PLANT OIL
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
A hard, waxy ingredient made by hydrogenating castor oil, also called castor wax, used to soften skin and to give creams, balms and scrubs a smooth, stable texture.
Source
Castor oil from the seeds of Ricinus communis, hardened with hydrogen
Used for
Texture, soft-feeling skin
How it works
Castor oil, turned into a smooth plant wax.
Hydrogenated castor oil starts as castor oil, pressed from the seeds of the castor plant. Castor oil is unusual because most of it is made of a single fatty acid, ricinoleic acid.
Reacting the oil with hydrogen turns it from a liquid into a hard, waxy solid, often called castor wax. In formulas it builds body and helps keep oils and water evenly mixed, while on skin it acts as an emollient that softens and smooths.
Formed into small beads, castor wax can also act as a gentle polishing particle that lifts away oily grime while being kind to the skin's barrier.
Reacting the oil with hydrogen turns it from a liquid into a hard, waxy solid, often called castor wax. In formulas it builds body and helps keep oils and water evenly mixed, while on skin it acts as an emollient that softens and smooths.
Formed into small beads, castor wax can also act as a gentle polishing particle that lifts away oily grime while being kind to the skin's barrier.
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01
Softens and smooths the skin as an emollient
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Gives creams, balms and scrubs a smooth, stable texture
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A plant-based wax that can be used as gentle polishing beads
Questions
Is hydrogenated castor oil the same as castor oil?
It is made from castor oil, but it behaves very differently. Hydrogenation turns the liquid oil into a hard, waxy solid, often called castor wax. (COSMILE Europe; PubChem)
What does hydrogenated castor oil do in skincare?
It has several jobs. In cosmetics it is listed as an emollient that softens and smooths skin, as a skin conditioning ingredient, and as an ingredient that helps control a formula's thickness and keeps oil and water mixed. (COSMILE Europe)
Is castor wax gentle as an exfoliating particle?
It can be. In a study in volunteers, a cleanser with castor wax beads cleaned off oily grime as well as one with walnut shell powder, while being the gentler of the two on the skin's barrier. (Mahler et al., 2010)
About the plant
The castor plant, Ricinus communis, is grown for its seeds, which yield castor oil; its English names include castor-bean and castor-oil-plant. (USDA GRIN; COSMILE Europe)
Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, and hydrogenation hardens it into the smooth, waxy solid known as castor wax. (PubChem; COSMILE Europe)
Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, and hydrogenation hardens it into the smooth, waxy solid known as castor wax. (PubChem; COSMILE Europe)
The research
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe) cosmetic ingredient database: Hydrogenated Castor Oil (castor oil reacted with hydrogen; functions: skin conditioning, emollient, cleansing, emulsifying, viscosity controlling; origin: plant/synthetic) (opens in a new tab)
- Mahler V, Erfurt-Berge C, Schiemann S, Michael S, Egloffstein A, Kuss O. Dirt-binding particles consisting of hydrogenated castor oil beads constitute a nonirritating alternative for abrasive cleaning of recalcitrant oily skin contamination in a three-step programme of occupational skin protection. British Journal of Dermatology. 2010;162(4):812-818. PMID: 19995365. (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 643684, Ricinoleic Acid ((Z,12R)-12-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid, C18H34O3) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 7789, 12-Hydroxystearic acid (12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, C18H36O3) (opens in a new tab)
- USDA GRIN-Global Taxonomy (Agricultural Research Service). Ricinus communis L. (castor, castor-bean, castor-oil-plant), family Euphorbiaceae (opens in a new tab)
Found In
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