Black cumin seed oil (nigella): SAP value and fatty acids
Black cumin seed oil (nigella) has a saponification value of 195 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.139 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.195 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.139012 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.195 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 195 mg KOH/g
- INCI name
- Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Black cumin seed oil (nigella) with no superfat needs 13.9 g of 100% NaOH, or 19.5 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are linoleic (61.4%) and oleic (21.6%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 97.5% of the profile.
On its own it scores 14 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 83 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 14 : 83.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 11.7% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 2.6% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 21.6% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 61.4% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.2% | conditioning |
Basis: Peer-reviewed GC of black cumin seed oils (Molecules 2024, Table 2), mean of Egyptian, Syrian and Ethiopian oils.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 14 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 83 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 14 |
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: 195 mg KOH/g (Median of sources), from Dash B. et al. (2026) Cold pressed oils: a systematic review on physicochemical properties, nutritional composition and pharmacological activities. Frontiers in Nutrition. doi:10.3389/fnut.2026.1747029, Frontiers (open access, peer-reviewed review). Printed value: 188–194 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 185 - 205 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 196 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
- 188–194 mg KOH/g — Frontiers (open access, peer-reviewed review)
Fatty acids: Assessment of the Quality, Bioactive Compounds, and Antimicrobial Activity of Egyptian, Ethiopian, and Syrian Black Cumin Oils. Molecules 29(21):4985 (2024), MDPI. Also checked: MDPI (Table 5 (control)).
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.
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