Zinc Ricinoleate

• Derived from: Castor beans
• Pronunciation: (\ˈziŋk\ \ˌrī-sə-nō-ˈlē-ate\)
• Type: Naturally-derived

What Is Zinc Ricinoleate?

Zinc ricinoleate is fine white powder made from the seeds of the Ricinus communis (or castor bean) plant.[1] It remains liquid at high and low temperatures.[2]

Note: Zinc ricinoleate is the zinc salt of ricinoleic acid.[1]

How Zinc Ricinoleate Is Made

First, castor oil is manufactured by pressing the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant (castor beans). The seeds must first be dried, the hulls are removed, and then the seeds are cleaned and heated to dry them out. These seeds are crushed to collect oil, which is then hydrolyzed to obtain ricinoleic acid.[3]

Zinc Ricinoleate Uses

Zinc ricinoleate is an anticaking agent, opacifying agent, and odor neutralizer.[2] It can be found in dozens of personal care products, including makeup, nail polish, self-tanning creams, lip balm, foot treatments, and hair-loss treatments.[4]

However, zinc ricinoleate is most often used to absorb and neutralize odors.[3]

Why Puracy Uses Zinc Ricinoleate

We use zinc ricinoleate as an odor neutralizer in several of our products, including our Natural Laundry Detergent.

Is Zinc Ricinoleate Safe?

The Cosmetics Ingredient Review has deemed the ingredient safe for use in cosmetics.[1] Whole Foods has deemed the ingredient acceptable in both its body care and cleaning product quality standards.[5,6] In addition, at least one study shows that zinc ricinoleate is not a skin sensitizer.[7]

Certifications

Sources

[1] Personal Care Council
[2] Cosmeticsinfo.org
[3] U.S. National Library of Medicine
[4] Environmental Working Group
[5] Whole Foods Market Body Care Standards
[6] Whole Foods Market Household Standards
[7] “Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Ricinoleic Acid, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Zinc Ricinoleate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, and Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate,” International Journal of Toxicology. 2007;26 Suppl 3:31-77