Ep. 101: Castor Oil For Wellness: What You Need To Know With Michelle Faulds
SHOW NOTES
In this episode of the Vetiver Vibes podcast, hosts Nikki Fraser welcome Michelle Faulds, the founder of Healing Haven, to discuss the incredible benefits of castor oil and its various applications in holistic health. Michelle shares her personal journey with castor oil, which began as a remedy for her endometriosis pain and evolved into a passion for helping others through Healing Haven.
Michelle opens up about her struggles with endometriosis and the pain that accompanied it, revealing how traditional medical treatments fell short. After discovering the healing properties of castor oil packs through a naturopath, she began using them to alleviate her symptoms. This experience not only provided her with relief but also inspired her to create affordable and accessible castor oil products for others seeking natural remedies.
Throughout the episode, we dive deep into the numerous benefits of castor oil, including its ability to reduce pain and inflammation, support liver detoxification, and promote relaxation. Michelle shares her favourite ways to use castor oil, from applying it to sore muscles to incorporating it into beauty routines for skin and hair care. We also discuss the importance of using high-quality, hexane-free castor oil stored in glass bottles to ensure its efficacy and safety.
Listeners will learn about the various applications of castor oil, including its use in castor oil packs, as a natural remedy for conditions like plantar fasciitis, eczema, and even dry eyes. Michelle emphasizes the gentle nature of castor oil, making it suitable for a wide range of individuals, while also highlighting the importance of consulting healthcare providers for specific health concerns.
As the conversation unFaulds, we touch on the significance of lifestyle choices in overall health and wellness, encouraging listeners to explore natural modalities before resorting to conventional medicine. Michelle's enthusiasm for castor oil is infectious, and her insights provide valuable information for anyone interested in holistic health practices.
Join us for this enlightening episode as we explore the world of castor oil and its potential to enhance well-being. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to the benefits of castor oil, there's something for everyone in this engaging discussion. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn how this versatile oil can support your health journey!
Resources Mentioned:
Healing Haven: www.healinghavenshop.com
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00:00:03 - Welcome to Vetiver Vibes
Introduction of hosts Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean, and the purpose of the podcast.00:00:14 - Sponsor Announcement
Information about Essentria, an online school for aromatherapy.00:00:33 - Guest Introduction: Michelle Faulds
Introduction of Michelle Faulds and her journey into healing modalities.00:01:09 - Michelle's First Podcast
Michelle shares her excitement about being on the podcast for Healing Haven.00:01:22 - Nikki's Passion for Castor Oil
Nikki expresses her enthusiasm for castor oil and its uses.00:01:59 - Favorite Essential Oils
Discussion about Michelle's favourite essential oils: Clary Sage and Sandalwood.00:03:07 - Michelle's Health Journey
Michelle shares her experience with endometriosis and how she discovered castor oil.00:04:11 - Using Castor Oil for Pain Relief
Michelle discusses her initial use of castor oil for pain management.00:05:13 - Fertility and IVF Journey
Michelle talks about using castor oil packs during her IVF process.00:06:07 - Transformative Effects of Castor Oil
Michelle explains how castor oil helped her improve her health and well-being.00:07:01 - Benefits of Castor Oil
Discussion on the various benefits of castor oil, including pain relief and skin care.00:08:15 - Castor Oil in Aromatherapy
Nikki shares how castor oil is taught in their aromatherapy course.00:09:20 - Historical Uses of Castor Oil
Discussion about traditional uses of castor oil as a laxative and its implications.00:10:36 - Personal Experiences with Castor Oil
Michelle and Nikki share their personal experiences using castor oil for various conditions.00:12:20 - Using Castor Oil for Eye and Ear Issues
Discussion on the use of castor oil for eye floaters and tinnitus.00:14:06 - Cautions with Castor Oil
Emphasis on the importance of consulting healthcare providers before using castor oil.00:16:54 - Contraindications for Castor Oil Use
Discussion on who should avoid using castor oil and potential side effects.00:19:00 - Using Castor Oil Packs
Michelle explains how to use castor oil packs effectively.00:23:26 - Castor Oil for Skin Conditions
Discussion on using castor oil for eczema and other skin issues.00:25:45 - Thyroid Health and Castor Oil
Exploration of using castor oil for thyroid conditions.00:26:54 - Practical Application of Castor Oil Packs
Michelle demonstrates how to apply a castor oil pack.00:30:40 - Daily Use of Castor Oil
Discussion on incorporating castor oil into daily routines for health benefits.00:33:01 - Natural Health Approaches
Discussion on the importance of natural modalities in health care.00:36:12 - Final Recommendations
Michelle encourages listeners to try castor oil for various uses.00:37:28 - Choosing Quality Castor Oil
Advice on selecting high-quality castor oil products.00:41:57 - Closing Remarks
Wrap-up of the episode and thanks to listeners. -
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Vetiver Vibes podcast, where your hosts, Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean, certified clinical aromatherapists. We are excited to have you here on today's episode, where you know that you'll get the best essential oil scoop.
