Step by step how to guide

Materials

A soft, clean, thick material like flannel, wool, or cotton (organic is best)

Castor oil

A glass bowl or glass jar that you can pour the castor oil in over your flannel

A hot water bottle or heating pad

Old clothes that you don’t mind getting stained since castor oil stains fabric

A plastic bag (I find kitchen or regular garbage bags work best)

A large towel

Instructions

1. Put on your older clothes.

2. Take your piece of flannel and place it in your bowl or glass container and pour enough castor oil over it to soak it (make sure it’s saturated, but it doesn’t need to be dripping in oil).

3. Get your hot water bottle or heating pad ready.

4. Place your towel on a flat surface (either a couch, your bed, or the floor). For added protection you can also put down a garbage bag so that your bed or couch won’t get stained from any oil that manages to escape the plastic cover.

5. Once you lie down, place your saturated flannel over the affected area of your body.

6. Cover the pack with plastic.

7. Place the heating pad or hot water bottle over the pack and let it sit for at least 45-60 minutes. During this time you can rest or read a book.

8. When the time is up, remove the pack and clean the area with water and a bit of baking soda.

9. You can keep the pack in a plastic bag in a cool place or the refrigerator. I keep mine in a sealed glass jar in one of my kitchen cabinets. Just add another tablespoon of castor oil for the next session.