Kokum Olein

Liquid fraction · dry-fractionated from Garcinia indica

The liquid fraction that complements our stearin. Light, high-oleic, with the faint sweetness of the parent butter and none of its structural weight. A practical alternative to expensive South American oils in hair and massage formats.

N° 01

The fraction & the emollient

What this lipid actually is.

Kokum olein is the liquid that runs off the cooling filter during stearin production. We capture, filter, and refine it as a standalone product — a high-oleic emollient that stays liquid below 22°C and integrates cleanly into water-free hair oils and body mists.

Oleic content climbs to 55 to 65 percent. Stearic drops to 20 to 30 percent. The lipid retains kokum's characteristic low polar fraction, which translates into low oxidation and a shelf life of 18 months in amber glass.

Cosmetic buyers use it as a lighter alternative to argan, camellia, and jojoba in premium hair formulas; as a dry-skin facial serum carrier; and as a co-emollient in whipped body butters that need body without tack.

The elegance of kokum, in a pourable format.

N° 02

Specifications

The numbers behind every kilogram.

Technical specifications

Published typical values · not lot data

Melt point: 18–22 °C
SAP value: 186–194 mg KOH/g
Iodine value: 52–60
Oleic acid: 55–65 %
Stearic acid: 20–30 %
FFA: <0.5 %
MOQ (target): 50 kg

Fatty acid signature

Fatty acid	Notation	Typical range
Oleic	C18:1	55–65%
Stearic	C18:0	20–30%
Palmitic	C16:0	3–6%
Linoleic	C18:2	2–4%
Other	—	<3%

N° 03

Formulation uses

Where it earns its keep.

Applications where this lipid is generally used, drawn from published formulation practice.

Luxury hair oils

Lighter than argan, higher oleic than camellia. Non-greasy afterfeel.

Facial serums

Excellent for dry and mature skin. Occlusive without pore-clogging.

Massage base oils

Tolerates essential oil loading; warms cleanly; absorbs in 3 to 5 minutes.

Body mists and sprays

Stable at 20°C; disperses cleanly in aqueous systems.

Beard oils

Long residence on coarse hair; faint sweetness replaces synthetic fragrance.

Co-emollient in whipped butters

5 to 10 percent inclusion softens a stearin-heavy system.

Substitution guidance

Replaces argan, camellia, and jojoba in most hair and facial applications at 1:1. Pair with 5 to 15 percent kokum stearin to lift body back up in anhydrous systems. Not suitable for cold-process soap without 40 percent saturated supplement.

Provenance of these figures

Every specification on this page is a published typical value for the botanical species, compiled from supplier technical data sheets and the peer-reviewed literature. Real ranges shift with origin, season, kernel quality and refining route: treat these as indicative, and always specify against your supplier’s own CoA.

Key reference for kokum as a cocoa butter equivalent: Maheshwari, B. & Reddy, S.Y., “Cocoa butter extenders from Kokum (Garcinia indica) and Phulwara (Madhuca butyracea) butter,” Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (doi:10.1007/BF02541559) — reports kokum’s stearic/oleic profile and its ~70% SOS triacylglycerol content, the basis of its use as a cocoa butter replacement.

Pre-production