Zinc Ricinoleate
Zinc ricinoleate
- Role
- Reduces unpleasant odor by absorbing odorous substances, without affecting sweating.
- Catalog formulas
- 3
- Type
- Odor
- Verified
- 09.11.2026
What does this ingredient do in an antiperspirant?
The zinc salt of ricinoleic acid, the main fatty acid of castor oil. According to CosIng, it functions as a deodorant, anticaking and opacifying agent; COSMILE Europe describes it as an active ingredient of deodorants with odor-absorbing properties.
Part of a system, not a label in isolation
In deodorants it is responsible for controlling odor. It is not an antiperspirant active: if the formula also contains an aluminum salt, that salt is what reduces sweat release.
In 2007 the CIR assessed zinc ricinoleate together with castor oil and related ingredients and found them safe in the practices of use and concentrations described. The CIR concluded that they can also be used in aerosol products, because the particles produced are too large to reach the lungs.
In the data reviewed by the CIR, zinc ricinoleate was not a sensitizer in guinea pigs, and reactions to this group of ingredients were seen infrequently in clinical practice. Contact Dermatitis has published individual cases of allergic contact dermatitis to zinc ricinoleate in deodorants (2001, 2024 and 2026).
It is neither Zinc PCA nor zinc oxide, which are other zinc compounds with other functions. Nor is it castor oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil): the oil is a separate INCI entry.
Products containing Zinc Ricinoleate
Links are based on the complete published INCI list for the exact product version.
Sources
The conclusions apply to the stated conditions and jurisdictions, not automatically to every concentration or product.
- EU CosIng: Zinc Ricinoleate Supports: function, substance identity
- COSMILE Europe (CosIng data): Zinc Ricinoleate Supports: function, use in deodorants
- CIR: Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil … Zinc Ricinoleate (2007) Supports: safety assessment, sensitization, aerosols
- Allergic contact dermatitis from zinc ricinoleate in a deodorant (Contact Dermatitis, 2001) Supports: reported allergy cases
- Allergic contact dermatitis to zinc ricinoleate in a 'natural' deodorant (Contact Dermatitis, 2024) Supports: reported allergy cases
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Zinc Ricinoleate in a Deodorant (Contact Dermatitis, 2026) Supports: reported allergy cases