Palm kernel oil in soap making
Published by The Soap Brain Team
Palm kernel oil is a cleansing soap-making oil rich in lauric acid (47%). A gram of it turns to soap with about 0.178 g of NaOH (lye). It gives a hard bar with a big, quick lather and is usually kept to a minority of the recipe. Most soapers use it at 15–30% of their oils.
Fatty-acid profile
Palm kernel oil is a strongly cleansing oil: its high lauric and myristic content produces a hard bar with a big, quick-rinsing lather. Most makers keep it a minority of the recipe (often under 30%) so the bar cleans well without stripping the skin.
Palm kernel oil is about 73% saturated fat and 18% unsaturated — that saturated majority is what lets it firm up a bar and hold a stable lather.
| Fatty acid | Share | What it does in soap |
|---|---|---|
| Lauric acid | 47% | a saturated fatty acid that gives a big, fluffy, fast-cleansing lather; drying to skin above roughly 30% of a recipe |
| Myristic acid | 16% | a hard, cleansing, bubbly saturated fatty acid that usually travels alongside lauric acid |
| Oleic acid | 15% | a monounsaturated fatty acid that makes a gentle, conditioning, moisturising bar with a slick, lower lather and a slower trace |
| Palmitic acid | 8% | a saturated fatty acid that builds a hard, long-lasting bar with a stable, creamy lather |
| Linoleic acid | 3% | a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is very conditioning but oxidises readily — a driver of DOS (dreaded orange spots) at high levels |
| Stearic acid | 2% | a saturated fatty acid that adds hardness and a thick, stable lather; a large share can speed up trace |
Palm kernel oil in the bar
On its own Palm kernel oil throws a big, quick, bubbly lather — the kind of foam most people associate with a cleansing bar. Balance it with conditioning oils so the lather stays generous without drying the skin.
Palm kernel oil traces at a moderate pace and firms up reliably thanks to its saturated fatty acids, making it forgiving for most cold-process work.
In a blend Palm kernel oil is the cleansing, lather-making component. It is usually kept to a minority of the oils and paired with conditioning oils like olive or a soft butter, which offset its tendency to dry the skin at higher amounts.
Closest substitutes for Palm kernel oil
Out of Palm kernel oil? These oils behave most like it in a bar — ranked by how close their hardness, cleansing and conditioning profile and lye (SAP) requirement are. The numbers are predicted properties for a 100% single-oil bar, not a safety guide; always recalculate the lye when you swap an oil.
| Oil | Hardness | Cleansing | Conditioning | SAP (NaOH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm kernel oil (this oil) | 73 | 63 | 18 | 0.178 |
| Babassu oil | 74 | 62 | 15 | 0.178 |
| Coconut oil, 76°F | 78 | 66 | 10 | 0.183 |
| Coconut oil, virgin/92°F | 78 | 66 | 10 | 0.186 |
| Murumuru butter | 81 | 73 | 14 | 0.175 |
Using Palm kernel oil in a recipe
One gram of Palm kernel oil needs about 0.178 g of NaOH (sodium hydroxide) to turn fully to soap, within a documented range of 0.164–0.181 g/g across sources. The calculator below uses this value; always confirm the lye weight before you mix.
Its iodine value is about 17 — a low value, pointing to a hard, long-lasting bar with good shelf life. Iodine value is only a rough guide, not a hard rule, but it gives you a feel for how a bar built around this oil will wear.
Most soapers use Palm kernel oil at roughly 15–30% of their oils.
Maker's note: Coconut-like cleansing and lather; makes a hard, bubbly bar. About a tenth of it is caprylic/capric acid (C8/C10) our lather and hardness numbers don't count, so it cleans a little harder than the scores suggest. Prefer RSPO-certified.
Calculate lye for Palm kernel oil
The calculator below is pre-loaded with Palm kernel oil. Enter your weights, add other oils, and it works out the exact NaOH (lye) weight, water and quality numbers. Always weigh lye, oils and water — never measure by volume, wear gloves and eye protection, and add lye to water (never the reverse).
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Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is backed by at least two independent references, listed below — so you can check our work instead of taking our word for it.
- Codex Alimentarius CXS 210-1999 — Named Vegetable Oils (Tables 1–2) — SAP 230–254 mg KOH/g, iodine 14.1–21.0; Table 1 fatty acids: C8:0 2.4–6.2, C10:0 2.6–5.0, C12:0 45.0–55.0, C14:0 14.0–18.0, C16:0 6.5–10.0, C18:0 1.0–3.0, C18:1 12.0–19.0, C18:2 1.0–3.5
- From Nature With Love — Saponification Chart — SAP range
- Soaper's Choice — SAP Values — SAP (industry consensus)
SAP data last updated · 51 oils covered.
Palm kernel oil soap FAQ
- Can you make soap with 100% Palm kernel oil?
- It is not recommended. Palm kernel oil shows its best in a blend, usually up to about 30% of the oils. On its own the bar would be unbalanced — too harsh and drying for everyday use.
- What superfat should I use with Palm kernel oil?
- A 5% superfat is a safe starting point. Because Palm kernel oil is strongly cleansing, many makers superfat a little higher (around 6–8%) to soften its effect on the skin.
- Does Palm kernel oil speed up or slow down trace?
- Palm kernel oil traces at a moderate pace and firms up reliably thanks to its saturated fatty acids, making it forgiving for most cold-process work.