What is Castor Oil?
Castor Oil (INCI name: Ricinus Communis Seed Oil) falls into the oil category — a plant- or seed-derived oil. A thick, glossy oil used in cleansing balms and lip products, rated around 1. Its sulfated form (Turkey Red Oil) rates higher.
You may see it on labels as Castor Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Castor Oil shows up
As a plant- or seed-derived oil, Castor Oil typically appears in facial oils, cleansing balms, moisturisers, hair products, and many products marketed as natural. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 0/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Castor Oil bad for acne-prone skin?
Because it barely registers on the comedogenic scale, Castor Oil is generally a safe pick for breakout-prone skin and is often recommended as a gentler alternative to heavier ingredients.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Castor Oil is commonly avoided in fungal-acne routines, since it falls into the fatty-acid or ester families the yeast can feed on. The evidence there is looser than for comedogenicity — see our fungal-acne checker for context.