How to do castor oil packs simply, safely, and get the most from them

Castor oil packs are a beautifully simple, time-honoured practice that has been used for generations to support the body’s natural healing processes. When used regularly and with intention, they can be a deeply nourishing ritual and a wonderful self-care practice to use at home.

Let’s walk through how castor oil packs work, when they can be helpful, and what you need.

How Do Castor Oil Packs Work?

Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, a unique omega-9 fatty acid. Traditionally, castor oil packs are believed to support three key systems in the body:

The lymphatic system
The circulatory system
The liver

By gently stimulating these systems, castor oil packs are thought to support overall wellbeing & the body’s own natural healing pathways.

The Three Systems Castor Oil Packs Support

🌿 The Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system helps remove waste from the body. It also plays a vital role in immune defence through specialised cells called lymphocytes. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system relies on movement, massage, and external stimulation to keep lymph flowing.

Castor oil packs are believed to help stimulate lymphatic movement, supporting the body’s natural clearing pathways.

❤️ The Circulatory System

The circulatory system includes the heart, blood, veins, and arteries, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body.

When a castor oil pack is applied, it’s thought to encourage local circulation. This may help bring fresh, oxygen-rich, nutrient-dense blood to the area you are treating, helping to support optimal function.

🌱 The Liver

The liver is often described as the body’s chemical processing plant, breaking down excess hormones, toxins or other substances and also producing a large proportion of the body’s lymph, making liver health essential for a well-functioning lymphatic system.

Nourishing the liver with castor oil packs is believed to help support these processes, which in turn may contribute to lymphatic movement and hormonal balance.

What you will need

A bottle of organic, cold-pressed, hexane-free castor oil in an amber glass bottle
A clean cotton cloth or flannel (ideally organic cotton as explained later)
Optional : an old towel
Optional: a hot water bottle

How to do a Castor Oil Pack

Step 1

It is always advisable to carry out a patch test with the castor oil, as although rare, some people do have a sensitivity to using the oil. To do this, apply a little of the oil directly to your skin. Massage this in and allow it to stay on your skin for 24 hours. Provided there is no redness or skin irritation then you can move on to carrying out a castor oil pack.

Step 2

It’s important to use organic, cold-pressed, hexane-free castor oil stored in an amber glass bottle to ensure there are no toxins leached in to the oil from a plastic container. In an ideal world, it is also best to use an organic cotton flannel cloth for this reason too. If you don’t have this available use the cleanest cloth you have. Castor oil is believed to penetrate deeply in to the tissues so we want everything it comes in to contact with to be super toxin-free.

Step 3

You can pour the castor oil directly on to the cloth, or apply it directly on to your skin in the area you want to treat. If you add it straight to your skin, massage it in a little to prevent any dripping before covering with the cloth. Approx. 2 – 3 tablespoons is a good amount. Neither you nor the cloth need to be dripping with oil, just enough to leave a layer of oil on your skin.

Common areas to place your pack include around the lower belly, to work over the reproductive system. Or over the liver (right hand side of your body around your lower ribs). Or your lower back / Sacrum area, to help ease constipation or the congestion that can often build up here. The packs can be placed anywhere on your body, for example over the neck to help the thyroid.

Step 4

Castor oil can stain so it can be helpful to place an old towel over the top of the cloth so no oil soaks through on to any clothing or furniture, and then sit with it in place for around 30 minutes. This is a good length of time to begin with, but you can gradually increase the length of time you keep the pack in place to an hour, and once you feel ok with them, some people find it helpful to leave them in place overnight.

If you wish to keep the pack in place overnight, or so you can be mobile during the day, there are lots of castor oil pack wraps you can buy with straps to hold everything in position. Here is a link to our organic, plastic-free castor oil on our website.

It is also possible to use a castor oil balm to rub in to the area you wish to treat and cover with an old t-shirt or pyjamas, for mobile daytime use or at night. The balm is a blend of organic castor oil, Vitamin E and beeswax to help it stay in place simply and with no dripping. Here is a link to our organic castor oil balm on our website.

Step 5

If you wish, you can place a hot water bottle or heat pack over the top of the castor oil pack, which can help the oil to penetrate even more deeply in to the tissues. It’s also totally fine to do a treatment without adding heat too. The castor oil pack works well either way, and there are some schools of thought that suggest applying heat isn’t always helpful with conditions like Endometriosis, or if there are concerns about ovarian reserve, so go with whatever feels best for you.

For times when you want to add heat and move around easily, I find that self-adhesive, slim-line activated charcoal pads that stay warm for up to 12 hours can be really effective.

How to look after your Castor Oil Pack

In between sessions you can keep the cloth in a sealed container (any kind of glass jar is ideal, as you want to keep the cloth free of any toxins and away from plastics) Keeping it in the fridge will help to keep it fresh, and it should last well this way (1 -2 months). You can top it up with an extra tablespoon or two of castor oil for each use.

When you are ready to wash your cloth, I recommend soaking it in a solution of baking soda and hot water, for at least 20 minutes before wringing it our thoroughly and allowing it to air dry.

It is possible to put your cloth in the washing machine with a gentle washing powder but it is best to soak your cloth in baking soda first to remove as much oil as possible.

How Often and When to Use Castor Oil Packs

How frequently you use castor oil packs depends on your individual circumstances and goals.

Building Up Gently

Start slowly:

First week: 20 minutes per session
Second week: gradually build up to 30 mins – one hour, depending on how your body is feeling
Some people notice their first period after using castor oil packs may arrive earlier or feel more intense. This often settles after the initial cycle and many find things feel more balanced afterwards.

Always listen to your body and what feels right for you.

You can use packs up to 3–4 nights in a row per week
Please see guidance on when not to use castor oil packs below, otherwise they can be used every few days throughout the month, stopping a few days before your period begins
Take care when adding heat packs, particularly if placing over scar tissue, to avoid any risk of burning in areas where there is numbness

If you’re undergoing IVF or FET:

Packs can be used during down-regulation and stimulation or lining-building phases
Stop a few days before egg collection or transfer
Do not use packs during your withdrawal bleed
Do not use castor oil packs at all after embryo transfer

When Not to Use Castor Oil Packs

Avoid castor oil packs:

During your period or withdrawal bleed
During any heavy bleeding
If you think you may be pregnant
Before ovulation if trying to conceive that cycle
Over broken or irritated skin

Keep castor oil out of reach of children, and rinse with warm water if it comes into contact with the eyes.

Castor oil can stain fabrics, so take care with clothing, bedding, and towels.

For Castor Oil Packs Using Castor Oil Balm

The balm is 87% concentrated organic castor oil balm (with a little beeswax and Vitamin E added in) so you still get all the benefits. Simply rub the castor oil balm in to the area you wish to treat. The warmth of your hands will help the balm to absorb in to the tissues. A self-adhesive heat pack can be applied over the top of a t-shirt / vest top if you wish to add additional warmth (for example: Cura-heat or Hotteeze)

As with all castor oil treatments, it is best to use under older clothes as the oil in the balm can stain, but it is a lovely way to do an easy, simple treatment while at work, in the car or at home, or for those harder to reach places that also need some castor oil TLC.

Castor oil packs are a gentle yet powerful way to create space for rest, connection, and healing. Keeping the practice simple and consistent is where the magic really happens 🌿

Please contact me or see my website for additional information.

Cathryn Franks | www.cathrynfranks.co.uk |

Everything you need to know about doing a castor oil pack