Antimicrobial Protection

Ricinoleic acid is described as active against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. Ricinoleic acid's antifungal activity is presented as directly targeting Malassezia in seborrheic dermatitis. The article claims pathogens cannot develop resistance to ricinoleic acid in the same way they do to antibiotics because the mechanism is physical. The article attributes ricinoleic acid's antimicrobial effect to direct membrane disruption.