Nikki: This episode is brought to you by Essentria a leading online school for aromatherapy. If you want to learn more about Ayurvedic Indian head massage, check out the courses at www.schoolofessentia.com. Welcome to this week's episode of Better Vibes. Nikki Fraser here with Michelle Faulds. Happy to have you on. Thank you. Thank you. After creating, scaling, and selling a digital marketing company with her husband, Mike, Michelle delved even farther into researching and using different healing modalities. The death of her mother in 2021 fueled her passion to live a longer, fuller, more comfortable life, and she now shares that with others through her online store. Healing Haven, a source for castor oil packs and other healing tools. Welcome to the podcast.Michelle: Thank you so much. This is great, this is exciting. This is my first podcast I've done under Healing Haven. I did them under my other business, but I'm a podcast virgin for Healing Haven.
Nikki: It's great, it's great. And I mean, and we have known each other for years through all kinds of different modalities. And when you started Healing Haven, I was absolutely ecstatic because I love castor oil. I have been using castor oil for years. And so it's definitely a passion. So when I saw you starting to do all kinds of things with castor oil, I was like, yay, somewhere local, which is fantastic. So before we dive into things, I always like to ask all of our guests, what is your favorite essential oil? Because I know you do use essential oils.
Michelle: I do. I do. And we have some products with essential oils in them. Um, I, I thought about this and knew you were going to ask me this question. I've listened to your podcast. Um, and I just, I've got to pick two. I can't, I just, I cannot choose. So Clary Sage has always been my favorite, favorite oil. I find it really like levels that I can have the worst day. And if I have a bath and throw some Clary Sage in, I just, everything turns around for me like it just I love it. But since I've been doing healing haven't I really been drawn to sandalwood, I put it in my magnesium spray which we now sell that version also, but it just smells so I'm yummy and earthy and grounding. And I find myself being drawn to sandalwood in my diffuser all the time. So I haven't blended the two, but that might be interesting.
Nikki: Yeah. See how that goes with them together. Yeah. Awesome. So I'd love to hear your story. Um, I know mentioned it real briefly in, in the intro, but your story of how you came into using castor oil more, um, and, and go from there.
Michelle: So later in life than a lot of people, I found out I had endometriosis and I was struggling with a lot of pain. Before I even knew what it was, there was a lot of pain and my doctor wasn't giving me really any sort of treatment other than hear surgery, which didn't work. We'll do another surgery which I didn't have a lot of hopes for. So I started seeing a naturopath and she suggested them, I kind of went yeah whatever it's kind of woo woo, that's not me. But the more I joined some groups online and a lot of people were getting some pain relief for their endometriosis. I have stage four. So it's like everywhere. Um, surgery wasn't helpful because they just couldn't get it all, but I would go to work and I couldn't even sit down in a chair. My tailbone would hurt so bad. So I would go home and I would put my castor oil on at that time. I didn't know about packs. I had a piece of organic cotton and plastic bag.
Nikki: I think that's how most people started out. And I mean, that's what I remember back in the day, like as a child too, like that was the standard.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah. I just didn't want to make a mess. Right. I wasn't thinking about plastic, whatever. But anyway, I would go home and lay down for like two, three hours in the afternoon when I couldn't sit anymore in an office chair with the heat and the castor oil on and it worked. I'm like, okay, so this gave me a little bit of faith. So I went back to my naturopath and, and, you know, did some other things. And I thought about that time we started looking into fertility stuff and, and she suggested using casserole packs to help build up the lining of my uterus before doing IVF. So I did that too. Um, and interestingly enough, like at age 48, I did an IVF transfer and it took the first time. which I mean, I have so many friends and relatives that have tried and it's heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak. So I'm really, really blessed that that worked for me. I can't say it was the castor oil, but it didn't hurt. And you know, it definitely helped relax me as well. Um, So that helped. But I then found out about the Castor Oil Packs. I did find some online. I found some on Amazon. I found another company that did them. And they were claiming to like cure everything, right? So I bought them, tried them, but they were expensive, like really expensive. And I just, I don't know. I just, I thought, hmm, someday, you know, maybe in another life I'll look into doing this in a way that's more accessible for people. And I kind of put it in the back of my mind. And then my mom passed away when my daughter was just two months, three months old. And I decided I just did not want to live the last portion of like the last 25, 30, whatever years of my life in the kind of pain and discomfort that my mom was in. So I started using more, I got rid of toxins in my home. I was using castor oil packs on a regular basis, I lost 100 pounds. Castor oil was part of that journey. Also it helped put my body into a parasympathetic state I'd sleep with it on my belly, every single night and get a good night's sleep and it helped with cortisol levels. So I mean, there is you don't use it for now. My husband has hip pain last night. I put it on him, too. So it's just such a gentle modality. Even if it's not helping you, it's not hurting. And I find most times it helps with anything that I've tried it for. And I just wanted to bring that to more people at a little bit more affordable price point. I feel like I improved the design of what I was using before. And then we just expanded into, we don't sell anything that we didn't, we didn't try ourselves or use ourselves. Um, and that's kind of where we're at right now.
