SAP Value Chart for Soap Making

Saponification values for 46 oils, butters and waxes, for NaOH (bar soap) and KOH (liquid soap). Or skip the maths and use the free soap calculator.

Oil / butterNaOH SAPKOH SAPKOH 90%NaOH per 1 kg oil (5% SF)
Apricot Kernel Oil0.1350.1900.211128 g
Argan Oil0.1360.1910.212129 g
Avocado Oil0.1330.1860.207126 g
Babassu Oil0.1750.2450.272166 g
Beeswax0.0670.0940.10464 g
Camellia Seed Oil0.1360.1910.212129 g
Canola Oil0.1250.1750.194119 g
Castor Oil0.1280.1800.200122 g
Chicken Fat0.1390.1950.217132 g
Cocoa Butter0.1380.1940.216131 g
Coconut Oil (76°)0.1830.2570.286174 g
Corn Oil0.1370.1920.213130 g
Cottonseed Oil0.1380.1940.216131 g
Evening Primrose Oil0.1350.1900.211128 g
Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil0.1350.1900.211128 g
Grapeseed Oil0.1290.1810.201123 g
Hazelnut Oil0.1360.1910.212129 g
Hemp Seed Oil0.1380.1930.214131 g
Jojoba Oil0.0660.0920.10263 g
Kokum Butter0.1350.1900.211128 g
Kukui Nut Oil0.1350.1890.210128 g
Lard0.1410.1980.220134 g
Macadamia Nut Oil0.1390.1950.217132 g
Mango Butter0.1360.1910.212129 g
Meadowfoam Oil0.1200.1690.188114 g
Neem Oil0.1380.1930.214131 g
Olive Oil0.1350.1900.211128 g
Olive Oil Pomace0.1340.1880.209127 g
Palm Kernel Oil0.1560.2190.243148 g
Palm Oil0.1420.1990.221135 g
Peanut Oil0.1370.1920.213130 g
Poppy Seed Oil0.1380.1940.216131 g
Pumpkin Seed Oil0.1390.1950.217132 g
Rice Bran Oil0.1280.1800.200122 g
Rosehip Oil0.1330.1870.208126 g
Safflower Oil (High Oleic)0.1350.1900.211128 g
Sesame Oil0.1330.1870.208126 g
Shea Butter0.1280.1790.199122 g
Soybean Oil0.1360.1910.212129 g
Stearic Acid0.1480.2080.231141 g
Sunflower Oil0.1350.1890.210128 g
Sweet Almond Oil0.1390.1950.217132 g
Tallow (Beef)0.1430.2000.222136 g
Tamanu Oil0.1430.2010.223136 g
Walnut Oil0.1350.1890.210128 g
Wheat Germ Oil0.1300.1830.203124 g

SAP values are grams of lye per gram of oil. The KOH SAP column assumes 100% purity; the KOH 90% column is already adjusted for the standard 90% KOH sold to soap makers. The last column is a quick check for single-oil recipes: grams of NaOH for 1 kg of that oil at a 5% superfat. SAP values vary slightly between batches and suppliers, which is one reason soap makers use a superfat.

What is a SAP value?

A saponification (SAP) value is the amount of lye needed to turn one gram of a particular oil completely into soap. Every oil has a different fatty acid make-up, so every oil needs a different amount of lye. Coconut oil, for example, needs much more lye per gram than olive oil.

How to calculate lye with SAP values

  1. Multiply the weight of each oil by its SAP value.
  2. Add the results together. That is the lye needed for 0% superfat.
  3. Multiply by (1 − superfat). For a 5% superfat, multiply by 0.95.
  4. For KOH, divide by the purity (0.9 for 90% KOH).
Example: 700 g olive oil and 300 g coconut oil at 5% superfat
700 × 0.135 = 94.5 g
300 × 0.183 = 54.9 g
Total 149.4 g × 0.95 = 141.9 g NaOH

SAP value questions

What is the SAP value of coconut oil?

Coconut oil (76°) has a NaOH SAP value of 0.183 and a KOH SAP value of 0.257. It needs more lye per gram than almost any other common soap making oil.

What is the SAP value of olive oil?

Olive oil has a NaOH SAP value of 0.135 and a KOH SAP value of 0.190.

How do you convert a KOH SAP value to NaOH?

Multiply the KOH value by 40.00 ÷ 56.11 (about 0.713), the ratio of the molecular weights of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. To go from NaOH to KOH, divide by the same number.

Why do different SAP charts give slightly different numbers?

Natural oils vary from batch to batch and supplier to supplier, and some charts publish averages while others use a single lab result. The differences are small, and a 5% superfat comfortably covers them for most recipes.

Do I need to adjust for KOH purity?

Yes. Most KOH sold for soap making is about 90% pure, so you need more of it than the 100% figure suggests. Use the KOH 90% column, or divide the KOH SAP value by 0.9.

Let the calculator do it

Every oil in this chart is built into the free soap calculator, in grams or ounces.

Open the soap calculator