Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Propylene Glycol Ricinoleate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Propylene Glycol Ricinoleate natural?

Mostly. Ricinoleic acid from castor oil esterified with petrochemical propylene glycol; only the fatty-acid portion counts as natural.

INCI namePropylene Glycol Ricinoleate
CAS26402-31-3
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockMade by esterifying ricinoleic acid, the principal fatty…

How we scored it

Ricinoleoyl (natural, castor oil) C18H33O2 281.5 Da; propylene glycol fragment (petrochemical) C3H7O2 75.1 Da → 281.5/356.5 = 0.79.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Made by esterifying ricinoleic acid, the principal fatty acid in castor oil, with propylene glycol derived from petrochemical propylene oxide. No significant bio-based propylene glycol route is used commercially.

In plain English

An ester made from ricinoleic acid, the main fatty acid in castor oil, combined with propylene glycol. Used as an emulsifier and skin-conditioning ingredient that helps blend oil and water and adjusts texture.

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Structure

2D structure of Propylene Glycol Ricinoleate

PubChem CID 101630 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Propylene Glycol Ricinoleate. PubChem CID 101630. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PROPYLENE GLYCOL RICINOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PROPYLENE GLYCOL RICINOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PROPYLENE%20GLYCOL%20RICINOLEATE