Nikki: Awesome. And so obviously a lot of work with castor oil. Um, can you share, what are the benefits of castor oil?
Michelle: So the big one, the one that most people email me, message me asking about is pain. Pain and inflammation, which I mean, the two go hand in hand. If you've got inflammation, you usually got pain. So that is the big one. There are others, obviously, I mean, it's approved by the FDA. You can take it internally as a laxative. I don't do that. I'm a little scared of, Yeah, no, it's just not going to happen for me. But mostly pain and inflammation. It does help to relax you. Skin softening, moisturizing, liver detox. I mean, I could go on and on and on. I was talking to you earlier about I have plantar fasciitis. I put it on my feet before I go to bed at night and I wake up and the pain is like 75% less than if I don't do it. So Yeah, there's a huge laundry list of things that we can use it for and lots of recipes. If you Google online, I mean, you can make your own pain rub. As you mentioned to me when we were talking before the podcast, add cayenne pepper and make your own pain rub. Body scrub with add some sugar, coffee grounds. It's just good for so many things.
Nikki: Absolutely, yeah. I know we teach in our aromatherapy course because it is a carrot oil that we do talk about and we do share and teach. You mentioned the internal use, laxative, and I always remember the old wives' tale. You hear anyone where they talk about their home from school. It was, here's a teaspoon of castor oil, and you just empty out the system, and that'll help you get better faster. That was always the old treatment. Thankfully, I didn't have that, but I definitely heard the stories of it. And it's often in the pregnancy brews at the very end, which I don't recommend doing, actually, for several different reasons. but definitely talk to your midwife or doctor. Don't just do it on a whim because it's not necessarily recommended. But yeah, absolutely. I use castor oil packs. I started to get into it actually after my first IVF journey, my first surrogate journey where my naturopath recommended because I wanted to detox from the meds because the meds are very heavy and strong and can do a lot on the body. And so after the pregnancy, I wanted to be able to find a way of helping to support my liver and detoxing and things like that. And so she had recommended the castor oil packs. And that's how I had kind of slowly gotten into it. I did a little bit. And then it, I think it was after my second, I used it sporadically, but it was really after my second journey that I started to get into it more and more and more. But I was using it more for face washing because oil and oil, right? So if you want to take the oil off the face, I was using castor oil, sometimes mixed with jojoba oil. But in hair masks, we were talking about hair masks, I have really, really dry scalp, itchy scalp, and I find as I'm entering perimenopause, I didn't realize itchy scalp was also one of those fun symptoms of perimenopause. I'm like, this is why my… It's been itchy and I'm noticing like more, I don't know if I'm just because I'm so aware, but noticing all these little things. So I often try to do a castor oil hair mask once a week to help with that. Like there are, like you said, so many different things. I've got a, what is it? A cyst that is literally in the corner of my eye. So a lot of times to get rid of cysts, like it's surgery type thing, I've had another one where they had to surgically remove it. Due to the location of literally in the corner of my eye, obviously surgery isn't an option really. My optometrist isn't aware, but that's just like, let's put some castor oil. And it has it, like I noticed it shrinks when I actively use it. So there's so many different things that I often share about it too, because I do find there are so many benefits and it's analgesic, it's antibacterial. anti-inflammatory, there are so, so, so many great benefits when it comes to it.
Michelle: I gotta ask you, were you a little nervous the first time you put it near your eye, in your hair, on your skin? Because I was. I was like, my skin's gonna break out, my hair's gonna get greasy. I was really scared. I mean, none of those things happen, but I was nervous at first to do that.
