Macadamia nut oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Macadamia nut oil has a saponification value of 195 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.139 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.195 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.139012 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.195 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 195 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 75
- INS
- 120
- INCI name
- Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Macadamia nut oil with no superfat needs 13.9 g of 100% NaOH, or 19.5 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (60.4%) and palmitic (8.3%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 75% of the profile.
On its own it scores 13 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 63 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 13 : 63.
High in oleic and palmitoleic acids.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0.1% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.9% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 8.3% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 3.2% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 60.4% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 1.8% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.3% | conditioning |
Basis: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy 170178 'Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw', individual fatty acids as % of (total SFA+MUFA+PUFA). This is the nut lipid, not a pressed-oil sample..
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 13 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 63 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 12 |
| Iodine | 75 |
| INS | 120 |
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: 195 mg KOH/g (JSQI 2021 range midpoint), from Japanese Standards of Quasi-drug Ingredients 2021 (医薬部外品原料規格2021), PSEHB notification 0325-1 of 25 March 2021, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan). Printed value: 190～200 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 190～200 mg KOH/g — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
- 190 - 200 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- NaOH 0.1391 / KOH 0.1959 g alkali per g oil — Certified Lye
- 191 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
Fatty acids and iodine: FoodData Central SR Legacy: Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw (FDC ID 170178), USDA Agricultural Research Service. Also checked: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan) (PDF page 2763, monograph 'マカデミアナッツ油 (Macadamia Nut Oil)', ヨウ素価 line); Elsevier (peer-reviewed, open access) (Table 1, column BS-GO/0 % (plain macadamia oil)).
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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