Mustard seed oil (kachi ghani): SAP value and fatty acids
Mustard seed oil (kachi ghani) has a saponification value of 176 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.125 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.176 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.125467 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.176 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 176 mg KOH/g
- Iodine value
- 108.5
- INS
- 68
- INCI name
- Brassica Juncea Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Mustard seed oil (kachi ghani) with no superfat needs 12.5 g of 100% NaOH, or 17.6 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are linoleic (17.2%) and oleic (15.7%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 49.3% of the profile.
On its own it scores 4 for hardness, 1 for cleansing and 45 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 4 : 45.
Traditional high-erucic mustard oil (kachi ghani = cold-pressed). Long erucic chains mean low SAP. India's own standard is 168–177.
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.5% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 2.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 1.3% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 15.7% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 17.2% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 12.1% | conditioning |
Basis: Codex CXS 210 Table 1 range midpoints (ND = 0; "ND–x" = x/2), normalized to 100% because the raw midpoints sum to 98.8%.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 4 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Conditioning | 45 |
| Bubbly lather | 1 |
| Creamy lather | 4 |
| Iodine | 109 |
| INS | 68 |
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: 176 mg KOH/g (Codex CXS 210 range midpoint), from Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999, Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (Table 2: chemical and physical characteristics), FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Printed value: 168-184 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 168-184 mg KOH/g — FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission
- 168-177 mg KOH/g — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- 168 - 184 mg KOH/g — Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fettwissenschaft (DGF)
- 172 mg KOH/g — From Nature With Love (soap/cosmetic supplier)
Fatty acids and iodine: Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999, Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (Table 2: chemical and physical characteristics), FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. Also checked: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (2.2.1 item 6 Rapeseed oil or mustard oil (iodine value 96–112)); U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Individual fatty acids (g/100 g food); read from the SR Legacy April 2018 CSV release).
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 .