Nikki: Um, I wasn't nervous. Um, like for the hair, I can't, I know some people can like put it in in the morning and they just do like small amount. I can't do that. I have baby thin hair. Like my ponytail is literally the size of a dime. I like what you see is, is that that's it. I have no hair. So to put anything in it, it's greasy instantly. So I literally, I cake where it looks like I just came out of the shower, but it's pure oil. Um, and I'll usually try and let it sit for an hour and then I have to do like three shampoos to get it all out. But that's just my own scalp and hair knowledge that I know what I can and can't. On the skin, I wasn't worried. Around the eyes more so, just eyes are very sensitive, but I know there's no essential oils that are in it because as soon as you put essential oils, you don't want that anywhere near the eyeballs. So if you have a pre-mixed blend that includes essential oils, please don't put those around your eye. You want to stay out of the eye socket is always the biggest thing. But pure castor oil in itself, slightly hesitant, but I'm not putting it in the like i'm putting it in the corner where some of it does get in the eye but i have also heard a lot of people getting rid of like eye floaties by putting it in their eyes and things like that but a lot of people still get those results just putting it on their eyelids that's what i do for i get those eye floaties since i was in a car accident and i had a bad concussion um i get eye floaties only in my right eye
Michelle: weird, but only in my right eye and in bright sun. But if I do what you said on my eyelid before I go to bed, I put some on both eyelids and I don't really rub it in, but I don't take it on either. And I sleep like that. I don't even, I mean, we have an eye mask, but I don't use it for that to keep it on. I guess if you're sleeping on your face, you might want to. Um, but I, I do find it helps with the floaties and also with dry eye. I do get dry eye from allergies.
Nikki: Yeah. I've heard that a lot too. Um, Another one too is tinnitus. I've heard putting it… uh like some on a cotton ball and putting in your ear i've heard that um is another big one for like again like that internal of like put it in your ear do you not we usually don't recommend putting it in things like that so but having some on a cotton ball and putting it inside your ear that way um kind of like the old school i remember the olive oil for an earache also was a big one you just put on the cotton ball put it in and you just kind of let it sit there um things like that so it's
Michelle: yeah because it is it's as soon as you start talking about putting in eyes and ears there's an extra risk of just an extra risk to it yeah i i have people email me all the time and i'll say can i put this in my eye can i put this in my ear can i take it internally um it's really important to point out that I'm not a doctor. I'm not a naturopath. I can't prescribe or diagnose or really give you any medical advice whatsoever. I can tell you what worked for me. I can tell you what my customers have reported. Um, and the things that, um, castor oil is known for. And, but yeah, I mean, don't drink it. I mean, I get it. It's a laxative. Don't drink it. Don't put it right in your eye. Don't put it right in your ear. I like your idea with the cotton ball. Um, since going through perimenopause, my ears are dry, just like my scalp. Um, and they get itchy. Uh, I don't know if that's just me or, but I mean, I just noticed all these little things, like you said, but a little bit on a cotton ball is going to add a bit of moisture without, I don't want to cause any problems for anyone. So, I mean, if anyone asks me questions like that, and I mean, I'll, I can tell you what worked for me, but I can't. actually tell you what to do.
Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. And we don't know, right, you don't know their full health history as to what could or couldn't, right? Especially there are a lot of people with digestive issues now, which it could cause Crohn's, IBS, SIBO, all kinds of things that it could cause an inflammation, like it could cause a spike. It could like, you don't know. And that's like you said, we can't diagnose, treat any of that type of stuff because we aren't anyone's primary health care team.
SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
Nikki: So yeah, we get the same thing with essential oils of like, well, you know, we need full health history and things like that. It's more complex than just black and white, yes and no.
Michelle: Yeah, even if intuitively I have an idea of what can help. I mean, I can't really, um, I can't prescribe any type of treatment for anybody. Um, I don't have that, those qualifications. And I mean, I don't know if I'd want to be a naturopath. I don't know if I want to be responsible for that. I give them crap. I mean, they have years and years of education. I have years and years of experience, um, and years of marketing experience and they all come together into healing Haven. Um, but I mean, definitely a naturopath or your primary health care. I mean, if I were to ask my doctor about castor oil, he'd be like, No, no, no, don't do that. Which is why I have a naturopath and an osteopath and I kind of take what works for me from all of them and I would advise anyone to do the same.
Nikki: Exactly, yeah. So are there any contraindications or people, situations who shouldn't use castor oil?
Michelle: So using a castor oil pack every night, I've heard of some people getting Not really a rash, but a bit of irritation. Maybe they're not washing it. If you're having a hard time getting the castor oil off in the morning, you just wanna use a little bit of baking soda with your body wash or even just water to get the residue off of your skin. But I mean, I use it almost every night, probably five, six nights out of seven, I use it and I don't get that irritation, but it can happen if you're using it frequently and not wiping off the residue or having a shower in the morning. Other than that, again, I have to defer to people's healthcare providers, right? I wouldn't recommend taking it internally at all unless a doctor, a naturopath has told you to do that, that's at your own risk. But other than that, it's not a mainstream lab tested. So there aren't like warnings that we can put out about it. I think you try it a little bit in moderation. If it doesn't work for you, then it doesn't work for you, but it's a very gentle modality too. I mean, you can put it on your liver every night and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with that. Um, definitely in pregnancy, um, I would, consult with your care provider for sure. I've always heard it's not recommended in pregnancy. If you have any health conditions that are, I mean, if you have liver cancer, check with your oncologist, you know, but for the average Joe, like me, it's a pretty gentle treatment.
Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. The only other thing, the pregnancy, yeah, absolutely was the one thing. Don't use it while pregnant. And the only other thing I often hear people, and now I didn't have this experience, was some herxing. So that reaction of going too much too quickly, where, and that's where maybe, you know, start with, and if you're using it as a castor oil pack, start with it, you know, maybe an hour, maybe two hours, and then kind of slowly increase. I went straight, I'm not, I don't like overnight, I'm a day person wearer. For anything I'll do more of like my face. I'll do my arm. I'll do different things like that, but for the castor oil pack itself I usually do it during the day and when I put it on my hair It's usually first thing in the morning before I shower things like that But I just put it on and then I wear it throughout the day because I don't want to sleep with it on
Michelle: Well, I mean, it does improve circulation to the area. So when I was first doing them, um, I didn't really know what I was doing. Like I said, I had the plastic on there and a heating pad that plugged into the wall and, and I'm pretty sure it was organic fabric, but I really have no idea. Um, but anyway, I have IBS, so I would have it on my belly because I was trying to help the pain from endometriosis. And I did find some of my, my IBS symptoms were a little more extreme than usual from the increased blood flow to the area. However, I don't know, was that just a bad day for me anyway? Would I have had that anyway? So it's, it's kind of hard to narrow it down unless it's something that's happening all the time. So if you have a medical condition, you're right. Exercise caution ease into it because I've been using them now for 10 years. I mean, I probably could wear it 24 hours a day and I already know I'm not going to experience any side effects or skin irritation or anything.
Nikki: Yeah. Have you heard of just putting it in the belly button? Yes. What are your thoughts on that?
Michelle: So now I've seen on like TikTok and Instagram, people putting it in their belly button with like these little band-aid things on top to hold it.
Nikki: We were talking about that actually a few weeks ago when we saw each other in person about that. And I was like, because when I put it on, I usually will just add a little bit amount to my belly button just while there. But I won't necessarily just do. But yeah, you were mentioning just those. It's like a band-aid just over it, which I think is so silly. But that's OK.
Michelle: So to me, you're it's like a cocktail of like, here's something that you don't know really what's in it. What's in the glue. What's in, is it latex? Is it, what is, I mean, I just don't know what's in those things. So I don't recommend them if we're ever to carry them. I, I would know. Um, but we don't, I'm, I'm a little bit skeptical just cause I don't really know what they're made out of. Um, but as far as just putting it in your belly button and massaging it, I've seen people talk about drastic results. It cured my constipation. It, um, It's not gonna hurt by any means. And there are definitely nerves and things in around your belly button that it can help. It goes everywhere in your body, right? Like that's your, what do they call it? Portal of life, right there. So I think just the act of massage alone there with the castor oil is beneficial. I don't think it's as effective as wearing a castor oil pack because the natural compression causes some heat, which increases absorption, but it definitely can be helpful if it relaxes you, do it. If you find it helps your symptoms, do it. I don't personally, if I do a massage around the belly button, I use essential oils with a carrier oil. It can be castor oil, fractionated coconut oil. I like the thought that, you know, it's connected to every part of your body and I personally haven't had drastic results like they talk about on TikTok, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work for some people. Yeah.
Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. Uh, and I mean, and if you're putting it over your liver already and then just scooching over and just adding a dab into your belly button, like you said, it's doesn't hurt necessarily one way or another at that point.
Michelle: I mean, depending on your size, the pack. Yeah. For me, it does cover my belly button. For me, it covers like. Yeah. It covers my belly button and my liver when I put it on. So I kind of treat both areas at the same time. Yeah. I mean, it depends on your size and how you wear the pack. Some people like it wrapped around the back a little bit, but yeah, you definitely could treat both areas. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah. Awesome.
Nikki: And it's also, I actually really love using it, combining it for like skin issues too. So if you have eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, making a blend with castor oil for that I find is always, so usually like if I do have some extra dry skin somewhere or if the odd time my watch gives me eczema, I haven't had it in years and years, but I also stopped wearing watch for years. Um, but I used to, I remember in high school, get eczema patches under my watch all the time. Cause I never ever take my watches off typically. So it would kind of develop. And so I noticed, um, a while ago I was starting to get just a small one. So after I was done rubbing it, um, applying some to my, my back. I just took it and I rubbed it over my eczema patch on my arm and it was able to help it pretty quickly.
