Kukui Nut Oil for Soap Making
Kukui Nut Oil is a liquid specialty oil dominated by linoleic (42%), linolenic (29%), oleic (20%). Dominated by unsaturated fatty acids, it produces a gentle, skin-loving bar. Bars high in it need extra cure time or a hard oil alongside for firmness.
Quick Facts
How Much Lye for Kukui Nut Oil?
With a SAP value of 0.135, fully saponifying kukui nut oil takes 0.135 grams of sodium hydroxide per gram of oil (at 0% superfat):
| Oil amount | NaOH (0% superfat) | KOH (liquid soap) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 13.5 g | 18.9 g |
| 500 g | 67.5 g | 94.5 g |
| 1000 g | 135 g | 189 g |
Real recipes use a superfat discount (typically 5%) and almost always blend several oils. Always run your full recipe through the Soaply lye calculator rather than weighing lye from a single-oil table.
Predicted Bar Properties
Derived from the fatty acid profile, for a bar made of 100% kukui nut oil:
Fatty Acid Profile
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Palmitic | 6% |
| Stearic | 2% |
| Oleic | 20% |
| Linoleic | 42% |
| Linolenic | 29% |
Substitutes for Kukui Nut Oil
The closest matches by fatty acid profile, which is what actually determines how an oil behaves in soap. Swap by weight and re-run the lye calculation, since SAP values differ:
Build a recipe with Kukui Nut Oil
The free Soaply calculator handles the lye math, water, superfat, and property predictions for any blend of 100 oils.
Open the lye calculatorMore Specialty Oils
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