Is Castor oil comedogenic?

Castor oil received a 1 in Fulton’s rabbit-ear table, a low reaction in that screen rather than a promise about every castor-oil formula.

Canonical nameCastor oil
Categoryplant oil
Reviewed aliasesRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Evidence modelHistorical rabbit-ear screen

01 · Evidence context

What the rating actually records

The study considered grades 0-1 not significant within its own model. That classification is limited to the tested raw material and does not prove how a particular person, concentration, or finished product responds.

The number is retained as a historical observation. The site does not convert it into a current clinical probability or a complete-product grade.

02 · Formulation context

Why the complete formula can differ

Labels may use Ricinus Communis Seed Oil. Hydrogenated castor oil and PEG castor oils have separate records, so the checker keeps those chemically distinct names separate instead of inheriting castor oil’s result.

03 · Practical takeaway

How to use this result proportionately

A low historical score can reduce concern but cannot rule out irritation, allergy, or an individual reaction. Patch testing and gradual routine changes are more informative than the number alone.

If you compare products, change one routine variable at a time and use the label from the product currently in hand.

04 · Primary source

Comedogenicity and irritancy of commonly used ingredients in skin care products

Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 40, 321-333 · Primary rabbit-ear screening study

Ingredients were generally tested at 10% in a rabbit-ear model. The paper calls the assay extremely sensitive, reports source and vehicle effects, and says the survey is not definitive or a substitute for finished-formula and human evidence.

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