Michelle: I have a really funny eczema story, just real quick. My friend, a fellow business owner here in London, Ontario, she makes pickled eggs. country girl catering. She makes pickled eggs. I am obsessed with pickled eggs. Like I'm trying to get my protein in because I'm maybe perimenopause. And so she's making these pickled eggs and I ordered like three jars. And then two weeks later, I ordered three more. She's like, how are you eating? So I was eating like probably two to four pickled eggs a day. All of a sudden, I'm allergic to my wedding rings. So it was the acidity in my body from all the vinegar made me allergic to my wedding rings. Oh no. I was breaking and it was itchy. It was red. It was sore. So I'm not giving up my pick legs, but I did the same thing that you did with the casserole. I just put a little bit on underneath and you see, I don't, I mean, there's a, Yeah, I think I had a reel that I did about this. I didn't say why so many pickled eggs, but I had some eczema there. I put castor oil on. I also sometimes I'll put a bit of tallow on there too if I don't have castor oil and I find that helps too. But yeah, don't eat or pickled eggs in every single bag.
Nikki: That's so funny. That's so funny. But it is, uh, you know, like there are so, so many different benefits to castor oil. Um, the other one I've often heard too, uh, if you have thyroid conditions, um, having, adding some to your neck and then putting the pack on and sleeping with that, I've heard a lot of people, it has helped with their, their different thyroid conditions as well, helping bring, levels back into balance. So absolutely.
Michelle: Another great use for that thyroid pack. I thought I had one here.
SPEAKER_02: I do.
Michelle: There it is. I know that's what it's originally for is here. I put it on the back.
SPEAKER_02: of my neck.
Michelle: I put the oil on I put it on the back and I do the little slide closure. I'm on my phone a lot. I'm on my computer a lot. I'm a, you know, kind of hunched over. Yeah, those muscles, those two cords that kind of go up into your head from your shoulders. I wear that on there gone. Like it totally relaxes those muscles. So if you get one in your castor oil pack kit and you're like, oh, I'm not gonna put it on my eyes, my thyroid's fine. It's great for a sore stiff neck.
Nikki: That's a great idea. And we're on our phones constantly now. We are on our computers. Like there are more and more jobs, computers. We are walking less, standing up less. Like it's just the way of the world now, unfortunately. And you do, you hear about the hunch more so. which is why I always try and remind myself of shoulders back, shoulders back. I say it like probably 20 times a day because now that I no longer work in the school system and I'm walking around now being at a desk, I'm like, I, I do notice it. So I'm constantly like shoulders back. Um, so that is, I'm going to, I'm going to have to try that. I never even thought that's a great idea.
Michelle: And it's, I mean, you can even put it on while you're working, right?
Nikki: Yeah, exactly.
Michelle: Yeah. You're a daytime pastor person.
Nikki: Well, and, um, without getting TMI, but it's like, it was a comment that was made to me actually a while ago of like, someone didn't want to wear it at night because they didn't want to interfere with sexy time. So it was like, you know, you don't want to wake up or after you just put it on and then, you know, your partner wants a little bit of sexy time and it's like, oh, let me just take this castor oil pack off, right?
Michelle: Kind of- There is nothing more irritating than washing my face, putting my serum on, I put my castor oil pack on and my husband's like, hey, you want to cuddle?
Nikki: Right. Right. It's like, why couldn't you ask me that like five minutes ago before it's a pretty castor oil pack, but it's not really doesn't need to come out with a lace version. There you go. Could you imagine that'd be hilarious. That's just it. So and so yeah, so I had told that person, you know, I wear mine during the day. So maybe if that's an option, and I just have it tucked in under my tank top. And it works
Michelle: Yeah, you can move around freely. I did have one before that when it would get heavier with oil, it would kind of flop down. But this one, we've done the, I call them ties. They're button straps at the top and bottom. So it, I mean, our ribs are a different size, a lot of us than our hips. So it's nice to have that adjustment, not in the middle. But yeah, I walk, I put it on at like seven at night. I don't go to bed until 10 or 11. So I walk around all the time with it on too. So yeah, you easily could wear it during the day.
Nikki: Yeah. And I know like, um, I've probably had five different Castor oil packs, um, more than that over the years. Um, but, and so some are thicker, some are thinner, some have pockets, some don't, some have the ties, some have Velcro, some have all kinds of different things. Um, but yeah, I, I know the one that you guys have, it's, it's nice and thin and lightweight. Um, so that I, I do appreciate that. It's not quite as thick of some of the other ones, which kind of, is a little bulkier because I do wear it during the day. I could notice a little bit more bulk under my shirt versus this one here. So that was nice. Did you want me to show how I put it on? Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00: OK, sure. I don't.
