Mango seed butter: SAP value and fatty acids
Mango seed butter has a saponification value of 189 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
- 0.134735 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.189 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 189 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 44.5
- INS
- 145
- INCI name
- Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Example: 100 g of Mango seed 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 (46.6%) and oleic (41.1%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 97.4% of the profile.
On its own it scores 52 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 45 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 52 : 45.
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 | 5.4% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 46.6% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 41.1% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 3.8% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.5% | conditioning |
Basis: Sonwai et al. 2014 J Food Sci Technol Table 1, mango kernel fat (Kaew variety), n=3.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 52 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 45 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 52 |
| Iodine | 45 |
| INS | 145 |
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 mg KOH/g (Median of sources), from Zahoor S., Anwar F., Qadir R., Soufan W., Sakran M. (2023) Physicochemical attributes and antioxidant potential of kernel oils from selected mango varieties. ACS Omega 8(25):22613-22622. doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c01155, American Chemical Society (peer-reviewed, open access). Printed value: 143.0–207.1 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 143.0–207.1 mg KOH/g — American Chemical Society (peer-reviewed, open access)
- 185–200 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 189 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
Fatty acids and iodine: Sonwai S., Kaphueakngam P., Flood A. (2014) Blending of mango kernel fat and palm oil mid-fraction to obtain cocoa butter equivalent. J Food Sci Technol 51:2357-2369. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0808-7, Springer (open access, PMC4190219). Also checked: Springer / Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (open access, PMC6859180) (Table 2 (literature-compiled values)); Elsevier (open access, PMC6928238) (Table 2, hexane extract); Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (2.2.3 item 8, Mango Kernel 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.
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