Database/Cleansing/Sodium Ricinoleate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Ricinoleate natural?

Yes. Ricinoleic acid from castor oil is neutralised with sodium, a mineral-origin counter-ion.

INCI nameSodium Ricinoleate
CAS5323-95-5
FormulaC18H33NaO3 · 320.4 Da
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockProduced by neutralising ricinoleic acid from castor oil…

How we scored it

Ricinoleic acid (natural, castor oil) + sodium (natural mineral counter-ion) → 1.0.
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

Produced by neutralising ricinoleic acid from castor oil with sodium hydroxide. No petrochemical route is used commercially.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from ricinoleic acid, the main fatty acid in castor oil, combined with sodium. Helps products foam and blend oil with water.

Structure

2D structure of Sodium Ricinoleate

sodium (Z,12R)-12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoate

PubChem CID 23687338 ↗

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. 2Sodium Ricinoleate. PubChem CID 23687338. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM RICINOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM RICINOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20RICINOLEATE