Nikki: I'm a very open book. Anyone who knows me on podcasts have listened, things like that. There's never a TMI question for me or anything like that. So I'm more than happy to show. And I have everything in front of me. So this is I actually cut the the strings because they were quite long um for me so I cut them down but so this is just the pack and then there is a zipper that you can heat up the uh the little um not bean bags but rice bags rice bags i am like i'm like reminds me of old bean bag um and then pop those in so you get those extra warmth especially if you're laying down with it it is really really nice um and i've already used it many times so i only need about not even a tablespoon is typically what i put in um first time you need a little bit more and i just kind of go back and forth in the middle a little bit.
Michelle: And now when she says a little bit more, like two tablespoons.
Nikki: Yes, two tablespoons.
Michelle: Not a half a cup or anything. No.
Nikki: And like, that's it. And then I kind of just add it around. Stay away from the edges, though, because you don't want it to start going through. And I actually have a tank top and everything on, so nothing will show. But as you can see, don't mind my belly. And then I just. everything just pop it on and it is nice um having the top and bottom because they stay top and bottom versus kind of some what I should do with my ear earpiece on let's get it in place and then I do my bottom one I usually just kind of tuck it under my pants a little bit and then I always wear a tank top because I usually don't wear a bra so it is my bra and then I tuck my shirt in and then I have my normal shirt on top and like There's absolutely no difference. Like you can't tell. Yeah.
Michelle: You wouldn't, you wouldn't know that you're doing that.
Nikki: So it's fantastic. And now I have it on and I'll take it off when I go to bed tonight. A lot of times I'll, I knew we were doing this, so I didn't actually put one on this morning. Um, but usually like when I get out of the shower in the morning, I'll throw it on. And usually around supper time, I get annoyed of it being on and I'll take it off around then. Um, or just at any point in the afternoon, depending on what I'm doing, if I, if I do a workout in the afternoon, I'll take it off right before that. Um, and yeah, I did notice I went quite a while without using one, a few months. And all of a sudden I noticed like my digestive was different and things like that. And I really started putting it on again probably about two weeks ago. And that first 24 hours, that next day I was like, and all right, I'm nicely cleaned out. I'm good to go. I'm like, my energy is back up. Uh, like I just, you feel different when your body's functioning how it's supposed to.
Michelle: Yeah, there's a lot of stuff that we put our bodies through. And if there's a way that we can support our bodies naturally without doing extra harm to them. I mean, I saw something the other day on Instagram. I'm a scroller. I sit there and scroll at night and watch the reels. And somebody was saying, if you go to your doctor for a medical condition and they don't ask you about your lifestyle, how much you drink, chemical exposure, what you're eating, then they're, they call them a drug dealer, which I've met it's a little extreme, but my first line now is natural modalities. If that doesn't work, you know, there is a place for Western medicine for sure. But yeah, I mean, even my little girl score, if she's constipated, I mean a little bit of castor oil on her belly. I put the iPad on her belly. She thinks it's really cute. She's got a little face on it. But yeah, I mean, like you said, sometimes you can get out of doing it and you don't realize how much it was helping. Exactly. And until you pick it back up again. I mean, I went a whole year without doing a castor oil pack because I thought I didn't need it. You know, I was I didn't have endometriosis pain anymore. That was just leftover hormones from being pregnant. So, yeah, once that wore off, I needed to do that again.
Nikki: Yeah. The other thing I noticed, too, just when I saw the lip gloss, we had track and field. Two weeks ago, I think, I was helping out my son's track and field. And it was finally, we weren't sure. It was the week after it had stopped snowing here in London. We had snow well into, way farther into April than we should have. And not just a little snow, like accumulating snow. And it was actually, it was like the first nice, hot, sunny day. We were like, woo, this is amazing. I totally burnt my lips. Being outside on the shot put, I was helping doing shot put and my, that night my lips were burnt, which I didn't think was really possible. Like I was fine everywhere else. But yeah, so for about three days straight, I had the lip gloss that has castor oil in it. And I think Frankincense is what you had. I don't know. It was Arnica. Oh yeah, Arnica. That's right. I was like, I know there's a bunch of different things in here I was looking at. um but yeah for like three days straight I would just sit here at my computer and just and it would feel so good um but yeah you know like it's just like you can put castor oil all over so don't be afraid to try it out for any kind of health and wellness type conditions.
Michelle: So right before we taped this podcast, I had fly aways on top of my hair, so I just grabbed some castor oil and just glued them down. Nice. I'm like, put that on her hand and put it in your hair and castor oil.
Nikki: Yeah. A little bit nicer than the spit shine. Absolutely. So before we sign off, any other thoughts or comments or recommendations that you have for our listeners?
