Zinc ricinoleate is the

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

ricinoleic acid Ricinoleic acid, formally called 12-hydroxy-9-''cis''-octadecenoic acid is a fatty acid. It is an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid and a hydroxy acid. It is a major component of the seed oil obtained from mature castor plant (''Ricinus communis' ...

, a major

fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...

found in

castor oil Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans. It is a colourless or pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor. Its boiling point is and its density is 0.961 g/cm3. It includes a mixture of triglycerides in which about ...

. It is used in many

deodorant A deodorant is a substance applied to the body to prevent or mask body odor due to bacterial breakdown of perspiration or vaginal secretions, for example in the armpits, groin, or feet. A subclass of deodorants, called antiperspirants, prevents s ...

s as an odor-adsorbing agent. The mechanism of this activity is unclear. Zinc carboxylates adopt the

basic zinc acetate Zinc acetate is a Salt (chemistry), salt with the chemical formula, formula Zn(CH3CO2)2, which commonly occurs as the Hydrate, dihydrate Zn(CH3CO2)2·2H2O. Both the hydrate and the anhydrous forms are colorless solids that are used as dietary supp ...

structure but they are often depict, like here, as salts with naked Zn²⁺ and two ionized carboxylate anions.

References

{{organic-compound-stub ricinoleate Salts of carboxylic acids Cosmetics chemicals