Pistachio oil: SAP value and fatty acids
Pistachio oil has a saponification value of 192.25 mg KOH/g. One gram needs 0.137 g of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for bar soap or 0.192 g of potassium hydroxide (KOH) for liquid soap to turn fully into soap, before any superfat.
Key numbers
- SAP, NaOH
- 0.137052 g per g oil
- SAP, KOH
- 0.19225 g per g oil
- Saponification value
- 192.25 mg KOH/g
- INCI name
- Pistacia Vera Seed Oil
Example: 100 g of Pistachio oil with no superfat needs 13.7 g of 100% NaOH, or 19.2 g of 100% KOH. A 5% superfat uses 5% less.
In soap
Its main fatty acids in our cited profile are oleic (65.1%) and linoleic (21.8%). The eight fatty acids used in soap-quality scores make up 99.1% of the profile.
On its own it scores 12 for hardness, 0 for cleansing and 87 for conditioning, with a saturated : unsaturated split of 12 : 87.
Kernel oil only. (A paper on oil from pistachio shells reports ~270; that is a different material and was not used.)
Fatty-acid profile
| Fatty acid | % of fatty acids | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|
| lauric | 0% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| myristic | 0.1% | hardness, cleansing, bubbly lather |
| palmitic | 10.2% | hardness, creamy lather |
| stearic | 1.5% | hardness, creamy lather |
| ricinoleic | 0% | conditioning, bubbly and creamy lather |
| oleic | 65.1% | conditioning |
| linoleic | 21.8% | conditioning |
| linolenic | 0.4% | conditioning |
Basis: Mean of two commercial pistachio oils (PO1, PO2) in Ismaiel et al. 2024, Table 1.
Soap-quality scores (this oil alone)
| Hardness | 12 |
|---|---|
| Cleansing | 0 |
| Conditioning | 87 |
| Bubbly lather | 0 |
| Creamy lather | 12 |
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: 192.25 mg KOH/g (Median of sources' mgKoh_mid (no Codex/pharmacopoeia standard found)), from Pistachio Oil – Technical Data Sheet, Connect Chemicals (cosmetic ingredient distributor). Printed value: 189 – 195 mg KOH/g.
Published values we checked:
- 189 – 195 mg KOH/g — Connect Chemicals (cosmetic ingredient distributor)
- 185-200 mg KOH/g — Bulk Natural Oils / Jedwards International (supplier)
Fatty acids: Ismaiel L. et al. (2024) Oil-in-Water Emulsions Made of Pistachio Oil: Physical and Chemical Properties and Stability. Foods 14:60. doi:10.3390/foods14010060, MDPI (open access, peer-reviewed).
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 .