Recipe lab

Saponis

Oil library

Spec sheet

Shea Butter (Unrefined)

Vitellaria paradoxa

hard
trace slows
max 15%
workhorse
Load into soap bench

01

Saponification & chemical numbers

NaOH SAP (pure)
0.1280g NaOH / g oil
KOH SAP (pure)
0.1790g KOH / g oil
KOH SAP (90% reagent)
0.1989g 90% KOH / g oil
Iodine value
60g I₂ / 100 g
INS
116KOH SAP − IV

02

Fatty acid spectrum

  • LauricC12:0
    0.0%
  • MyristicC14:0
    0.0%
  • PalmiticC16:0
    5.0%
  • StearicC18:0
    40.0%
  • RicinoleicC18:1-OH
    0.0%
  • OleicC18:1
    48.0%
  • LinoleicC18:2
    6.0%
  • LinolenicC18:3
    0.0%
  • UnlistedC8–C10+
    1.0%
  • Saturated
  • Monounsaturated
  • Polyunsaturated
  • Hydroxy

03

What it does in the bar

Hardness

Lauric + myristic + palmitic + stearic · target 29–54

45.0

Cleansing

Lauric + myristic · target 12–22

0.0

Conditioning

Oleic + linoleic + linolenic + ricinoleic · target 44–69

54.0

Bubbly lather

Lauric + myristic + ricinoleic · target 14–46

0.0

Creamy lather

Palmitic + stearic + ricinoleic · target 16–48

45.0

Longevity

Palmitic + stearic · target 25–50

45.0

Max 15% of oils

hardening
  • Recommended maximum 15% of total oils.
  • High palmitic/stearic — accelerates hardness and can crack if overused.
  • Slows trace.

04

INCI names for the label

Pre-saponification INCI

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter

The oil left over as superfat, by name.

Post-saponification NaOH salt

Sodium Shea Butterate

How to list it on a NaOH soap label.

Post-saponification KOH salt

Potassium Shea Butterate

How to list it on a KOH soap label.

Head-to-head: can you swap it?

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