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People have been using the castor bean (Ricinus communis) for thousands of years to treat an amazing number of maladies. The seeds are also a source of ricin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to man. Fortunately, it is safe to used the oil, as it does not contain ricin. You will be amazed at the versatility of castor oil.
Castor Oil to Get Rid of Warts:
Q. I suffered with warts on my right hand. I had my physician check them and was given Compound W for warts. It was painful to use and didn’t do the job.
I read in The People’s Pharmacy that castor oil works with warts, so I gave it a try. YES, it worked 100 percent. It dried them out as quickly as a week when I applied it several times a day. I say try castor oil to get rid of warts.
A. You are not the first person to report success treating warts with this traditional remedy derived from the castor bean (Ricinus communis). The leaves of the plant have antiviral activity (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, May 10, 2021).
We don’t know whether compounds from the plant affect the human papillomavirus that causes warts. The oil has a reputation for soothing irritation and inflammation, although some people develop allergic skin reactions and should avoid it.
A Castor Oil Testimonial:
This might be the story that our reader encountered before trying a remedy for warts.
Q. Castor oil completely eliminated a wart that I had tried to get rid of for twenty years. It did not even leave a scar.
I applied the oil on the wart after showering and at bedtime and covered it with a bandage. I kept this up until the wart was gone, maybe two months.
A. Castor oil has a very long history as a medicine, going back to the ancient Egyptians. It’s been used as a wart remedy for decades, if not centuries.
Soreness & Bruising
The ricinoleic acid in castor oil has anti-inflammatory activity. People often apply it to overworked muscles to ease soreness. Some people use it to prevent bruises by applying it to the skin immediately after being bumped or struck.
Treating Scars
Occasionally we hear from someone who has used castor oil on a scar.
This person was enthusiastic:
“I had an operation a few years ago that left a 7 inch scar that felt like a shoelace under my skin. I used castor oil on it unfaithfully, several times a day when I would remember, or sometimes not at all.
“One day I noticed my scar was peeling. Now it feels thinner. It’s about half the size it was, after a month of haphazard use.”
We caution that some people may react badly to castor oil on the skin, developing a rash. It makes sense to test it on a small spot before applying it to a large area.
The Bottom Line on Castor Oil
There are few natural remedies with such a diverse track record as this ancient oil.
- Wart Remedy
- Antidote for Bruises
- Hangnail Treatment
- Anti-Itch for Fire Ant Bites
- Easing Muscle Pain
- Cracked Fingertips & Angular Cheilitis
- Growing Hair?
- Anti-Scar Treatment
- Getting Rid of Skin Tags
Share your own experience below in the “ADD MY THOUGHTS” section below and please vote on this article at the top of the page.
Liz
I have tried everything to remove a plantar & finger wart. From freezing, laser, blistering & having them cut out only for them to return weeks to months later. My mother subscribes to your site (as well as myself now) & forwarded me the article about warts & castor oil in April 2023.
At this point I was willing to try anything. I religiously put castor oil & a bandaid on the warts every night. It didn’t take long for the plantar wart to disappear. However, the wart on my finger took about 4 months to do the same. Hoping they won’t return, but at least I have a remedy.
Thanks to People’s Pharmacy’s platform for connecting people & their health concerns/concerns.
John S
I have been applying castor oil to my knees during and after playing baseball for 3 hours with 25 year-olds. I’m 60. I heard about it from a naturopathic physician, and it really eases joint pain.
Marie
I tried castor oil on the warts on my dog and it didn’t work. What did work was vinegar. Every day I swabbed their warts and after 6 weeks, they were gone.
Joanna
Castor oil on my abdomen treats cystitis and intestinal upset.
Cat
I had Plantar’s Warts on the bottom of my feet as a teenager in 1975. Nothing helped, even doctor’s treatment. Someone told us about castor oil. I started putting it on the bottom of my feet and sleeping in socks. Within days they were gone. The stuff works. They never came back either.
Terri
I used the homeopathic plant remedy, Thuja occidentalis,for my son’s plantar’s wart. It resolved and never returned. Castor oil may take longer, but it is certainly less expensive. I’m going to try it on a wart my senior dog has developed.
Cathy
If you’re still taking comments on this article: Castor oil is amazing, but buy the best quality and forget bargains. What you apply to your skin will end up in your system.
