How to make a cayenne pepper pack:
- Put a dry frying pan to warm on the stove, on low heat.
- Choose a light-colored towel and fold it into threes. It should fit the area you wish to treat.
- Dip this thick towel pad into very hot water, then wring it out well.
- Immediately sprinkle the cayenne on one side of the towel. It should be a very light sprinkling, barely enough to be seen, such as you might salt or pepper a food. Try using a small strainer with a spoon of cayenne in it; move across the towel as you tap lightly on the rim of the strainer.
- Fold this towel in half, with the cayenne layer on the inside, and place in the warm frying pan. Warm up both outsides of the towel – like you are making a grilled cheese sandwich – until the cayenne is as warm as will be tolerated on your skin.
- While the towel is still hot from the pan, open the fold and place the cayenne side against the skin where it is needed. Place plastic protection (such as plastic wrap) over this and wrap tightly with another towel or piece of clothing, etc. Try to keep the cayenne towel snug against the skin.
- The towel pack will feel comfortably warm from the hot water dip for about ten minutes. It may start to cool before you feel the deep heat building. The cayenne allows extra blood flow to the area by dilating blood vessels, blood which brings nutrients to heal, and carries away the debris of injury, too.
- If the towel feels stinging-hot within a few minutes, you have too much cayenne on it, and must take it off, wipe off your skin, and start over from the beginning.
- Do not leave it on if it is painfully stinging, as it can burn your skin!
- Leave this towel pack on for at least an hour, as many times as prescribed (or for at least 3 days in a row, followed by repeating 2-3x/week until there is no residual discomfort or strain for at least one week.) It is okay to leave the pack on for longer times, even overnight if you should fall asleep.
*If the towel has cooled too much, fold it over to have the cayenne inside and set it in a dry, heated frying pan until the towel is heated again.
