CASTOR OIL
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About the ratings
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any.
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Function/use(s): Fragrance Ingredient; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Occlusive; EMOLLIENT; MASKING; MOISTURISING; SKIN CONDITIONING; SMOOTHING; SOLVENT
About CASTOR OIL: Castor Oil is extracted from the seeds of Ricinus communis, a castor oil plant.
Synonym(s): RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, CASTOR OIL (RICINUS COMMUNIS L.) ; CASTOR SEED OIL; RICINUS COMMUNIS OIL; RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) ; CASTER OIL; CASTOR OIL; VEGETABLE OIL; AROMATIC CASTOR OIL; CASTOR OIL AROMATIC; COSMETOL; CRYSTAL O; GOLD BOND
Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity |
|
CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), 2007 |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Human irritant - strong evidence |
products for use around the eyes, on the skin, or may be aerosolized (airborne) |
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Ecotoxicology |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Uncertain environmental toxin and uncertain persistent or bioaccumulative |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Safety assessment was based on related chemical |
|
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product |
|
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
| 1,369 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical
see search results ->
|
|
PubMed |
Enhanced skin absorption |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Penetration enhancer |
|
Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Multiple, additive exposure sources |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
|
FDA Everything Added to Food |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food |
|
FDA Food Additive Status |
Persistence and bioaccumulation |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Not suspected to be persistent |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
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| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive) |
| type of concern |
product conditions |
reference |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
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| Classified as a low human health priority |
|
Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | |
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | CASTOR OIL | • MISC • REG • < 500 ppm in hard candy - A release and anti-sticking agent - CFR172.876 • GMP • Comp. protect ctg vit & min tabs. Meet Specs in USP XIX • FL/ADJ • REG • GMP • In conjunction w/flavors - CFR172.510 |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL | QQQ01,QQQ11,QQQ37; R+, PE, IR |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | CASTOR OIL (RICINUS COMMUNIS L.) | • ASP |
| CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), 2007 | RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL | Female rats injected with castor oil after estus had anti-implantation and abortive effects. An extract is also found to have anti-implatation, anti-conceptive and estrogenic effects in rats and mice. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | CASTOR OIL | ,,Low-Health Priority,,,U-AquaticTox,,,, |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | CASTOR OIL (RICINUS COMMUNIS L.) | reported as used in fragrance compounds in 2008 |
Other RTECS® classifications [shown for informational purposes only] |
| government/industry list/academic study |
appears on list as |
classification(s) |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | CASTOR OIL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit )
|
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 | CASTOR OIL | • sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit )
|
| RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries 1979 | CASTOR OIL | • skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
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| RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries 1979 | CASTOR OIL | • skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
|
references |
| government/industry list/academic study
| reference
|
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Open scientific literature | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2007. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| Environment Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List | IFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25 |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 1918- 29,1363,1946 |
| RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 29,1363,1946 |
| RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries 1979 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries. (Allured Pub. Corp., POB 318, Wheaton, IL 60189) V.91- 1976- 94(8),41,1979 |
| RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries 1979 [shown for informational purposes only] | RTECS®- Cosmetics and Toiletries. (Allured Pub. Corp., POB 318, Wheaton, IL 60189) V.91- 94(8),41,1979 |
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