Michelle: I would recommend that everybody try pasture oil in some form or another. If you're not into the whole liver support, digestive support, if you're more of a beauty product kind of person, put it on your face. You know, use it if you've got, you know, as a cuticle oil on your cuticles. It's really, I mean, it's all natural. It's inexpensive. We even have our own serum that we, let me see if I have my blur there. I have mine here too. And I mean I was really afraid to put it on my skin because my skin broke out for years I had to use proactive or I had acne so I'm like if I put this on my skin. What's gonna, I'm gonna have acne so bad so I waited and waited and waited and I made a friend try it first. My skin has never been better. So the more I, I was just using it straight. So this is a blend that we've made, um, with jojoba and frankincense as well, but I use this every single night and you don't need to be someone that's into all that. Like my naturopath says the woo woo stuff. Um, it's, it's so inexpensive. I mean, just, just try it. Yeah. Dry feet, sore feet. I mean, it's, there's so much that it's good for.
Nikki: Yeah, and especially as we go into the summer months, I find, you know, we get the dry skin in the winter because we're inside the recycled air and that, but then we get the dry skin in the summer with the heat, but then we, like, we didn't re-nourish our skin between the seasons. So it's kind of just like that lingering dryness. And then if you burn your skin, then it gets, you know, that it's dehydrated. That's what a burn is. So, you know, having that to help rehydrate is definitely, definitely good. And yeah, your comment about having it on the face really reminded me of people don't realize how skin actually works. And so when we're used to thinking of all these commercials where it's like, wash your skin, wash your skin. But what that does is actually it strips the oils, your natural oils from your skin, which then signals to your skin, make more oil, make more oil, make more oil, make more oil. And then that is when you typically then become oily, greasy skin, which then does cause breakouts because you're aggravating your skin too much versus We know that oil and water don't mix, first of all, also. So to get the oil off your face in a gentle way is using another oil. So that is why using an oil is actually really, really good to wash your face. And I do either the castor oil, jojoba oil, or a blend of both when I wash. And then when I put it back on afterwards, because jojoba has the closest oil to our natural sebum. So that's why jojoba is really nice. But then castor oil is very nourishing and helps keep the moisture in. I'm losing track of what that word is right now.
Michelle: It is non-comedogenic as well. That's the word I was looking for earlier. It's not likely to cause breakouts of any sort. I love that the younger generation is trying all this stuff. Most of my customers are over the age of 35, but since we've launched this serum, we're seeing that change.
Nikki: yeah nice nice and the only other thing i thought of is when you are looking for castor oil make sure it comes in a glass bottle please make sure it comes in a glass bottle and also that it is hexane free um it you want the cold pressed hexane free and funny story about glass bottle so i had gotten one years ago it was in a plastic bottle it was just a place here locally um distribution place and and They ship everything out in plastic. And I didn't transfer into a glass bottle. And my kids were quite a bit younger, and so they were often in my things. I would find, you know, a lipstick makes a great marker to write on the bathroom counter with. And I'm like, I so rarely wear makeup. It's really just for videos. And I'm like, please don't waste my lipstick. Things like that. And so I came into the bathroom one time, and there was oil everywhere. And I'm like, guys. Come on, you know, don't touch mama's oils. Like, please just be careful. If you want to have oil in something, just let me know. It wasn't like, it was just the castor oil, but it was all over. And they were like, no, it wasn't me. It wasn't me. And I'm like, I, you know, always blaming one another. No one's going to take responsibility, which is normal. And I was like, I don't care who did it. Just please don't do it again. So I wiped it all up. I cleaned it all up. And I think it was like a few hours later. They weren't home though. The main thing was they weren't home. But I go back in and there was more oil on the counter. And I'm like, okay, nobody's home but me. And I cleaned this all up. So how is there more oil on the counter? And it was seeping through the plastic container. So this is a reminder as to how powerful castor oil is and also why, you know, in the olden days, I'll say, when you put plastic on it, you don't want to use plastic because, I mean, it's not staying in it as long as, you know, you don't have it on your body as long as it's staying in the container. But it still it will seep through and it will break down that plastic and it will absorb in it absorbs in what it's What it's at so it'll start to pull in those little plastic particles and absorb it if it'll pull the toxins out of your body
Michelle: What's it pulling out of that plastic? I mean, I wish it didn't because I would love to sell it in plastic bottles. We have breakage when we ship occasionally, even though we wrap really well, it's heavier. It's not convenient to have it in plastic. But no way, no way, no how will we ever sell castor. And please don't buy it in plastic bottles.
Nikki: Yeah, it does. Yeah, so that was my fun story of plastic and castor oil do not mix. It wasn't the children who made the mess. It was just the plastic bottle that it was secret. That time. Yes, that time. Awesome. Well, thank you, Michelle, for coming on today's podcast.
SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much for having me.
Nikki: Yeah, everything castor oil, great oil. If you haven't tried it, please try it. And thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Vetiver Vibes. Have a great day, everyone. Bye.
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