Top Ten Uses For Castor Oil

The medical uses of castor oil span throughout history. As early as the time of ancient Egypt, the oil had already been documented for its medicinal use. In addition, it had been recorded to treat certain ailments In India, way back to 2000 B.C.E., based on information from New World Encylopedia.

Today, castor oil is used extensively in the treatment of many ailments. Although not widely applied in mainstream medicine, it is considered an alternative remedy that can help you naturally cure various kinds of health conditions - 10 of the most common include: 

1. Constipation - Castor oil is a well-known laxative. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually certifies castor oil as an over-the-counter, "generally recognized as safe and effective" laxative that you can use for chronic constipation and diarrhea.
2. Labor Induction - For several years, natural castor oil has been used to stimulate labor induction. Traditionally given by a midwife, it is ingested by the pregnant mother to induce labor prior to childbirth.
3. Inflammations - The oil has anti-inflammatory properties that make it an effective treatment for sunburns, minor cuts, and abrasions in the skin.
4. Lymph Problems - An important medical use of the oil is in promoting the activity of the lymph, which is the main vessel that takes the toxins and wastes out of the body. It eliminates lymph congestion and helps improve your body's metabolism.
5. Skin Disorders - The oil acts as a natural emollient that hydrates, moisturizes and rejuvenates your skin. If you have wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes, castor oil helps you to get rid of these and makes your skin smoother and softer. The oil's skin conditioning benefits also help reduce the appearance of acne, eczema and other related skin problems.
6. Hair Loss - Here, the oil is an alternative solution to hair loss. It helps promote hair growth in people who are suffering from baldness and hair fall. This oil makes the hair thicker, stronger and full of life.
7. Sciatic Nerve Pain - Sciatica, which affects your sciatic nerve and is characterized with pains in the lower back, buttock, thigh, calf and foot, is also one of the medical conditions treated. So if you are suffering from symptoms of sciatica, consider using castor oil for treatment.
8. Tumors and Cysts - The oil is a folk remedy for tumors, cysts, and other swellings in the skin. It is applied externally to reduce or dissolve the tumors in the body.
9. Fungal infections - The oil contains undecylenic acid, which fights ringworm, yeast and athlete's foot infections.
10. Arthritis - The anti-inflammatory characteristics of castor oil heal arthritic joints and muscles and anywhere in your body that needs temporary relief.

These are just 10 of the most frequent medical uses of this oil. But in reality, the list goes on as the oil is continuously applied in numerous illnesses and health conditions. If you are experiencing any of the conditions listed above, why don't you consider using the oil today and start feeling the healing benefits of this organic oil?

Try These Winter Workouts!

Mix it up with these cold weather routines

What better time is there to discover a spankin’ new, uh-mazing workout than right now? (Hint: there is no better time!) I've rounded up some great ways to get you moving this winter. Whether you’re a natural snow angel or prefer to escape the winter chills, you’re sure to find a workout to warm both your muscles and your heart.

For the Great Outdoorswoman:

Go tobogganing. What exactly is a toboggan, you ask? Simply, it’s a sled without runners. Sure, tobogganing may not seem like much of a workout, but take a few trips back up that hill, and you’ll understand just how good this activity is for you — especially when it comes to perking up that booty! Plus, you’ll be having too much fun to even notice that you’re in the middle of a winter sweat sesh!

Slip on a pair of snowshoes. There are endless health and fitness benefits to taking a stroll outdoors, not the least of which include weight loss, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. But throw on a pair of snowshoes, and you’ve got a whole new level of outdoor fitness since snowshoeing can burn anywhere between 400 and 1,000 calories an hour! Now that’s a great reason to bundle up and enjoy the scenery.

For the Warm Weather Wisher:

Take yoga practice off your mat. Love yoga but feel like taking your practice to the next level? Enter aerial yoga, a workout that uses a silk hammock to suspend yogis above the ground — a fun, new twist on an ancient practice. Plus, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow swear by it, and have you seen their physiques? Check out AntiGravity Fitness for more info.

