Kukui nut oil (candlenut): SAP value and fatty acids
Kukui nut oil (candlenut) 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
- Iodine value
- 167.5
- INS
- 23
- INCI name
- Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Kukui nut oil (candlenut) 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 (40.1%) and oleic (24.7%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 99.2% of the profile.
On its own it scores 10 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 89 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 10 : 89.
Thin, high-linoleic/linolenic oil; prone to rancidity in soap above small amounts.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0.2% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.3% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 6.9% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 2.9% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 24.7% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 40.1% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 24.1% | conditioning |
Basis: RSC Adv 2022 Table 4, supercritical-CO2-extracted candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) oil, 'Oil' column.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 10 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 89 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 10 |
| Iodine | 168 |
| INS | 23 |
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 (JSQI 2021 range midpoint), from Kukui nut oil (ingredient data sheet), The Good Scents Company (database). Printed value: 185.00 to 195.00 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 185～195 mg KOH/g — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
- 185 - 195 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- NaOH 0.1351 / KOH 0.1903 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
- 185.00 to 195.00 mg KOH/g — The Good Scents Company (database)
Fatty acids and iodine: Biodiesel production from candlenut oil using a non-catalytic supercritical methanol transesterification process (RSC Adv 2022; DOI 10.1039/d2ra00571a), Royal Society of Chemistry (peer-reviewed, open access). Also checked: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) (PDF page 1086, monograph 'ククイナッツ油 (Candlenut Oil)', ヨウ素価 line); American Chemical Society (peer-reviewed, open access) (Results text near Figure 4 (IV 161.4 and 157.9; ~90 wt% unsaturated, linoleic primary)).
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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