Moringa seed oil (ben oil): SAP value and fatty acids
Moringa seed oil (ben oil) has a saponification value of 179.5 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.128 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.180 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.127962 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.1795 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 179.5 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 67.5
- INS
- 112
- INCI name
- Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Moringa seed oil (ben oil) with no superfat needs 12.8 g of 100% NaOH, or 18.0 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (67.6%) and palmitic (7.5%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 84.2% of the profile.
On its own it scores 14 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 71 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 14 : 71.
Oleic-rich and stable. Government spec (167–192) sits below supplier figures (185–205); sources differ by ~9%. 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 | 0.2% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.7% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 7.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 5.1% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 67.6% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 1.9% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 1.2% | conditioning |
Basis: FSSAI Ch 2.2 (2023) Moringa oil fatty-acid ranges, midpoints ("x max" = x/2), normalized to 100% because the raw midpoints sum to 107.3%.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 14 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 71 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 13 |
| Iodine | 68 |
| INS | 112 |
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: 179.5 mg KOH/g (FSSAI range midpoint), from Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, Chapter 2.2 Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions (Version 2, 05.10.2023), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Printed value: 167-192 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 167-192 mg KOH/g — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- 185 - 205 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
- 193 mg KOH/g — The Soapery (UK soap supplier)
Fatty acids and iodine: Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, Chapter 2.2 Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions (Version 2, 05.10.2023), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Also checked: MDPI (peer-reviewed, open access) (Table 5 (Soxhlet-hexane column)); MDPI (peer-reviewed, open access) (Table 1).
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 .