Cupuaçu butter: SAP value and fatty acids
Cupuaçu butter has a saponification value of 188.25 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.134 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.188 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.1342 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.18825 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 188.25 mg KOH/g
- INCI name
- Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Example: 100 g of Cupuaçu butter with no superfat needs 13.4 g of 100% NaOH, or 18.8 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (40.4%) and stearic (34.2%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 89.5% of the profile.
On its own it scores 45 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 44 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 45 : 44.
FNWL lists refined grades at 210–235, very different from unrefined. A Colombian study (UPTC, 2016) reportedly gives 188, but I could not open it. Use your COA. 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 | 0.9% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 10% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 34.2% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 40.4% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 4% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0% | conditioning |
Basis: USDA FDC SR Legacy 173563, converted to % of total fatty acids.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 45 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 44 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 44 |
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: 188.25 mg KOH/g (Median of sources), from Saponification Chart, From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier). Printed value: 175 - 208 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 175 - 208 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 185 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
Fatty acids: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Oil, cupu assu (FDC ID 173563), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
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 .