Kokum butter: SAP value and fatty acids
Kokum butter has a saponification value of 189.35 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.135 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.189 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.134984 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.18935 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 189.35 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 36
- INS
- 153
- INCI name
- Garcinia Indica Seed Butter
Example: 100 g of Kokum butter with no superfat needs 13.5 g of 100% NaOH, or 18.9 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are stearic (57.5%) and oleic (39%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 99.8% of the profile.
On its own it scores 60 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 40 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 60 : 40.
Hard, brittle butter (mostly stearic/oleic). Government (India) spec is narrow, 187–191.7. 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% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 2% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 57.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 39% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 1.3% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0% | conditioning |
Basis: Sridhar et al. 1991 (J Am Oil Chem Soc) as tabulated in Jia, Shin & Lee 2019 Table 2 (Kokum column); only five acids reported.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 60 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 40 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 60 |
| Iodine | 36 |
| INS | 153 |
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: 189.35 mg KOH/g (FSSAI range midpoint), from Kokum oil (Wikipedia article, physical/chemical properties table), Wikipedia. Printed value: 187–193 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 187-191.7 mg KOH/g — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- 187–193 mg KOH/g — Wikipedia
- 197 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
Fatty acids and iodine: Jia C.H., Shin J.A., Lee K.T. (2019) Evaluation model for cocoa butter equivalents based on fatty acid compositions and triacylglycerol patterns. Food Sci Biotechnol 28:1649-1658. doi:10.1007/s10068-019-00630-8, Springer / Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (open access, PMC6859180). Also checked: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (2.2.3 item 7, Kokum Fat).
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 .