Ingredient

RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OIL

Name of the plant

Castor Oil Tree; Castor; Castor Bean

Used plant parts

Seeds (kernels)

Type of preparation

Fat or essential oil

Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

SKIN CONDITIONING

Maintains the skin in good condition

Origin

plant

Occurrence in cosmetics

Skin creams, haircare products, lipsticks, bath oils

Background information on use in cosmetics

Castor oil (INCI: RICINUS COMMUNIS SEED OIL) is obtained from the seeds of the miracle tree. It contains a lot of Vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant. Moreover, castor oil has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties so that it is also used for skin blemishes and in the medical field for wound healing. In the event of scars it improves skin elasticity. Castor oil brings about a gloss on the skin and is, therefore, also preferred for lip gloss and lipstick preparations. At the care of the scalp, castor oil supports the development of a natural protection layer and helps in the event of itching scalp and against dandruff. It is included in hair tonics and the blood circulation can be supported through rubbing in. In haircare the oil supplies the hair with sufficient moisture and makes it more elastic. Castor oil is characterised by a very high content of a special fatty acid: ricinoleic acid, a C18 fatty acid which has at C-12 a hydroxyl group and at C-9 a double bond. The oil is in many cases processed further semi-synthetically to solubilisers, surfactants, emulsifiers and consistency enhancers. Vegetable oils are characterised by a high share of (poly) unsaturated fatty acids, which are characteristic for the liquid consistency. As an admixture many vitamins, carotenoids and free fatty acids are present.

Belongs to the following substance groups

Ingredients for skincare

Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.

Understanding your cosmetics

How are cosmetics kept safe in Europe?

Strict laws make sure that cosmetics and personal care products sold in the European Union are safe for people to use. Companies, national and European regulatory authorities share the responsibility of keeping cosmetic products safe.

What should I know about endocrine disruptors?

Some ingredients used in cosmetic products have been claimed to be ‘endocrine disruptors’ because they have the potential to mimic some of the properties of our hormones. Just because something has the potential to mimic a hormone does not mean it will disrupt our endocrine system. Many substances, including natural ones, mimic hormones but very few, and these are mostly potent medicines, have ever been shown to cause disruption of the endocrine system. The rigorous product safety assessments by qualified, scientific experts that companies are legally obliged to carry out cover all potential risks, including potential endocrine disruption.

Are cosmetics tested on animals? No!

In the European Union, testing cosmetics on animals has been fully banned since 2013. Over the last 30 years, long before a ban was in place, the cosmetics and personal care industry has invested in research and development to pioneer alternatives to animal testing tools to assess the safety of cosmetics ingredients and products.

What about allergens in cosmetics?

Many substances, natural or man-made, have the potential to cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Cosmetics and personal care products may contain ingredients that can be allergenic for some people. This does not mean that the product is not safe for others to use.

Database

Cosmetics matter to people and play an important role in our everyday life. On average European consumers use over seven different cosmetics daily. You too? It’s only natural that you want to know more about the ingredients in those products.

In the digital world we live in, there’s a deluge of information on cosmetics. However, it can be difficult to know which sources are reliable. COSMILE Europe is a European cosmetic ingredient database that offers reliable, verified and scientifically supported information on almost 30,000 ingredients used in cosmetics.

This database will help you understand why certain ingredients are in your cosmetic products; which properties they have and much more. The database is currently available in fourteen languages with more to come.

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