Are there hormone disruptors in ‘organic’ Castor Oil Packs?
Written by: Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. is an award-winning author and founder of Queen of the Thrones® line of products including the original less-mess Castor Oil Pack
Full bio
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.
Est. reading time: 6 minutes.
Here’s why you can feel safe with your Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack
So, you likely bought your Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack so you can support your hormone problems because it’s made with organic cotton flannel and manufactured with the cleanest standards possible, right? And now you may be wondering if you can counteract hormone disruptors with your organic cotton Castor Oil Pack?
You see, hormone disruptors (A.K.A. endocrine disruptors) are any compound/chemical that interferes with the natural function of your hormones. They may be connected to health conditions like ADHD, reproductive problems, thyroid conditions, diabetes, different types of cancers and more1.
And hormone disruptors aren’t just in the food you eat or in the air you breathe, but may be in everything you come into contact with (your clothes, sheets, furniture) through your largest hormonal organ2, your skin.
Would you love to know what to look for when you’re shopping so you can avoid hormone disruptors? Get your FREE ‘buyer beware’ checklist below!
And we wonder why almost everyone these days has some type of hormone problem, right? Estrogen overload, low progesterone, thyroid problems… Sound familiar?
But first, let’s start with Castor Oil Packs and why…
Castor Oil Packs must be done with organic cotton
This is important because many women and men do Castor Oil Packs with the goal of supporting their hormonal balance and helping to remove toxins and chemicals from their body.
Except the key is to use the RIGHT materials that come in direct contact with your skin, without hormone disruptors. Your Castor Oil Pack should always be made with organic cotton, wool, or linen that touches your skin. And always with organic Castor Oil in a glass bottle. Why?
Well, Castor Oil is the premier carrier oil that can permeate deeply through the upper layers of your skin and through the stratus corneum3. So, you only want to use Castor Oil that is 100% pure, organic, hexane-free, extra virgin, cold pressed, and bottled in glass to avoid the potential of chemicals that could be carried into your body.
So, if you’re using a Castor Oil Pack that:
✗ isn’t Queen of the Thrones®
✗ doesn’t have organic cotton, wool or linen touching your skin directly
✗ is paired with Castor Oil in a plastic bottle
It could actually be counterintuitive for a hormone balance, liver detox and cleansing self-care practice.
It’s every textile product you use, not just Castor Oil Packs!
You may not think about it because you haven’t been told, but, all textiles/materials in your life may be laden with toxins, chlorine, bleach, flame retardants and other harsh solvents/chemicals used during the manufacturing process.
Yes, this includes pads, tampons, diapers and clothes.
The problem with ‘organic’ bamboo in Castor Oil Packs
Most of the other Castor Oil Packs available are made from ‘organic bamboo’.
Bamboo material may feel super soft, but that’s only because it’s been chemically broken down to feel softer than normal cotton. It’s kind of like genetically modified fruits and vegetables that look perfect but have no taste, agreed?
You see, bamboo is known to be as strong as steel in the construction of buildings, with two times the compressive strength of concrete5! Because the fibers are SO strong, many toxic caustic chemicals are used to soften the strong fibers; making it even softer than cotton.
‘Organic bamboo’ uses toxic chemicals when it’s being processed6. The only part that’s truly organic is the initial bamboo plant.
Imagine the type of chemicals you would need to use in order to break down this strong plant to make it softer than all-natural organic cotton.
Sadly, this is common, and it’s truly about ‘buyer beware’. It’s shocking when you start seeing what is happening with Castor Oil Packs and other wellness products in the industry.
It comes down to trusting your supplier. Take note: if you can’t find a website for their company (and even if you do), you may want to proceed with caution. Always ask, read the label, and contact the company if you have any questions or concerns.
Would you love to know what to look for when you’re reading product labels? Get your FREE ‘buyer beware’ checklist below!
Why Choose Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs?
You see, the pack you have in your hands was made by our founder, Dr. Marisol Teijeiro, N.D. (inactive) who first used it when she fell dreadfully sick, she then shared it with her family, patients, and now with you.
As a naturopathic doctor and homotoxicologist with designations in environmental medicine, knowing the effects of using cheap chemical-laden materials, the packs were created to avoid this as much as possible in our world. She knew you needed a tool that would be easy to use AND support wellness, not make you sicker.
So, she selected the quality needed to make Castor Oil Packs easily accessible.
You also want a company you believe in and one that is honest about the deficiencies of their products.
You see, the part that touches your skin with the oil is organic cotton flannel. But, to create the convenience that you want with your pack, the outer layer is polyurethane (PUL) that is heat-bonded to an additional layer of organic cotton flannel.
Heat bonding is a cleaner alternative to chemical bonding, that helps to dissipate the phthalates in the protective layer (instead of adding chemicals to bond it).
