Zinc ricinoleate explained

Zinc ricinoleate is the zinc salt of ricinoleic acid, a major fatty acid found in castor oil. It is used in many deodorants as an odor-adsorbing agent. The mechanism of this activity is unclear.^[1]

Zinc carboxylates adopt the basic zinc acetate structure but they are often depicted, like here, as salts with naked Zn²⁺ and two ionized carboxylate anions.

Notes and References

1. Kuhn. H.. F. Müller . J. Peggau . R. Zekorn . April 18, 2000. Mechanism of the odor-adsorption effect of zinc ricinoleate. A molecular dynamics computer simulation. Journal of Surfactants and Detergents. 3. 3. 335–343. Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. 1097-3958. 10.1007/s11743-000-0137-9. 93526895.