I’m a huge fan of natural remedies that are easy, quick, and painless. Castor oil packs deliver on all three, plus they pack serious health benefits. I’ve been using castor oil packs in various ways all over my body for years and I’ve shared that story in my first post on how to castor oil packs here. I had no idea how many of my readers would also be interested in using castor oil packs, too, but it’s been amazing to hear from you and read your stories of how they’ve helped you.
Recently, I added to my castor oil pack collection with a super soft, adjustable wrap that I use for detoxing my liver. The set also comes with one that can go over your thyroid, which is amazing. So, I thought I’d share a bit about how I use castor oil packs specifically for my liver in this post.
The Health Benefits of Castor Oil Packs for your Liver:
If you’re new to this, I’d love to share some background on the health benefits. If you already know, feel free to scroll down! When I did my due diligence and researched the benefits of castor oil packs – I was super excited and totally game to try this ancient Chinese medicine technique.
Castor oil packs have been used in Ayurvedic medicine to promote healing, improve circulation and reduce inflammation for thousands of years. The use of applying castor oil topically can be traced back to medical textbooks in Egypt as early as 1550 B.C.
Unlike drinking castor oil, which can be unsafe and cause digestive upset, using castor oil topically is much safer and gentler, and packs a lot of benefits.
Castor oil works by stimulating your lymph and liver function by increasing your lymphocyte count, which allows the body to speed up the process of removing toxins from your tissues. Lymphatic congestion is a key factor in inflammation and disease. So, if you have an autoimmune disease or health issues, you are likely struggling with a sluggish lymphatic system where toxins are building up and making you sick.
Castor oil packs can be placed on different areas of the body, such as over the thyroid, over the liver, over the mid-section, etc., to target particular areas of the body, and the many benefits include:
- Detoxifying the liver
- Shrinking uterine fibroids
- Shrinking and reducing ovarian cysts
- Reducing symptoms of PCOS
- Relaxing the digestive system and improving constipation (see my whole post on 5 natural remedies for stomach pain and bloating, too)
- Reducing gallbladder inflammation/stones
- Improving lymphatic drainage
- Reducing gut inflammation
- Reducing headaches and migraines
- Shrinking cysts in breast tissue
- Shrinking thyroid cysts and nodules
- Reducing painful menstrual cramps
- Shortening periods and regulating cycles
Basically, it’s like a super cleanse for your body – and encourages your body to do a better job of what it should be doing already. But, if you’re sick or struggling with health issues, thats a big heads up that your body needs help improving these basic functions.
And, strangely, castor oil packs can have a subtle shrinking effect on the midsection, too. Not a bad deal.
What You Need for a Liver Castor Oil Pack:
- Castor Oil: Be sure to buy an organic, cold-pressed, 100% pure, hexane-free, extra virgin castor oil, preferably in a glass bottle.
- Old Towel/Shirt: Castor oil STAINS, so be sure to wear clothes you are okay with getting stained. If you’ll be sitting down, put an old towel underneath you just in case there are any drips.
- Soft Small Fabric or Waist Wrap: I love this super soft, adjustable, washable waist wrap kit. I am definitely not a super thin person and it fit me with a lot of room to spare. There are a lot of button holes so you can make it work. You just need the center of the wrap, where you put the oil, to be placed over your midsection/liver area. If you don’t have a wrap, use a washed, old baby blanket or piece of flannel, but once you use it for castor oil, keep it for that purpose. Wash it after use, because castor oil does go rancid if left uncleaned.
- Hand wash: Always wash your hand thoroughly after handling castor oil. It will stain.
*Affiliate links are used here for products I bought myself and love. At no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my links, I may receive a commission.
HOW TO DO A CASTOR OIL PACK for your liver:
I made a quick video to share how easy it is to put together a castor oil pack for your liver. Just put out your flannel or wrap, pour some oil in the middle. I ended up adding more than this in the video after dabbing it in, because I wanted to make sure it would cover my entire liver area. You want to dab the oil into the cloth, so it’s not dripping and doesn’t make a mess.
Then, you just put the oiled part of the fabric against your skin where you want the wrap to detox and then take the straps, wrap them around your midsection and button them on the other side.
Leave it on for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or you can even sleep in it, if you want. If you’re lying on the couch, you can put a heat pad over it for 20 minutes or so to help the oil penetrate deeper, but I just wear mine while I work on my computer.
