Plum 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 plum kernel oil. Multiply by your oil weight, then apply your superfat.
- NaOH (bar soap)
- 0.138
- KOH (liquid soap)
- 0.194
- Iodine
- 98
- INS
- 96
INCI: Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Fatty acid profile
These figures account for 94% of plum 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 |
|---|---|
| Oleic | 68% |
| Linoleic | 23% |
| Palmitic | 3% |
Soap qualities at 100%
What a bar made entirely of plum 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
Almost no cleansing contribution (0) against high conditioning (91). Gentle on skin, but a bar built mainly on this will be slow to trace, slow to harden, and low on bubbles without something to balance it.
Very little hardness (3). Expect a soft bar and a longer cure unless it is combined with a harder fat or butter.
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 plum kernel oil and need a substitute. Check the lye maths again after swapping: SAP values differ even between oils that behave alike.
- Apricot Kernal OilSAP 0.139 NaOH
- Almond Oil, sweetSAP 0.139 NaOH
- Peach Kernel OilSAP 0.136 NaOH
- Safflower Oil, high oleicSAP 0.135 NaOH
- Karanja OilSAP 0.13 NaOH