Black currant seed oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Black currant seed oil has a saponification value of 190 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.135 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.190 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.135448 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.19 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 190 mg KOH/g
- INCI name
- Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Black currant seed oil with no superfat needs 13.5 g of 100% NaOH, or 19.0 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are linoleic (48.4%) and linolenic (23.2%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 96.2% of the profile.
On its own it scores 8 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 88 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 8 : 88.
Only one readable source. A supplier spec sheet (All Organic Treasures) did not list a SAP. Check your COA. Only one published source was found for this value; confirm it against your supplier's certificate of analysis.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.2% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 6.4% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 1.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 16.5% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 48.4% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 23.2% | conditioning |
Basis: Peer-reviewed GC of blackcurrant seed oil (Int J Mol Sci 2025, Table 6); linolenic = all C18:3 isomers (GLA + ALA).
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 8 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 88 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 8 |
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: 190 mg KOH/g (Single source only), from Saponification Chart, From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier). Printed value: 185 - 195 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
Fatty acids: Physicochemical Properties of Berry Seeds Recovered from Pomace and Their Potential Applications in Food and Cosmetic Industries. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 27(1):41 (2025), MDPI. Also checked: Wiley / IFT (Table 1 (Blackcurrant)).
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 .