What is Sulfated Castor Oil?
Sulfated Castor Oil is a plant- or seed-derived oil. Also known as Turkey Red Oil. The sulfated modification raises its comedogenicity to 3/5.
You may see it on labels as Sulfated Castor Oil, Sulphated Castor Oil, Turkey Red Oil, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Sulfated Castor Oil shows up
You'll most often find Sulfated Castor Oil in facial oils, cleansing balms, moisturisers, hair products, and many products marketed as natural. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 2/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Sulfated Castor Oil bad for acne-prone skin?
A moderate rating means Sulfated Castor Oil clogs some people and not others. If you're prone to congestion, patch-test a product that features it prominently before committing.
Note for fungal-acne (malassezia) sufferers: Sulfated 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.
Non-comedogenic alternatives
If you're avoiding Sulfated Castor Oil, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Hemp Seed Oil — rated 0/5 (Low risk).
- Sunflower Oil — rated 0/5 (Low risk).