Coconut oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Coconut oil has a saponification value of 256.5 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.183 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.257 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.182854 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.2565 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 256.5 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 8.5
- INS
- 248
- INCI name
- Cocos Nucifera Oil
Example: 100 g of Coconut oil with no superfat needs 18.3 g of 100% NaOH, or 25.6 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are lauric (47.4%) and myristic (18.2%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 86% of the profile.
On its own it scores 77 for hardness, 66 for cleansing and 9 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 77 : 9.
Fractionated and hydrogenated coconut oils are different ingredients. 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 | 47.4% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 18.2% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 8.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 2.9% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 7.2% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 1.7% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.1% | conditioning |
Basis: Codex CXS 210 Table 1 range midpoints, normalised to 100% (raw midpoints total 103.6%).
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 77 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 66 |
| Conditioning | 9 |
| Bubbly lather | 66 |
| Creamy lather | 11 |
| Iodine | 9 |
| INS | 248 |
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: 256.5 mg KOH/g (Codex CXS 210 range midpoint), from Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999, Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (Table 2: chemical and physical characteristics), FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Printed value: 248–265 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 248–265 mg KOH/g — FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission
- 246–264 mg KOH/g — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
- 250–264 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 255 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
- NaOH 0.191 / KOH 0.269 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
Fatty acids and iodine: Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999, Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (Table 2: chemical and physical characteristics), FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Also checked: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Fatty acid nutrients (g/100 g food)).
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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