Avocado oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Avocado oil has a saponification value of 189.1 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.135 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.189 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.134806 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.1891 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 189.1 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 87.5
- INS
- 102
- INCI name
- Persea Gratissima Oil
Example: 100 g of Avocado oil with no superfat needs 13.5 g of 100% NaOH, or 18.9 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (71%) and linoleic (13.1%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 97.2% of the profile.
On its own it scores 12 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 85 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 12 : 85.
Published sources for this oil differ by more than 3%, so checking your supplier's certificate of analysis matters more than usual.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 11.4% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 0.7% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 71% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 13.1% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 1% | conditioning |
Basis: USDA FDC SR Legacy 173573, converted to % of total fatty acids.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 12 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 85 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 12 |
| Iodine | 88 |
| INS | 102 |
Each score adds up certain fatty acids, the way Soap Ledger scores a whole recipe. They are for comparing recipes; they don't predict how a bar will feel, and they say nothing about safety or skin.
Sources
SAP value: 189.1 mg KOH/g (Median of sources (Codex avocado-oil values not retrievable)), from Hennessey-Ramos L., Murillo-Arango W., Tovar Guayabo G. (2019) Evaluation of a colorant and oil extracted from avocado waste as functional components of a liquid soap formulation. Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín 72(2):8855-8862. doi:10.15446/rfnam.v72n2.74573, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (peer-reviewed). Printed value: 190.74 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 190.74 mg KOH/g — Universidad Nacional de Colombia (peer-reviewed)
- 170–200 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 196 (refined), 192 (virgin cold-pressed), 195 (organic virgin) mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
- NaOH 0.1337 / KOH 0.1883 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
Fatty acids and iodine: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Oil, avocado (FDC ID 173573), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Also checked: Elsevier (Tables 1-2); Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) (PDF p. 420).
NaOH and KOH values are converted from mg KOH/g with the molar masses 39.997 and 56.106 and rounded to 6 decimals, exactly as in the Soap Ledger app. Real oils vary by origin, grade and lot: check your supplier's certificate of analysis. Verify every weight before you make this, and follow lye safety. Not a safety or compliance certification.
Last updated .