Linda
A friend of mine from Panama told me her veterinarian friend told her to rub oil into the belly button to treat pain. She shared this remedy, and it sure takes my old age soreness out of my body upon awakening. I HAVE to do it now. I take baths with Castor oil to keep my dry skin supple and healthy.
Carol
33908
I was totally surprised that it worked! However, it took 4 weeks to loosen the wart and 5 weeks for it to fall away. It was exciting to watch the castor oil working each day as it loosened the wart, and the root popped out–a real Science Experiment!
Alan
Plainfield, In
I had two warts on my face, one was small and went away in less than two weeks. The second one took longer but eventually went away. The secret seems to be contact time. The longer you can keep the castor oil on it,the better it works.
Marge
Wisconsin
Have been using Castor Oil on my face and eyes for Rosacea for several months. It is definitely helping my eyes & the facial irritation is better but not completely resolved. I also use Tea Tree Oil in the mix I put on my face (but not my eyes).
Mark
Liverpool, NY
Will castor oil help psoriasis on the elbows ?
Jo
Dallas
I have had adult acne (for years) due to leaky gut. We have found that castor oil mixed with tee tree oil helps. We alternate with Greek yogurt (no sugar), manuka honey and cinnamon Even though I continue to have digestive issues, I no longer experience any skin issues or itching. I have tried most over the counter and home remedies and the aforementioned worked the best.
Jessica
I used it for styes in my eyes and it worked like a charm.
Also, I use to have severe dry eye syndrome caused by Lasix surgery. Went on for 6 years. I tried everything and nothing worked. Read about using castor oil. Placed it in my eyes. Within a month my eyes felt better and now they are completely normal. I don’t know if it was the castor oil, but I had literally tried everything for so long. My eyes were in pain often when I tried to sleep. For years. I really think it was the castor oil that did the trick.
Jeri
United States
I used castor oil on a wart that developed at the hairline near my temple. I rubbed it on the wart 3 to 5 times a day. The wart started crumbling away after about a week until it was completely gone.
Deanna
75949
My dermatologist told me several times to be sure not to get it in my eyes
Pat
Omaha, NE
Castor oil helps me with itchy skin when nothing else helped. I cannot get a diagnosis from a doctor as to why my arms itch every summer through the fall, and thru research, I think it’s the sun. Anyway, nothing helps but castor oil, I put it on after I shower.
I also used it one time when I had very rough heels, I put it on at night and then put on socks before I went to bed. It cured them in a month and it’s been 2 years since I had that problem, it has not returned.
I learned about castor oil from reading books by Edgar Cayce, he told of hundreds of uses for it.
Jennifer
Texas
Decades ago I was traveling with a girlfriend in the then Yugoslavia. While swimming in the ocean she stepped on a sea urchin or something other creature that left painful “dots” in her heel. She wanted me to remove them with a needle. I don’t recall how our plight came to a local’s attention, but somehow …. in spite of the language barrier …. castor oil was recommended. We were told to apply it topically, which we found very strange since we’d seen how the characters in Our Gang movies were given castor oil orally. But we followed the suggestion and the little dots went away. I remembered that about castor oil ever since.
Rick Matz
Springfield, MO
Dr. Norm Shealy in Springfield, MO who operated a holistic clinic for years advocates the use of “castor oil packs”, especially for abdominal pain/distress.
Wet a cloth with castor oil.
Lay down and cover the abdomen with the cloth.
Put a layer of food wrap type clear film over the cloth to protect your heating pad.
Lay the heating pad, turned to low, over the pack and leave on for 30 minutes or so.
I don’t know how or why this process works but I have experienced audible bowel sounds and a sensation of relaxation/movement in the bowels with a reduction in abdominal distress using this method. I have tried using the heating pad alone and not had the same results.
The castor oil is thick and sticky and will not wash completely out of the cloth so use a cloth you can through away. Put a towel under you to protect you bed clothes if any runs down.
hanna
florida
Castor oil mixed with good quality baking soda shortens the time to get rid off of skin growths. Often to two weeks.
Jean C
It is also good for toenail fungus. Getting rid of it but takes time and using it every day.
Trish
Florida
Good ol’ milk weed plant “milk” does the trick! Break the stem and the white milk that you see is what you apply to the wart. Put it on three-four times a day and within a week’s time it will be gone!