Hit it, then quit it. 2014 is the year of the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout. Lasting anywhere between four and 30 minutes, a HIIT workout consists of brief periods of intense movement followed by brief recovery periods. There are a number of variations to try, from Tabata to Focus T25, the 25-minute workout from Insanity creator Shaun T. The fact that we can get a complete (and we mean complete) workout in less than half an hour makes this one regimen we can definitely fit into our hectic schedules!

The Skinny on Smart Snacking

Maybe it was the hours of browsing holiday food porn on Pinterest that made your tummy growl. Or it could have been the carb-alicious leftovers staring at you every time you opened the fridge!

Whatever the case, when hunger calls, it calls, but instead of reaching for those Cheetos, there’s a smarter way to satiate your hunger pains. Be sure to pay attention to hunger levels and start eating when you feel hungry as opposed to when you're starving. And stop when you feel satisfied, not when you’re stuffed.

So, how can you feel full without eating a supersized meal? Here are some slim snack meanies under 100 calories that we recommend. 

When you’re in the mood for something quick:

• Vegetables with 2-3 tablespoons of hummus or black bean dip
• One hard-boiled egg
• Non-fat Greek yogurt (6 ounces)

When you’re craving something sweet:

• 1 Vans Light Waffle with 3 sliced strawberries and 2 tablespoons light whip cream
• 1 graham cracker topped with 1/4 cup cottage cheese

When you want a light meal:

• Soy burger patty or soy hot dog wrapped in lettuce
• 1/2 sandwich with 1 slice of light whole wheat bread, 1 1/2 ounces turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard

Cannabis The Next Big Thing in Beauty?

Long gone are the days of Reefer Madness and the concurrent idea that marijuana alone will somehow turn you into a monster or a murderer. First-world society has slowly warmed to the once-vilified drug, first with medical usage, then decriminalization... and now, it's entirely legal for recreational use in Colorado. Progress!

While updates on America's attitude toward marijuana are regularly broadcasted on the news, one less publicized use for the plant is as an ingredient in skincare. Hemp has never been forbidden from use in cosmetics -- in fact, the fatty acid-rich oil is a highly effective emollient that goes great in shampoos and conditioners.

Wait, Pot Can Reduce Skin Cancer Risk?

Publicly-quoted company Medical Marijuana Inc. is taking cosmetic cannabis to the next level with their new anti-aging skincare line, Cannabis Beauty Defined. The brand will use super-concentrated, cannabidiol-rich hemp oil as the star ingredient in its exfoliant, cleanser, eye cream, gel masque, moisturizer, and serum. And as it happens, the use of hemp oil isn't just a stoner gimmick -- clinical research shows that cannabinoids have antioxidant properties and can also help to regulate conditions like dry, irritable skin or acne.

Whether you smoke the stuff or you're firmly against it, there's no stigma attached to using it on your skin. We're just a little curious about the fragrance of the product: the last thing we need is to go around with our faces smelling like a Phish concert. 

Get rid of cellulite

I haven't gotten a chance to try this out yet....but I want to asap. Ya'll let me know how it works for you. Good luck!! 

Dr Oz’s Cellulite Coffee Sugar Scrub Ingredients: 

- 1/2 cup coffee grounds 
- 1/4 cup brown sugar 
- olive oil 

How to Make Dr Oz’s Coffee Sugar Scrub Cellulite Home Remedy 

Instructions: 

Doctor Oz said that Jodi’s Cellulite Home Remedy works because caffeine enhances fat metabolism and so when it is topically applied, coffee absorbs and removes liquid and fat from your skin, which can decrease the appearance of cellulite. Dr Oz said this Cellulite Home Remedy can temporarily make your cellulite disappear, but it is not a long term solution. You should think about doing this Cellulite Home Remedy a couple of times a week. 