Polyurethane is the material used in reusable baby diapers, and is considered one of the safest plastics, but still a plastic nonetheless. This protective layer is what makes the pack less-mess, more convenient, retains natural body heat so no external heat is necessary, and helps increase compliance.
Then these two layers are sewn together by hand in North America.
These modifications have all been made with your feedback and input. When Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive) first launched a Castor Oil Pack, the entirety was 100% organic cotton. They were a lot more expensive, they leaked rapidly, and the organic cotton straps dug into peoples sides. It wasn’t making you, our most important person, happy.
So, she looked for the best possible midpoint solution that would agree with her standard and make you happy to use it even with these modifications.
To be clear, the part that is 100% organic cotton is the flannel, the part where the Castor Oil goes and the part that directly touches your skin.
Cheap organic vs. expensive organic cotton. Does expensive always mean better?
In Spanish, there’s a saying, “lo barrato sale caro”, which translates into “the cheap often becoming expensive.” So, it’s time for the health consumer like you to truly understand the game.
Remember, cheap becomes expensive and because this is your wellness, you can’t afford cheap. The investment in high quality is key because it’s as important to do self-care right with the right materials. Makes sense, agreed?
Let’s put it this way, we would rather people not do Castor Oil Packs than do them with materials that could be harmful.
It’s a jungle out there, with little regulation about materials.
There’s a huge lack of transparency, as some Castor Oil Pack manufacturers don’t even put labels on their products so you can know what you’re actually buying. How can you trust them if you don’t know what the product is made of?
Why Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs are the cleanest most convenient less-mess option
The self-care practices of Castor Oil Packs are often used to balance stress and inflammation7 as well as supporting natural liver detox8, lymphatic drainage9 and colon cleansing10.
So, one would think it’s imperative to have as clean as possible materials to do this practice, agreed?
Here’s why we feel Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs are your best option:
- The cotton flannel layer that touches the skin is organic vs. other packs that use chemically processed fabrics (i.e. bamboo)
- It’s been used in clinical practice by thousands who have benefited vs. dozens of capitalistic companies jumping on the bandwagon with no background due to consumer demand
- It’s meant to be used with fresh Castor Oil each time, and replaced after approximately 30 uses or 2 months, as its unknown whether or not toxins are transferred from the body into the pack and exposure increases over time as the natural materials break down
Is it perfect? Well, no, because we had to do a few workarounds to get compliance from patients.
All less-mess versions of Castor Oil Packs use a protective layer of some sort, whether it be a harsher plastic like vinyl or other.
Ultimately, the healthiest way is to use only cotton flannel, but you would lose all the convenience of the ‘less mess’ outer layer on the Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack.
Plus, that’s why you have the organic cotton flannel side of your Queen of the Thrones® Pack, that’s meant to sit on your skin and be as free of hormone disruptors as possible.
I know what you’re thinking, can’t I just rub the oil on my abdomen instead of using the pack? That won’t work because it’s not the oil that does the work, it’s the gentle compression from the pack WITH the oil.
Would you love to know all the reasons why the pack is essential? I have the answers for you in this blog post.
Because you’re reading this, you’re now aware of the quality of care that you need. If this scared you a little, that’s good because that’ll help you become more aware so you can make the smartest choices for you and your loved ones.
Our promise to you:
We are consistently innovating our products based on customer feedback and striving for the cleanest materials presently available on the market while being transparent about our manufacturing processes and materials standards.
Our aim is to create a product that bridges time-honored ancient cleansing, drainage and detox practices with modern day convenience.
Please contact us at care@queenofthethrones.com if you have any questions about your product or need support. We have a dream team to help you!
Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!
Click here for references
1. Susan Adcox, Medically Reviewed by Dany Paul Baby, MD. What are Endocrine Disruptors? Published on WedMD.com April 7th, 2022 https://www.webmd.com/children/what-are-endocrine-disruptors.
2. Beszterda M, Frański R. Endocrine disruptor compounds in environment: As a danger for children health. Pediatr Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2018;24(2):88-95. doi: 10.18544/PEDM-24.02.0107. PMID: 30300430.
3. Drexler H. Skin protection and percutaneous absorption of chemical hazards. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2003 Jun;76(5):359-61. doi: 10.1007/s00420-002-0423-4. Epub 2003 May 22. PMID: 12761626.
4. De Jong MDT, Harkink KM, Barth S. Making Green Stuff? Effects of Corporate Greenwashing on Consumers. J Bus Tech Commun. 2018 Jan;32(1):77-112. doi: 10.1177/1050651917729863. Epub 2017 Sep 25. PMID: 30034204; PMCID: PMC6044111.
5. Esti Asih Nurdiah, The Potential of Bamboo as Building Material in Organic Shaped Buildings. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 216, 2016, Pages 30-38, ISSN 1877-0428, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815061844
6. Bamboo Fiber Processing, Properties, and Applications. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2014 ISBN : 978-3-319-07640-9. Sameen Ruqia Imadi, Isra Mahmood, Alvina Gul Kazi
7. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8. PMID: 11200362.
8. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in opti-sol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24260265.
9. Holmes GM, Browning KN, Babic T, Fortna SR, Coleman FH, Travagli RA. Vagal afferent fibres determine the oxytocin-induced modulation of gastric tone. J Physiol. 2013 Jun 15;591(12):3081-100. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.253732. Epub 2013 Apr 15. PMID: 23587885; PMCID: PMC3832121.
10. Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18. PMID: 21168117.
I saw an article on your company saying you’re not actually gots certified but when I bought your pack it said it was on your website. But not anymore.
Does this mean my pack is 20% toxic?
And this blog says you should not use anything that isn’t gots certified.
And what is RHN? A registered nutritionist? There no person named Victoria Williams with this registration and this name. Is everything about you false?
Hey Sophia! Thanks for reaching out, to start so I can better assist you could you please provide me with your order number to be sure you’re a customer in our system? And to better understand what article you are referring to, could you please link me to the source of information?
I will be happy to share our product information with you, and “RHN” stands for Registered Holistic Nutritionist, a designation administered via the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. We are always working to provide transparency to our consumers on our front end so they can feel confident in their choice choosing Queen of the Thrones® product line.
I look forward to your response!
So, are you GOTS certified or not? This is a fair question.
Hey there!Great question. Our Castor Oil Pack cannot be GOTS certified as it has an outer protective layer of polyurethane (PUL), however the inner cotton layer that touches the skin is organic. We are consistently striving for the cleanest materials and certifications presently available on the market to provide premium self-care tools to the people we serve.
Wouldn’t the castor oil absorb into the cotton and pull toxins from the PUL material side and then the toxins would be in the cotton to absorb into the tissues of the body? This is something that can be lab tested, correct?
The traditional way of doing Castor Oil Packs was to use the SAME compress over and over and over. This was okay, before the industrial revolution when our environment wasn’t as toxic.
We know that the increasing environmental toxicity impacts health, and Castor Oil Packs have become a tool for natural wellness practitioners for their patients that helps shift the body into the relaxed state to better support elimination pathways by means of liver detox, lymphatic drainage and colon cleansing.
It is unknown whether or not substances are absorbed from the body into the pack, unfortunately we haven’t come across any scientific research on this (yet!). This is why it’s important to use fresh oil each time and replace your pack every 2 months for ease of use, comfort, and sanitation.
Thanks for reaching out, I hope that this helps!
Hello, I am a hormone positive breast cancer survivor (Estrogen+ and Progesterone+). I have read that castor oil can increase progesterone, if this is true, then women like me should not use castor oil packs. I can’t find a lot of information on the topic but I have read a medical journals stating castor oil is to be avoided for hormone positive breast cancer. Please share information on this subject ideally including peer reviewed scientific reports from reputable medical organizations. Thanks so much!
Hey there, We haven’t come across any scientific research that demonstrates Castor Oil can raise progesterone. However, our stress hormone, cortisol, and progesterone are made out of the same product, so the more stressed you are, the less progesterone your body will be able to produce. The Castor Oil Pack practice helps to move the body into the relaxed state which typically means less cortisol. Castor Oil Packs also help balance inflammation and enhance circulation to the liver which may support liver detox, and when detox is supported, the body is able to better balance hormones, so the optimal balance of estrogen/progesterone/testosterone is supported.
Can I use your castor oil pack on my breast tissue? I wanted to place some on an area that was diagnosed. I have not had surgery but am doing an all nature approach for the time being.
Hey there, thank you so much for reaching out! Although we cannot comment on your case specifically, Castor oil can be supportive of breast health by promoting lymphatic flow and reducing inflammation in this area. We actually have members of our Welldom who have been using the Castor Oil Pelvic Pack over their breast area for this purpose. Always check with your doctor if any new practice is right for you.
I know women have been diagnosed with lumps in their breast. They used a kotex and soaked the lining with castor oil and the lumps disappeared. You have to be diligent with applying it as much as possible!
What is a good detox
Hey there! Thank you so much for reaching out! Wearing Castor Oil Packs over the liver is thought to enhance liver detox (the main site of detoxification in the body) by moving the body into a relaxed state and supporting circulation to the liver area. For a more specific detox protocol, you can consult with a functional health practitioner in your area and they will be able to recommend what is best for you and your health history and support you through it.
Can the castor oil be ingested for chronic constipation? Is it safe?
Thank you.
Hey there, Our castor oil is 100% pure, certified organic, hexane-free, extra virgin, but it is for topical use only. Traditionally castor oil has been taken orally as a stimulant laxative, but should only be done so if it’s approved for oral use. The castor oil pack is a much gentler approach to support constipation and regular bowel movements. (Do not ingest black oil)
Oh ok. Thank you. But which type of castor oil can be ingested for constipation?
It should be Golden, Organic, Hexane Free and Food grade