

What about women’s health at the other end of the fertility spectrum? Castor oil packs are effective for perimenopause and menopause distress. Patients rave how they reduce hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. The packs seem able to reprogram hormonal behavior even sans cycling ovaries. 

Remarkably, castor oil therapy remains beneficial even after full or partial hysterectomies by nourishing remaining ovarian and uterine energetic imprints. Much like phantom limb syndrome after losing a limb, females still have metabolic echoes from lost reproductive tissue. The packs comfort and calm this confounded physiology.

Stress Relief with Castor Oil Packs & Belly Button Rub

A major benefit of castor oil is its ability to counteract stress. When the body can truly rest, self-repair kicks back into gear largely on its own. Castor oil uniquely facilitates this rest, digest and heal cycle. It trains the parasympathetic nervous system back into proper function even in the face of chronic stress exposure.

When lying around in a full castor pack isn’t feasible, stimulating your belly button with castor oil has a fast parasympathetic activation and counteracts fight-or-flight signals. This helps reduce gas, bloating, anxiety and muscle tension within minutes. It also helps fend off infections, including HPV, which we are vulnerable to when over stressed. 

It provides on-demand vagus nerve regulation until more thorough organ system support can be given at night with traditional packing methods. When overwhelmed in the moment, accessing the belly button castor oil trick gives us a easily available means of calming our nervous system until fuller support comes later.

Castor Oil Packs: Methods & Materials

Optimal materials and minimal mess makes at-home selfcare with castor oil much more practical and achievable. Organic cotton flannel with external heat retention is ideal to drive oil absorption without introducing toxins. That’s what Dr. Marisol uses in the castor oil packs she makes and offers. 

Custom liver detox, belly castor oil and facial packs mean you have options for whole body healing or spot treatment of specific areas like joints or scar tissue. Variety helps keep self-care rituals from becoming boring over time. Cream, lotion or essential oils can be mixed into castor packs to customize and enhance effects as desired.

Pack materials typically last for 60 uses. Compared to many supplements taken orally, castor oil packs give somuch more. Since they amplify other therapies, patients often need fewer supplements or medications over time, saving money there as well. 

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Marisol and her Castor Oil products, you can check out her website here. Use the code DRDONI for 10% off any order over $59. You can also find her on Instagram as @queenofthethrones and Facebook Queen of the Thrones.

I talk about castor oil packs in BOTH my 14-day Detox Program and Say Goodbye to HPV Protocol. So, if you plan to join me in a program or are already in one of my programs, be sure to get your castor oil at the link above so you can follow along. 

This detox program is NOT like any other detox you’ve seen or experienced. In the 14-day program, which is hosted in my app, I guide you through what to eat and how to support sleep and detoxification without making you feel worse! 

Register Now

Patients talk about how much better they feel during and after the 14 days, and how it inspires them to maintain their health going forward. It’s really essential for anyone looking to stop HPV from causing abnormal cells and preventing health issues in general. 

For the most comprehensive support, even with the most difficult health issues (physical or mental), it is best to meet with me one-on-one, which is available to you no matter where you are in the world (via phone or zoom). You can set up a one-on-one appointment here.

We’re here to help you! 

Disclaimer: This specific article and all other Content, Products, and Services of this Website are NOT intended as, and must not be understood or construed as, medical care or advice, naturopathic medical care or advice, the practice of medicine, or the practice of counseling care, nor can it be understood or construed as providing any form of medical diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.

References:

Castor oil for bowel regulation / constipation / elimination:

Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18. PMID: 21168117 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21168117

Grady H. Immunomodulation through castor oil packs. The Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Volume 7 Jan 1 1998; 7(1): 84-9 Corpus ID: 52838898 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fe88/d023d824b74b63a8d8f8ecc97b3883d4f383.pdf

Castor oil and inflammation/ anti inflammatory:

Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8 PMID: 11200362 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11200362

Al-Mamun MA, Akter Z, Uddin MJ, Ferdaus KM, Hoque KM, Ferdousi Z, Reza MA. Characterization and evaluation of antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of crude protein extracts isolated from the seed of Ricinus communis in Bangladesh. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jul 12;16:211. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1185-y. PMID: 27405609; PMCID: PMC4942971. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4942971/

Castor oil absorbability and anti-inflammatory:

Boddu SH1, Alsaab H2, Umar S3, Bonam SP2, Gupta H2, Ahmed S3. Anti-inflammatory effects of a novel ricinoleic acid poloxamer gel system for transdermal delivery. Int J Pharm. 2015 Feb 1;479(1):207-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.12.051. Epub 2014 Dec 24. PMID: 25542985 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25542985

Compression of Castor Oil Packs – tension & stress (oxytocin) / parasympathetic state:

Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19. PMID: 28162847 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28162847

Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. PMID: 12571120 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12571120

Castor Oil Packs – tension & stress, oil on the skin (dopamine) parasympathetic state:

Francis S, Rolls ET, Bowtell R, McGlone F, O’Doherty J, Browning A, Clare S, Smith E. The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas. Neuroreport. 1999 Feb 25;10(3):453-9. PMID: 10208571 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10208571

Löken LS, Wessberg J, Morrison I, McGlone F, Olausson H. Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2009 May;12(5):547-8. Epub 2009 Apr 12. PMID: 19363489 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19363489

Lymphatic drainage: Compression of Castor Oil Pack acts like a pump for lymphatic system:

Moore JE Jr, Bertram CD. Lymphatic System Flows. Annu Rev Fluid Mech. 2018 Jan;50:459-482. doi: 10.1146/annurev-fluid-122316-045259. PMID: 29713107; PMCID: PMC5922450.

Castor oil composition – vitamin E, omegas, polyphenols:

Marwat SK, Rehman F, Khan EA, Baloch MS, Sadiq M, Ullah I, Javaria S, Shaheen S. Review – Ricinus cmmunis – Ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities.Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017 Sep;30(5):1815-1827. PMID: 29084706 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29084706

Reduce Inflammation of Uterus, Ovaries, Fallopian tubes:

M. Abdulla Al-Mamun, Zerin Akter, Md Josim Uddin, K. M. K. B. Ferdaus, K. M. F. Hoque, Z. Ferdousi, and M. Abu Reza Characterization and evaluation of antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of crude protein extracts isolated from the seed of Ricinus communis in Bangladesh BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016; 16: 211. Published online 2016 Jul 12 PMID: 27405609