OIL
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- oil
A thick, tacky oil used for sealing ends and for slick, held-down styles.
- products in our library
- 517
- of researched products
- 8%
- on the label, in our leave-ins
- usually #9
- most common in
- Leave-in
- in water
- Oil-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
Where the class sits between an ester and a butter.
How much it slows water leaving the strand.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Needs a cleanser | 4 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses with a cleanser | 2 of 5 |
| Weight | Rich | 4 of 5 |
| Sealing | Strong | 4 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Coats the surface and makes hair feel more pliable.
Sits on the outside of the cuticle and holds moisture in.
Smooths the feel of the strand without adding hold or cleaning.
It takes a surfactant to remove, which matters on a low-detergent routine.
Charge
Charge is not recorded for this ingredient.
Solubility
Needs a surfactant to remove. On a low-detergent routine it can build up over time.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Leave-in
65 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: oil
64 products
|
leading · #3 | |
Mask / treatment
63 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Conditioner
55 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Shampoo
54 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Scalp treatment
41 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Styler: curl cream
33 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: paste
32 products
|
leading · #1 | |
Styler: gel
18 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Co-wash
14 products
|
supporting · #8 |
14 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Finisher: serum
14 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Styler: mousse
11 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
11 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Heat protectant
9 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Styler: edge control
7 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: hairspray
7 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: texture spray
4 products
|
secondary · #16 | |
Dry shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Finisher: end oil
2 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Finisher: shine spray
2 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: lotion
2 products
|
supporting · #8 | |
Styler: refresh spray
2 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Styler: volumizer
2 products
|
secondary · #16 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave-in | 65 | 9% | 9 | 2 | secondary |
| Finisher: oil | 64 | 23% | 3 | 1 | leading |
| Mask / treatment | 63 | 11% | 10 | 2 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 55 | 5% | 12 | 2 | secondary |
| Shampoo | 54 | 3% | 11 | 2 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 41 | 14% | 6 | 1 | supporting |
| Styler: curl cream | 33 | 14% | 8 | 1 | supporting |
| Styler: paste | 32 | 16% | 1 | 1 | leading |
| Styler: gel | 18 | 7% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Co-wash | 14 | 14% | 8 | 3 | supporting |
| Finisher: serum | 14 | 10% | 6 | 1 | supporting |
| Styler: mousse | 11 | 5% | 15 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 11 | 14% | 8 | 4 | supporting |
| Heat protectant | 9 | 4% | 16 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: edge control | 7 | 18% | 11 | 1 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 7 | 3% | 13 | 5 | secondary |
| Styler: texture spray | 4 | 4% | 16 | 7 | secondary |
| Dry shampoo | 3 | 2% | 13 | 7 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 6% | 7 | 1 | supporting |
| Finisher: end oil | 2 | 25% | 8 | 5 | supporting |
| Finisher: shine spray | 2 | 2% | 11 | 10 | secondary |
| Styler: lotion | 2 | 6% | 8 | 6 | supporting |
| Styler: refresh spray | 2 | 6% | 9 | 6 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 2 | 1% | 16 | 13 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 106 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 166 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 144 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 66 |
| 26+ | Trace | 35 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Formulation guidance for specific hair conditions, limited to the label positions where it applies. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, or about you.
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
Near the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8.Read from this ingredient’s chemical class. Where we have researched the ingredient itself, that reading replaces the class one.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- softness and shine
- a softer feel
- something that lasts through the day
- moisture that stays on coarse or porous hair
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary oil, listed below the main ingredients in our leave-ins
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, not marketing copy)
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · 178
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 172
- Tocopherol · 168
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · 144
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil · 143
- Caprylyl Glycol · 118
- Behentrimonium Chloride · 116
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil · 109
- Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil · 106
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 106
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to soften the strand, deliver a stated effect, and hold on to water.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
As I Am · Finisher
Dry & Itchy Scalp Care Oil Treatment
#1 on the label · $2.56/oz
As I Am · Finisher
Pure Oils Virgin Jamaican Black Castor Oil
#1 on the label · $3.25/oz
As I Am · Styler
Rosemary Hair Wax Stick
#1 on the label · $4.50/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Finisher
Balance! Grapeseed & Avocado Natural Growth Oil Blend
#1 on the label · $1.93/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Finisher
Frizz Rebel - Coconut & Sweet Almond Natural Growth Oil Blend
#1 on the label · $1.81/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Finisher
Nourish My Hair – Flaxseed & Monoi Natural Growth Oil Blend
#1 on the label · $1.99/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Finisher
Repair My Hair - Argan Natural Growth Oil Blend
#1 on the label · $1.74/oz
Aunt Jackie's · Scalp treatment
Scratch Free Zone Itch & Tension Treatment
#1 on the label · $2.37/oz
Avlon · Finisher
ProGrowth Oil
#1 on the label · $4.98/oz
Bed Head · Styler
Hair Wax Stick For Strong Hold
#1 on the label · $9.63/oz
Bondi Boost · Scalp treatment
Elixir Pre-Wash Oil
#1 on the label · $5.44/oz
Briogeo · Finisher
Style + Treat 4-in-1 Weightless Hair Oil
#1 on the label · $21.71/oz
See all 517 products in the library that list Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- emollient
- castor oil
- castor oil (ricinus communis seed oil)
- castor oil (ricinus communis)
- castor oil ricinus communis
- castor seed oil
- castor seed oil (ricinus communis)
- ricinus communis (black castor) seed oil
- ricinus communis (castor bean) oil
- ricinus communis (castor beans) oil
- ricinus communis (castor seed oil)
- ricinus communis (castor) seed oil
- ricinus communis (castor) seed oil (castor)
- ricinus communis seed (castor) oil
- ricinus communis seed oil
- ricinus communis seed oil (castor seed oil)
- ricinus communis seed oil / ricinus communis (castor) seed oil
For your hair?
Whether Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil matters for your hair depends on your hair.
517 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Seed entry, sourcing in progress Written from our reference work; primary sourcing is still being attached.
No published source is attached to this entry yet.
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 517 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