When you’re finished, set it aside to wash. When you wash it, wash it alone or with things you don’t care about staining.
Disclaimer: It’s important for me to state that I am not a doctor and do not know your particular situation. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, treating a current health condition, or anything else, always check with your doctor before trying anything new. You are your own advocate and should always listen to your own body and your medical team. While I have never had any negative side effects from these, that doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Use these tips at your own risk.
Answering Your Questions About Liver Castor Oil Packs:
What do castor oil packs do for the liver?
Castor oil packs contain essential fatty acids, such as ricinoleic acid, that encourage movement of chemical energy within the body, resulting in a detoxifying effect. They have been used for centuries to reduce liver inflammation, help detoxify the liver, and improve hormonal balance. The liver is responsible for over 500 bodily functions, but the main ones include filtering all of the blood in the body and also filtering out poisonous and toxic substances. Some toxic substances, like alcohol, drugs, and medications, are known, but there are also toxins all around us, in our food, water, and even the air we breathe, and our liver is having to filter all of that out. The liver also produces bile, which helps digest fats, carbohydrates and proteins, and the liver helps carry away waste. If that’s not enough, the liver also converts what we eat into nutrients our body can use, so think about all those sugary coffees (guilty) and fast or processed foods we eat (guilty), and imagine your liver trying to find something in there that our body needs and can use.
How do I know if my liver needs to detox with a castor oil pack?
There are a lot of signs that your liver, or your body in general, is struggling to remove toxins and waste properly. If you have a health issue or you’re on consistent medication, then you should be thinking of increasing the supplements and remedies that will help your body filter those things out, such as a daily cleanse supplement, detox baths using magnesium salts, and castor oil packs like this one for your liver. Other signs that your body is on the struggle bus may include:
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Stubborn weight gain you can’t seem to lose
- Hormonal fluctuations that are not normal for you
- Irregular bathroom breaks
- You just don’t feel like yourself
- More brain fog
- Increase in autoimmune flares or chronic pain
- Body odor
- Nausea
- More acne or body breakouts
Basically, anything that doesn’t feel right or feels worse than normal, a general ennui, or shift. If you have an autoimmune disease or chronic health condition, then you should be regularly detoxing. Always check with your doctor if you have new symptoms or feel like something isn’t right.
H0w often should you do a liver castor oil pack?
These are safe to do every day, if you like. Doing them a few days consecutively is a great way to get good results, then you can take a break for awhile. If you only do it once a week, you won’t see results as quickly.
Can you leave a castor oil pack on all night?
You sure can! Just don’t leave the heat pack on your stomach for more than 20-3o minutes, tops, and don’t sleep with a heat pad or heating blanket on you. If you’re sleeping in one, be sure that the castor oil isn’t dripping on to your bed, sheets, or clothes.
Do you put a castor oil pack on the left or right side?
Can you do too many castor oil packs?
Castor oil packs are very gentle, so it’s unlikely that you could do too many. However, always listen to your body and if you need to take a break, stop doing them for awhile.
How long does it take to see benefits from using castor oil packs?
It depends on where you’re using them and what your current health condition is. For me, I saw a difference in my cycles after one month of doing them. For my digestion and stomach, I’ll notice a difference after just a few castor oil packs. We don’t often know when our liver is struggling, but we see the signs of a sluggish liver in other areas of our health, so you should see improvement after a week of consecutive castor oil packs.
How do I keep my liver healthy?
Your liver works hard for you every day, all day. The best ways to keep your liver healthy include:
- Maintaining a healthy diet
- Watch alcohol consumption
- Prevent hepatitis
- Watch out for medications and herbs
- Exercise
- Drink filtered water regularly
- Use liver cleansing natural remedies, like milk thistle, glutathione, and choline. I take a supplement with powerful anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties. Read about it in this post here.
More Natural Remedies:
Castor oil packs for the liver are one of my favorite, super easy, and effective natural remedies, but there are so many more that I do! If you’re looking for more ideas of ways you can support your body and overall health, check out these other posts:
- My standing desk and walking pad setup
- A surprisingly easy way to get rid of Lupus lip sores and cold sores
- My energizing coffee protein breakfast smoothie
- I’ve been a Club Pilates member for 3 years and this is what it’s really like
