Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Castor Oil For Insect Bites & Stings

Well, I guess I will finish this Castor Oil series and put it to bed, for now.  So far, we've done Castor oil for injuries, bruises or blood pooling and now insect bites.  When my son was about a year old, he got into some ants and before I knew it, his little hand looked like one of those surgical gloves that people blow up.  I rushed him to the ER (pre-natural medicine days!) and they pumped him full of Benadryl.  However, as the swelling would subside, a large area (the size of 4 quarters, sometimes more) would turn black, I guess the damaged tissue was dying off.  A few years later, after the discovery of that awesome book I mentioned in Part 1, I took three of her treatments for insect bites and combined them.  I had already been using lavender essential oil on bug bites but it did not prevent the tissue from dying.  While on vacation one year, my son got several bites on his foot.  The book recommends Castor oil, lavender and aloe, among other things, for bites.  I mixed and applied these 3 and within minutes the swelling was already going down.  Later that day, you could hardly tell where he had been bitten!  For 6 years we had watched every ant bite swell, turn black and take weeks to heal, causing much pain and irritation.  With the Castor oil/lavender/aloe we were business as usual in one day.  It was wonderful!  Now my son is no longer paranoid about getting bit by ants, though he still obviously tries to avoid them.  At least he has a quick fix should he get bitten.  Also of note is that it works even if you do not catch it immediately.  He has been bitten at times when we didn't have the needed items available or he wasn't at home, but as soon as he was able to apply it (within a day) it would begin healing and he has never again experienced the black, dying tissue.

There is no formal recipe for this.  I usually just mix it in my hand and rub it on.  If I had to give measurements I would say I use about a teaspoon of aloe gel (you could also use juice), 5 drops of lavender and 1/2 tsp of Castor oil.  Aloe is anti-inflammatory, lavender is calming, therefore quieting inflamed skin and Castor oil speeds up lymphatic flow and disperses toxins, per the book Gentle Healing for Baby and Child by Andrea Candee.  This works!  Do not hesitate to try it.  You can get all of these ingredients at Iherb.com but I actually purchase my essential oils in bulk from NewDirectionsAromatics.com.  I'm sure you can also get them at a health foods store but you will pay twice as much or more.

As promised, here is my special blend that I am never without.  I have a bottle in my purse, a bottle upstairs, a bottle downstairs and a bottle in my car.  I also hand out bottles to friends and family whenever possible and have received nothing but praise and thanks.  So here goes...I take a 2 oz bottle of Castor oil or fill a 2 oz bottle with Castor oil, add 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of tea tree, and 5 drops of chamomile.  This will help with anything... rashes, bruises, cuts, bites, etc.  I've had friends who had wounds that just would not heal, put this on it and within a couple days the wound was healed.  I've used it on hurt chicken feet, dog bites on my cats, tick bites on my dogs and goats, goose eggs on my kids' heads and so on and so forth.  So there you go.  If you do not have any Castor oil in your house, get some!  Throw some lavender and tea tree essential oils in while your it at.  You won't be sorry!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Earthmama! We are naturalists too and I've been using various remedies for my ant bites too. I got bitten on both feet on Thursday afternoon by tiny black ants. Thankfully it's only one toe on the left and two on the right so it could be worse. LOL BUT the bite on the left foot has turned into a huge blister. :-( I;ve alternated ACV, coconut oil, apis (homeopathic), and white vinegar. When I added a little lavendar to the coconut oil, it seemed to have helped the longest with the crazy itching. If it comes back, I'll try your remedy. :-)

L Lamirand said...

Hello! I came across your blog wile looking for ways to treat my own insect bites. I was near a dog with fleas, and had over 15 flea bites all around my ankles. I used your recipe for insect bites, and they were gone in about 3 days with steady application. In regards to your "special blend", my 21 year old son suffers from some terrible acne from time to time, and we've tried SO many things! From products at Cleopatras Choice to Burt's Bees to otc acne products--- all with very little success. I gave him your special blend (without the chamomile, as I didn't have any), and it has made the most improvement!! When I "reclaimed" my bottle, he then asked if I could make him some. I am delighted it works so well for him! We are grateful for your blog/recipes! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

EarthMama said...

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! It's great to know that the remedies are working for others as well.

Leslie Beaumont said...

I just tried castor oil on its own by accident ....(being plagued by itchy midge bites here in England) and happen-chanced upon your blog here. I will try your aloe/lavendar/ castor oil trick....all three I have in stock..... thank you for the idea! Leslie x

Holistic Wayfarer said...

How long do the bottles you give out last? The essential oils act as preservative? Thanks.

Maryann Ayer said...

I believe I was bitten by a brown recluse spider about and hour ago. The bite spot was open and blood red at first but within minutes the entire area from heel to 4 inches above the ankle turned blood red and the bite area began to harden. It was swelling and it burned and itched and stung. I immediately thought of my favorite remedy, castor oil, and smeared it thickly on the entire area. Then I took the hair dryer and began to heat it for a few minutes because I had read that heat helped castor oil work. Then I rubbed in a few drops of myrrh and frankincense and allowed it to set for about 15 minutes. It began to burn again after 20 minutes so I went for broke and poured concentrated bleach on the whole area, let it sit for one minute and then rinsed it off with hot water in the shower. After ten minutes I repeated the bleach method. I then slathered the entire area again with castor oil. The swelling is gone and the redness has lessened to a one inch by two and a half inch area. I think I will still go to the doctor after I get dressed, though, but I LOVE MY CASTOR OIL!!

EarthMama said...

I would say about 6 months or so. You can definitely tell when the base oil has gone rancid.

EarthMama said...

I would say about 6 months or so. You can definitely tell when the base oil has gone rancid.

Anonymous said...

I just spotted a castor oil plant seed on the ground today, and straight away it reminded me of an engorged tick! As we know from the way a plant looks, it gives an indication of its medicinal value. So here we go, certainly good for all kind of bites. As You say, it disperses toxins by enhancing lymphatic flow. Awesome! Here in Australia we get horrid, very painful paralysis ticks, and every time when bitten our lymph glands swell up. Wonder whether we should drink a bit of castor oil as well to help flush it out? Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge!!

EarthMama said...

I'm glad to share! Castor oil internally does clear out the bowels but I personally won't do that again! I think massaging it into the gland, drinking lots, moving lots and definitely being regular is best. Also warmth on the affected gland seems to help it drain better.