Castor oil has been used for many centuries as a remedy to help with illnesses from arthritis to Parkinson’s Disease. In different stages in time castor oil was thought of as the cure all that many people kept stocked in their home medicine cabinets. Today, castor oil is still one of the leading home remedies in which people will turn to for stomach ailments as well as a skin softening agent.
Castor oil has been used and proven effective on several different skin disorders such as the fungal infection of ringworm. It is often used in leaf form for this type of infection and mixed with coconut oil before applying to the skin. Castor oil can also help with other skin problems such as wrinkles, dry skin, stretch marks and even age spots.
Cold pressed is a term found on many bottles of castor oil. This means that the product was produced without the use of heat during the extraction of the oil from the bean. This usually creates a pure oil that is unrefined and leaves more of the beneficial qualities in the oil. This type of oil often asks users to place a heated rag over the applied oil. This will help the product to seep into the pores easily and thus create a softer feeling skin. This heating after applying makes castor oil one of the best ingredients to include into any massage. Castor oil is colorless as well as odorless and creates the perfect base for massage oil as any type of scented oil can be added to it, such as lavender, for a more calming effect.
The main ingredient that is found in the oil from the castor bean is Ricineoleic acid. It is actually a fatty acid that is found in not only castor oil but it is dehydrated and formed into salts. These salts are added to many shower room items sold in beauty care aisles.
When a label states that it is organic it simply means that the product was produced without the use of harmful pesticides. There are many companies that produce organic castor oil but be sure to the label before making a purchase. Some of these oils are intended for external use only as they are mixed with other ingredients that cannot and should not be ingested.
Just like many home remedies castor oil has precautions that should be considered before using it. Pregnant women or those who are breast feeding should try to avoid using castor oil without the consent of a physician. There is an old wives tale that has been around since castor oil was first produced and it states that pregnant women who are close to term and would like to induce labor should drink castor oil. This may or may not be totally true. When castor oil is taken in large doses it can cause horrible side effects such as cramping, vomiting and even the worst case of diarrhea. Most pregnant women see enough of these symptoms throughout the pregnancy and would not want this to happen on the delivery room table.
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