Sodium Ricinoleate

What Is It?

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. A number of ingredients made from Castor Oil may also be used in cosmetic products. These ingredients include Cetyl Rinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE (SE stands for self-emulsifying, which means it contains a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate), Glycol Ricinoleate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Ricinoleic Acid, Sodium Ricinoleate and Zinc Ricinoleate. In cosmetics and personal care products, Castor Oil and related ingredients are used in the formulation of many different cosmetic and personal care products including lipstick, skin-care products, and bath soaps.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for these ingredients.

Anticaking agentIngredients or processing aids that prevent powdered or granular substances from forming clumps. – Zinc Ricinoleate
Deodorant agentIngredients that reduce or eliminate unpleasant odor and that protect against the formation of such odors on the skin. – Zinc Ricinoleate
Emulsion stabilizerIngredients that help to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. – Glycol Ricinoleate
Opacifying agentSubstances that reduce the clear or transparent appearance of cosmetic products. Some opacifying agents are used in skin make-up for hiding blemishes. – Zinc Ricinoleate
Skin conditioning agent – emollient – Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate
Skin conditioning agent – occlusive – Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil; Cetyl Ricinoleate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate
SurfactantAn ingredient that helps two substances that normally do not mix to become dissolved or dispersed in one another. Also called a surface active agent. – cleansing agent – Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Ricinoleic Acid
Surfactant – emulsifying agent – Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate
Viscosity increasing agent – nonaqueous – Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Scientific Facts

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil consists primarily of the oils of fatty acids. Ninety percent of the fatty acids in Castor Oil are ricinoleic acid which is a monounsaturated, 18-carbon fatty acid. Castor Oil maintains its fluidity at both extremely high and low temperatures. Castor Oil and its derivatives have applications in the manufacturing of soaps, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration includes Castor Oil on its list of natural flavoring substance and on its list of multipurpose direct food additives. Castor Oil is also classified by the FDA as safe and effective as a stimulant laxative. The safety of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cetyl Rinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Glycol Ricinoleate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Ricinoleic Acid, Sodium Ricinoleate and Zinc Ricinoleatehave been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and noted the overall pattern of use of these ingredients in different product categories. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Castor Oil and its derivatives were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.

CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel considered that the available data on Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ricinoleic Acid, and salts and esters of Ricinoleic Acid were sufficient for evaluating the safety of these ingredients. Because Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil contains Ricinoleic Acid as the primary fatty acidA natural organic compound that consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds, making a ‘saturated’ fat; or it may contain some double bonds, making an ‘unsaturated’ fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides. group, safety test data on the oil was considered broadly applicable to this entire group of cosmetic ingredients. Overall, the available data demonstrated few toxic effects in acute, subchronic, or chronic toxicity tests. Additionally, there were no genotoxic effects of Castor Oil in in vitroExperiments performed in a test tube or another artificial, controlled environment, rather than in a whole animal. or in vivo tests. UV absorption spectra on Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil and Glyceryl Ricinoleate indicated maximum absorbance at 270 nm, suggesting there would be no photosensitization potential of Glyceryl Ricinoleate or Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil in human subjects exposed to the sun. Reactions classified as either significantly irritating or allergic were not observed in studies on Ethyl Ricinoleate, and the CIR Expert Panel concluded that the Castor Oil derivatives were not sensitizers. The CIR Expert Panel also determined that these ingredients may be used safely in aerosolized products because packaging and use ensure that particulates are not respirable.

FDA: Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations regulation for Castor Oil:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cetyl Rinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Glycol Ricinoleate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, Potassium Ricinoleate, Ricinoleic Acid, Sodium Ricinoleate and Zinc Ricinoleate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established an acceptable daily intake of 0-0.7 mg Castor Oil/kg body weight. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/jecfa_additives/docs/Monograph1/Additive-120.pdf

More Scientific Information

Castor Oil is obtained by the cold pressing of seeds of the Ricinus communis plant followed by clarification of the oil by heat. Castor Oil is used primarily as a skin conditioning agent – occlusive in cosmetics and personal-care products. Some people ask whether or not Castor Oil (and its derivatives) contain the highly toxic compound ricin. Castor Oil does not contain ricin because it is water-soluble and does not dissolve in the oil obtained from the castor beans. However, care must be exercised whenever castor beans are handled.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/