DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 2275  
First Edition  
2020 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 2275 : 2020 
© UNBS 2020   
  
Castor Oil for Cosmetic Industry — Specification  
 DUS 2275 : 2020  
ii © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its  correct application  
© UNBS 2020   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 2275:  2020  
© UNBS 2020 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is m andated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreem ent of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
includi ng government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS /TC 5, Chemical and consumer 
products , Subcommittee SC 1, Industrial and public health chemicals  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 2275 :2020  
 
© UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  1 
 Castor oil for cosmetic industry — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Uganda Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods  for castor oil for cosmetic 
industry . 
2 Normative references   
The following ref erenced documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced docu ment (including any amendments) applies.  
ISO 660, Animal and vegetable fats and oils —Determination of acid value and acidity  
US EAS 346, Labelling of cosmetics —General requirements  
US EAS 846, Glossary of terms relating to the cosmetic industry  
US EAS 84 7-2, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 2: Determination of moisture content and volatile 
matter content  
US EAS 847 -5, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 5: Determination of unsaponifiable matter  
US EAS 847 -7, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 7: Deter mination of specific gravity  
US EAS 847 -9, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 9: Determination of colour  
US EAS 847 -10, Cosmetics -Analytical methods -Part 10: Determination of acetyl value and hydroxyl value  
US EAS 847 -13, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 13: Determination of rancidity  
US EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 16: Determination of lead, mercury and arsenic  
content  
US ISO 663 , Animal and vegetable fats and oils —Determination of insoluble impurities content  
US ISO 3657, Animal and vegetable fats and oils —Determination of saponification value  
US ISO 3961, Animal and vegetable fats and oils —Determination of iodine value  
US ISO 6320, Animal and vegetable fats and oils —Determination of refractive index  
US ISO 24153, Random sampli ng and randomisation procedures  DUS 2275:  2020  
2 © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions given in US EAS 846 and the following apply . ISO 
and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following add resses: — ISO 
Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
castor oil  
pure oil  obtain ed from castor seeds ( Ricinus. Communis  Linn.,  fan. Euphoribiaceae ) by a process  of cold 
expression or solvent  extraction . 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 The castor oil shall be obtained from castor seeds ( Ricinus communis ) by a process of cold 
expression. The product shall  further undergo bleaching with bleaching earth or activated carbon or both, and 
deodorization.  
4.1.2  The castor oil shall be practically odourless or have a very mild odour characteristic of castor oil.  
4.1.3  When examined visually, the castor oil  shall be free from sediments, other foreign matter  and 
separated water.  
4.2 Specific req uirements  
The product shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the methods 
prescribed therein.  
Table 1 — Specific r equirements for castor oil  for cosmetic industry  
S.No Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i Colour in a 1” cell on the Lovibond Scale, in terms  of 
(Y + 5R) Units, Max  4.0 US EAS 847 -9 
ii Moisture content, % m/m, max.  0.5  US EAS 847 -2  
iii Insoluble impurities, % m/m, max.  0.25  US ISO 663  
iv Refractive index at 20 °C  1.4770 – 1.4810  US ISO 6320  
v Specific gravity at 30 °/30 °C 0.954 - 0.960  US EAS 847 -7 
vi Saponification value, range  177 – 187 US ISO 3657  
vii Iodine value  82 - 90  US ISO 3961  
viii Acid value, max.  4.0  ISO 660  
viii Unsaponifiable matter, % m/m, max.  1.0  US EAS 847-5  
ix Acetyl value, min  143  US EAS 847 -10  
x Test for rancidity  Shall be free from rancidity  US EAS 847 -13 
xi Critical solution temperature, max  0 ºC Annex A  
xii Test for detection of cold pressed or hot pressed oil  Shall be cold pressed only  Annex B  DUS 2275: 2020  
© UNBS 2020  – All rights rese rved 3 
 4.3 Heavy metal contaminants  
The products shall  comply with the heavy metal limits given in Table 2 when tested in accordance with the test 
methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Heavy metal limits for  castor oil for cosmetic industry  
S/NO  Heavy metal  Maximum limita 
mg/kg  Test method  
i)  Lead  (as Pb)  10.0  
EAS 847 -16 ii)  Arsenic (as As)  2.0 
iii)  Mercury (as Hg)  2.0 
aThe total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination in the finished product shall 
not exceed 10 mg/kg.  
5 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents and shall not 
cause any contamination or react with the product . 
6 Labelling  
In addition to the labelling requirements given in US EAS 346, the package shall b e legibly and indelibly 
marked with product name as “Castor oil for cosmetic industry”.  
7 Sampling  
Sampling shall be carried in accordance with ISO 24153.  DUS 2275:  2020  