1. Apply olive oil to your areas with cellulite (back of your thighs and upper arms for example). 
2. Combine the coffee grounds and brown sugar. 
3. Use the coffee scrub on your cellulite areas by moving in circular motions. 
4. Rinse off. Of course, the easiest way to do this Cellulite Home Remedy is to do it in the shower! 

3 Easy-to-Make Homemade Deep Conditioners

For some of us, going natural did not stop with our hair.  It continued with a move towards mixing our own “natural” products.  While numerous recipes exist on the internet, few are actually both simple AND effective in meeting the needs of our natural hair.  If you are new to making your own products or are a current mixtress searching for an easy-to-make recipe that actually works, you can start with these homemade conditioners, which are my three favorites:

1. For Manageability – Bananas, olive oil, glycerin, and honey

This homemade conditioner improves the manageability of my hair for post-rinse styling. The secret is in the banana, which has a way of minimizing shrinkage and softening the hair when mixed with the other ingredients.  Meanwhile, glycerin and honey, which are both humectants, and olive oil, which is known to penetrate the hair, all contribute moisturizing benefits.  Do not be alarmed if you notice a loosening of your coils or curls with this conditioner; the effect is temporary until your next wash day. This recipe is ideal for naturals who want to achieve easier blow-outs or better stretched styles.

Ingredients:
1 large overripe banana (sliced) OR 7 oz banana baby food
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pure vegetable glycerin
2 tbsp pure honey

Instructions:
Place the sliced banana, extra virgin olive oil, glycerin, and honey all in a blender. Blend the ingredients thoroughly making sure no lumps or banana bits remain. (Depending on your blender quality, you may or may not have to then sieve the mixture.  Another option is to use banana baby food, though the conditioner may not be as effective.) Apply to hair and let sit for 30-45 minutes under a shower cap. Detangle, rinse thoroughly, and style as usual.

2. For Detangling – Avocados, olive oil, shea butter, and apple cider vinegar

This homemade conditioner is lubricating, thick, and heavy, all of which give my kinks slip, moisture, and hang for detangling. The avocado’s meatiness and fatty acid content contribute to the effectiveness of this mixture.  Additionally, the fatty acids in the olive oil combined with the emollient properties of shea butter add even more lubrication and moisturizing benefits.  Lastly, the acidic pH of the apple cider vinegarhelps to flatten the cuticles for easier detangling.  This conditioner is ideal for those with thick, dense hair and major shrinkage.

Ingredients:
1 overripe avocado (sliced)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unrefined shea butter
2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Instructions:
Place the sliced avocado, unrefined shea butter, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), andapple cider vinegar (ACV) into a blender. (There is no need to melt the shea butterahead of time.)  Blend all the ingredients thoroughly and add more EVOO, if necessary, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. When done, apply to the hair and let sit for 30-45 minutes under a shower cap. Detangle, rinse thoroughly, and style as usual.

3. For Strengthening – Coconut oil and honey

This conditioner is ideal for naturals whose hair dislikes protein conditioners but needs a bit of strengthening.  The key is the coconut oil, which binds to the hair thus reducing keratin loss. Honey, a humectant, is also added to the mix to impart moisture retention.  I get the best of both worlds – moisture and strength – with this conditioner.  You could also use two servings of the recipe if your hair is really thick, dense, and naturally dry.

Ingredients:
4 tbs of extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbs of pure honey
(depending on hair density or length, you may use two servings of this recipe)

Instructions:
Place the coconut oil and honey in a small cup and place the cup in a large bowl of hot water.  Allow the cup to sit in the water for a few minutes until the mixture is warm.  Pour the mixture onto freshly washed but towel blotted hair.  Put on a shower cap, and wrap with a towel to prevent mixture from dripping onto face. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse out 80-90% of the conditioner, and style as usual.

Do you have any homemade conditioner recipes? Share below!