Palm Kernel Oil
Saponification values, fatty acid makeup, and what this oil does in a bar of soap.
Saponification values
Grams of lye needed to saponify one gram of palm kernel oil. Multiply by your oil weight, then apply your superfat.
- NaOH (bar soap)
- 0.176
- KOH (liquid soap)
- 0.247
- Iodine
- 20
- INS
- 227
INCI: Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel OilSaponified name (for labels): Sodium Palm Kernelate
Fatty acid profile
These figures account for 93% of palm kernel oil. The remainder is made up of fatty acids this model does not track, so treat the derived qualities below as indicative rather than complete.
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lauric | 49% |
| Myristic | 16% |
| Oleic | 15% |
| Palmitic | 8% |
| Linoleic | 3% |
| Stearic | 2% |
Soap qualities at 100%
What a bar made entirely of palm kernel oil would score. Almost nobody soaps a single oil at 100% — this is here so you can see what the oil contributes to a blend. The shaded band is the range most makers aim for in a finished recipe.
What that means in a recipe
Very high in the short-chain saturated acids (cleansing 65), so it lathers readily and strips oil aggressively. Used as most of a recipe it tends to feel drying, which is why it is usually paired with softer oils rather than used alone.
Contributes a lot of hardness (75), so it firms a bar up and helps it unmould cleanly and last in the dish.
Derived from the numbers above rather than written by hand, so it stays in step with the data. Tendencies, not guarantees — your oils, water, and technique all move the result.
Oils that behave similarly
Closest matches by fatty acid makeup — the usual starting point when you have run out of palm kernel oil and need a substitute. Check the lye maths again after swapping: SAP values differ even between oils that behave alike.
- Cohune OilSAP 0.146 NaOH
- Babassu OilSAP 0.175 NaOH
- Coconut Oil, 76°SAP 0.183 NaOH
- Coconut Oil, 92 degSAP 0.183 NaOH
- Aloe ButterSAP 0.171 NaOH