Glyceryl Ricinoleate

Glyceryl ricinoleate is a castor oil–derived emollient/surfactant used at low levels (typically well under a few percent) to solubilize oils and improve texture. It is generally well tolerated, but as a surfactant/emulsifier it can increase barrier disruption in very reactive or eczematous skin and has occasional reports of contact sensitivity in castor-derived materials, so I rate it as gentle rather than “very gentle.” Safety Notes: Glyceryl ricinoleate is typically used as a co-emulsifier/skin-conditioning agent and as a solubilizer in anhydrous or high-oil systems; in mainstream leave-on creams/lotions and rinse-off cleansers it is most often seen around 0.1–1%, with the lowest observed commercial uses around ~0.05% as a minor emulsion aid. Higher consumer-available levels (about 2–5%) occur in specialized anhydrous balms, oil cleansers, and massage/oil-based products where it functions more materially as a structuring/co-emulsifying component; above ~5% it becomes less common due to sensory drag/tack and formulation balance rather than regulatory limits.