Ghee (clarified butter): SAP value and fatty acids
Ghee (clarified butter) has a saponification value of 224.3 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.160 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.224 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.1599 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.2243 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 224.3 mg KOH/g
- INCI name
- No Cosing Entry For Ghee
Example: 100 g of Ghee (clarified butter) with no superfat needs 16.0 g of 100% NaOH, or 22.4 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are palmitic (27.7%) and oleic (26.5%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 84.5% of the profile.
On its own it scores 54 for hardness, 14 for cleansing and 30 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 54 : 30.
Milk fat contains short-chain fatty acids (butyric, caproic), so its SAP is well above lard or tallow. Published values vary widely (214–235). 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 | 3% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 10.6% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 27.7% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 12.8% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 26.5% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 2.4% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 1.5% | conditioning |
Basis: USDA FDC SR Legacy 173412 (anhydrous butter oil), converted to % of total fatty acids.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 54 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 14 |
| Conditioning | 30 |
| Bubbly lather | 14 |
| Creamy lather | 41 |
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: 224.3 mg KOH/g (Median of sources), from Islam M.S.M.M. et al. (2024) Physicochemical characterization and determination of trace metals in different edible fats and oils in Bangladesh. Heliyon 10:e37606, Elsevier/Cell Press (open access, peer-reviewed). Printed value: average SV 214 mg KOH/g (ghee) mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- average SV 214 mg KOH/g (ghee) mg KOH/g — Elsevier/Cell Press (open access, peer-reviewed)
- Butter 1–5, ISO 3657 method: 232, 234, 235, 231, 231 mg KOH/g — MDPI (open access, peer-reviewed)
- NaOH 0.1599 / KOH 0.2252 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
Fatty acids: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Butter oil, anhydrous (FDC ID 173412), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Also checked: Nature Portfolio (Table 3 (CG, cow ghee; mol %)).
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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