Castor oil packs were introduced to our family the first year we started our healing journey with functional medicine (2016), and we still regularly use them today. A castor oil pack is one of the oldest healing techniques in the world, dating back to Hippocrates. The medicinal benefits are impressive, and I encourage you to research for yourself. There is a lot available to dig into and understand.
The castor oil pack treatment involves spreading a small amount of castor oil over your liver, and then putting a piece of cotton flannel on for at least an hour and overnight if possible. Our functional medicine clinic recommends Queen of the Thrones® liver packs because they offer castor oil that is 100% pure, organic, hexane-free and expeller pressed oil in a glass jar. Queen of the Thrones® does an exceptional job of sharing all testing results for their oils. You simply cannot find this level of transparency for many oils that make the same safety and purity claims online.
Glass bottles are also extremely important because castor oil can absorb chemicals from plastic containers and carry them into your body. The type of castor oil we use is extracted from the castor bean (Ricinus Communis), not from beaver sacs, also called beaver castor or castoreum, for those of you with curious minds. I’ve had to personally explain the difference multiple times over the years, LoL!
How To Use
I like to use the liver oil pack insert because it helps keep the actual liver pack cleaner longer, and for me it helps with less leakage outside of the pack. There are different sizes of castor oil bottles, dispensers, and pack options (thyroid, eyes, breast, etc.) available. Oh, and I’m just covering the benefits to the liver in this post. Don’t even get me started on using castor oil for hair growth, facial wrinkle improvements, etc. I do put it on my eyebrows, eyelashes, thinning areas on my scalp, and even the “elevens” on my face. It’s important to always do your own research to see for yourself, and check with your doctor to ensure any treatment is right for you.
My Family’s Favorites
Here are the products that we use in our healing regimen. The science backs it and the products are available at an affordable cost. I’m a believer based on personal and direct use.
- Castor Oil Bundles (Pack, Oil, & Insert)
- Castor Oil Liver Pack
- Castor Oil Liver Pack Insert
- Castor Oil
- Castor Oil Rose Quartz Roll-on
- Beauty Eye Mask Bundle
If you’d like to save some money, you’re welcome to use this code for 10% off your order: MelissaK
Cheers to good health!
References:
Mahmood, K. A., Rashid, R. J., Fateh, S. M., & Mohammed, N. A. (2021). Evaluation of the Effect of Patient Preparation Using Castor Oil on ADC Value of Focal Liver Lesion. International Journal of General Medicine, 14, 469–474. https://doi.org/10.2147/ijgm.s289661
Polito, L., Bortolotti, M., Battelli, M. G., Calafato, G., & Bolognesi, A. (2019). Ricin: An Ancient Story for a Timeless Plant Toxin. Preprints (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201905.0338.v1
Ramothloa, T. P. (n.d.). Phytochemical Composition and Multifunctional Applications of Ricinus communis L.: Insights into Therapeutic, Pharmacological, and Industrial Potential. MDPI.
Subramaniyan, V. (2020). Therapeutic Importance of Caster Seed Oil. Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention, 485–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818553-7.00034-6
Alookaran, J. (2024). Castor Oil. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551626/
Arya, A. K. (2025). Unveiling the Antimicrobial Potential of Ricinus communis: A Comprehensive Review of Its Relevance to Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Pathogens. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12820431/
Attrapadung, S., Yoshida, J., Kimura, K., Mizunuma, M., Miyakawa, T., & Thanomsub, B. W. (2010). Identification of ricinoleic acid as an inhibitor of Ca2+ signal-mediated cell-cycle regulation in budding yeast. FEMS Yeast Research, 10(1), 38–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1567-1364.2009.00592.x
Girdler, K. (2026). Use of Castor Oil in Dermatology: A Narrative Review. PMC – NIH. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12978418/
Tunaru, S. (2012). Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptors. PNAS. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1201627109
Vieira, C., Evangelista, S., Cirillo, R., Lippi, A., Maggi, C. A., & Manzini, S. (2000). Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation, 9(5), 223–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/09629350020025737
Yousefsani, B. S. (n.d.). Castor Oil: A Natural Remedy with Promising Potential for Parkinson’s Disease Prevention. Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products.