4 © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of critical solution temperature  
A.1 Reagent   
The reagent shall be  prepared by diluting ethyl alcohol or rectified spirit with distilled water till the relative 
density of the mixture at 15.5 ºC is 0.8303 ± 0.0001, when compared with distilled water at the same 
temperature. De -natured alcohol shall not be used for this t est. 
A.2 Procedure  
Mix in a test tube, 1.0 g of the oil, with 4.15 times its mass of the reagent. Upon examination, the solution thus 
obtained shall be perfectly clear at 20 ºC and shall remain clear when cooled and maintained for 5 minutes at 
a temperatur e of 0 ºC . DUS 2275: 2020  
© UNBS 2020  – All rights rese rved 5 
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Method for detection of the processing (cold pressed or 
hot pressed) of castor oil  
B.1 General  
The method involves the isolation of toxic components ( Ricinin e, etc.) from the  castor oil by its treatment with 
acetone solution, followed by its extraction with chloroform. The chloroform extract is cleaned up, 
concentrated and spotted on TLC plates. The plates are developed at chamber saturation and excited under 
fluorescent light  for visualization of the alkaloid(s). The hot pressed castor oil yields typical fluorescent spots in 
U.V. light (365 nm).  
B.2 Apparatus  
B.2.1  U.V. Lamp , for fluorescent excitation in the long wave region (Chromato -Vue may be used with 
special advantage).  
B.2.2  Mechanical shaker/Magnetic stirrer  
B.2.3  TLC plates , (20 cm x 10 cm) and a suitable developing chamber  
B.2.4  A suitable spreading device, for adjusting layer thickness  
B.2.5  Conical flask , 300 mL to 500 mL  
B.2.6  Porcelain dishes , 50 mL  
B.2.7  Separati ng funnel , 500 Ml  
B.2.8  Electric oven , with temperature control device  
B.2.9  Desiccator , containing an efficient dryer  
B.2.10  Graduated micro -pipettes/Micro syringes  
B.3 Reagents  
B.3.1  Kieselegal ‘G’ or Equivalent grade silica gel , containing suitable amou nt of calcium sulphate  as 
kinder (b)  
B.3.2  Whatman  filter paper no. 42  (or equivalent)  
B.3.3  Anhydrous sodium sulphate  
B.3.4  Acetone  
B.3.5  Acetone: water  (1:1, v/v)  
B.3.6  Chloroform  DUS 2275:  2020  
6 © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 B.3.7  Methanol  
B.3.8  Solvent system,  chloroform:  methanol  (85:15, v/v).  
B.4 Preparation  
The plates are coated with silica gel ‘G’ using a suitable spreading device, adjusting the layer thickness at 300 
nm, allowed to set and activated at 115 ºC ± 1 ºC for an hour. The plates are stored in desiccators.  
B.5 Procedure  
B.5.1 Take 10  mL of sample in a conical flask and add 50 mL acetone solution (B.3.5 ) and heat the mixture 
on a boiling water bath until simmering starts . 
B.5.2 Shake/stir the mixture using a mechanical shaker/magnetic stirrer for 15 minutes;  let the mixture attain 
room  temperature and the only layer float on the surface . 
B.5.3 Filter through a water -soaked filter paper (no. 42);discontinue the filtration after the acetone extract 
stops trickling;  transfer the filtrate into a separating funnel and extract with 5.3 mL of purified chloroform, 
shaking the mixture well  each time . 
B.5.4 Break the emulsion (if formed) by dropping a few crystals of anhydrous  sodium sulphate;  clean up 
both the portions of this extract by passing it slowing through a column containing suitable amo unts of 
anhydrous sodium sulphate  and receive the e  eluate  in a porcelain dish;  
B.5.5  Evaporate the solvent on a boiling water bath and re -dissolve the residue in 0.2 mL dry chloroform . 
B.5.6  Spot 0.05 mL on a silica gel coated plate (B.4) . 
B.5.7  Develop t he plate at chamber saturation, using the above solvent system (B.3.8)  till the solvent front  
reaches the height of 10 cm . 
B.5.8 Dry the plate using a blow dryer  and place it in an oven (maintained at 60 ºC to 80 ºC) for 5 minutes to 
10 minutes.  
B.6 Visual ization of fluorescent spots  
The plate is visualized under U.V. light  in the long wave region (365 μm). In case of hot pressed castor oil, two 
green fluorescent spot at Rf 0.5 and one deep blue spot at Rf 0.9 appear. A blue spot around Rf 0.7 may also 
appear sometimes. In case of cold pressed castor, oil blue spots Rf 0.9 and 0.7 may appear but the  specific 
green spot shall be absent.  
B.7 Sensitivity  
The method is highly sensitive in detecting the type of processing of castor oil. The genuine cold drawn 
(medicinal grade) castor oil, even after refining and bleaching, fails to pass the test. The meth od is also 
capable of detecting a mixture of as low as 5% to 10% of hot pressed castor oil with cold pressed castor oil.  
NOTE 1  Development at chamber saturation is recommended in order to achieve sharpness in resolution and improve 
the reproducibility of Rf values.  
NOTE 2  Solvent mixture shall be prepared with care and as far as possible prepared freshly before each use  DUS 2275: 2020  
© UNBS 2020  – All rights rese rved 7 
 Bibliography  
[1] IS 11486 – 1985 , Specification for castor oil for cosmetic industry  
[2] RS 86: 2018 , Castor oil for cosmetic industry —Specification  
 DUS 2275:  2020  
© UNBS 2020  – All rights rese rved 9 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards A ct, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on  a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standar ds. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
  DUS 2275 : 2020   
 
ICS 71.100.70  
Price based on nn pages  
© UNBS 2020 – All rights reserved