INCI names / Castor oil
Castor oil INCI name
The INCI name for castor oil is Ricinus Communis Seed Oil in a lotion or balm, and Sodium Castorate in cold-process soap, where the oil reacts with lye and the oil itself is no longer in the finished bar.
| In lotions, balms and other cosmetics | Ricinus Communis Seed Oil |
|---|---|
| In cold-process soap (sodium hydroxide) | Sodium Castorate |
| In liquid soap (potassium hydroxide) | Potassium Castorate |
| Superfat share in soap (unreacted) | Ricinus Communis Seed Oil |
| On a US label | Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil; in soap, Sodium Castorate |
| In Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The same names as the EU. Northern Ireland uses the EU glossary cited below; Great Britain still uses the glossary it kept from the EU, where the same names have other entry numbers. |
| Also entered as | castor, castor seed oil |
Glossary citation: Sodium Castorate #26468; Ricinus Communis Seed Oil #24431; Potassium Castorate #22587 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 on EUR-Lex).
One detail catches many labels: the EU glossary name has no common name in brackets. In the EU and the UK it is "Ricinus Communis Seed Oil"; the bracketed form, "Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil", is the US name.
In the soap or skincare tool, put it on its own line with its weight, for example "castor oil, 30", and the tool prints the right name for the product type and the region you choose.
Transcribed from the EU glossary of common ingredient names (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175) and checked against it; the US names are the ones FDA's substance registry (GSRS) records. A labelling reference, not safety advice.