Apricot Kernel Oil
INCI Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil. Saponified with NaOH it is listed as Sodium Apricot Kernelate, with KOH as Potassium Apricot Kernelate. CAS 68650-44-2, 72869-69-3; EC 272-046-1, as CosIng gives them. Also: Prunus armeniaca kernel oil, Apricot oil.
Published values
| Saponification value | 185–195 mg KOH/g |
| Used by the calculator | 190.0 mg KOH/g (midpoint) |
| SAP for NaOH | 0.1354 g/g |
| Iodine value | 90–115 g I₂/100 g |
| INS (SAP − IV) | 88 |
| Melting point | — |
| Unsaponifiable matter | ≤ 1 % |
Soapmaking books print about 0.135 g NaOH per g (median of 9 books), which agrees with ours to within 2 %.
A bar made of 100 % Apricot Kernel Oil
Conventional qualities summed from the fatty-acid groups; a single-oil bar is a reference point, not a recipe.
How much lye
| Oil | NaOH | KOH |
|---|---|---|
| 500 g | 64.3 g(62.6–66.0) | 90.3 g(87.9–92.6) |
| 1 kg | 128.7 g(125.3–132.1) | 180.5 g(175.8–185.3) |
| 1 lb (454 g) | 58.4 g(56.8–59.9) | 81.9 g(79.7–84.0) |
| 2 lb (907 g) | 116.7 g(113.7–119.8) | 163.7 g(159.4–168.1) |
For this oil alone at 5 % superfat, with pure sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or pure potassium hydroxide (KOH); in brackets, across the published range of its saponification value. KOH is usually sold at 90 %: divide by 0.9. For a whole recipe, open the calculator.
Fatty-acid profile
Saturated : unsaturated 11 : 89
| Fatty acid | Published range, % | Used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myristic acid | C14:0 · saturated | ≤ 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Palmitic acid | C16:0 · saturated | 3–10 | 6.5 |
| Palmitoleic acid | C16:1 | ≤ 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Stearic acid | C18:0 · saturated | 0.5–4 | 2.3 |
| Oleic acid | C18:1 | 54–70 | 62.0 |
| Linoleic acid | C18:2 | 20–35 | 27.5 |
| α-Linolenic acid | C18:3 n-3 | ≤ 1 | 1.0 |
| Arachidic acid | C20:0 · saturated | ≤ 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Gadoleic acid | C20:1 | ≤ 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Behenic acid | C22:0 · saturated | ≤ 0.5 | 0.5 |
Recipes that use it
- Dandelion zebra-stripe bar 8 % of the oils
- Kukui and nut oil bar 6 % of the oils
- Nettle and yarrow split bar 5 % of the oils
- Shampoo bar for normal to oily hair 2 % of the oils
Guides that discuss it
Compared with other oils
Where these numbers come from
Not covered by Codex CXS 210 or by a pharmacopoeial monograph available to me; all values are the producer's release specification for refined apricot kernel oil (Gustav Heess GmbH, methods Ph. Eur. 2.5.4/2.5.6/2.4.22): iodine value 90.0-115.0 g I2/100 g; saponification value 185.0-195.0 mg KOH/g; unsaponifiable max 1.0 %; acid value max 0.6; myristic max 1.5, palmitic 3.0-10.0, palmitoleic max 1.5, stearic 0.5-4.0, oleic 54.0-70.0, linoleic 20.0-35.0, linolenic max 1.0, arachidic/eicosenoic/behenic max 0.5, other FA max 1.0 %. The cold-pressed sheet (Sp216020c, 2025-11-06) carries the same fatty-acid ranges but no SAP/IV.
This record is part of the open ingredient database (ODbL), which you can download as CSV or JSON. Found an error or a better primary source? Corrections with a link to the document are welcome at support@soapformulator.com.