# Does anyone use lard in their LS?



## Benjamin (Feb 4, 2014)

I'm finding my first batch of liquid soap rather drying. I've had this happen when I use too much coconut oil in my bar soap, so I'm going to decrease the coconut oil in my next batch of LS. My favorite bar soap recipes have lard in them. I've found lard to be nicer on my skin than anything else. Does anyone use lard in their liquid soap recipes? If so, how'd it work?

Thanks!
---Ben


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## Susie (Feb 4, 2014)

I used lard in my laundry detergent.  Worked fine there, but can't help you on whether it was drying or not.  

I usually make liquid handsoap with CO 7oz, OO Pomace 7oz, 1 oz Jojoba and 1 oz Castor.  And I have become somewhat spoiled to glycerin in my liquid hand soap(50/50 with water).  Those additions help keep my hand soap very non-drying.  And I am a nurse(whose mother was a nurse) so I wash my hands a LOT. 

I am out of Jojoba and have tons of Sweet Almond Oil, so next batch will use that.   

I really don't recall any liquid body soaps that do not use coconut in them. 

If I were you, I might would make another batch with 10% SF with some heavy hitters in the conditioning realm and use the glycerin, then mix the two batches until I use the drying batch up.  No need to waste it. 

Also, if you post your recipe, someone smarter than me can see what they think happened.  Then I can learn also.


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## cmzaha (Feb 4, 2014)

I have used lard in my ls. It will give a bit of a pearl look to the ls. What I did when I was trying to come up with a forumla I liked I made all single oil ls paste. Then I could mix them until I had the feel I like. 
Here is an extremely mild LS based on Sally Trew's Recipe for children, cancer patients and people with sensitive skin. She made this for her mom if I remember correctly and it lathers very good. This is now my main LS with a couple of small tweaks. I neutralize with citric acid and thicken with HEC
30% Palm, 29% Olive Oil, 20% Castor Oil, 6% CO, 5% Sunflower Oil High Oleic, 5 % Coco Butter, 5% Avocado. Superfat 
-13 (yes minus 13) Water 80 % of oil. The soft oils could be tweaked if you want to leave some out. Lauric is 3 Myristic 1 Bubbly 22, Condition of 68 and Cleansing of 4 in soapcalc
Upping your superfat to 10% will most likely give you a very cloudy LS with a lot of un-saponified oils. You want all oil saponified in LS


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## Benjamin (Feb 5, 2014)

Hi Susie,

That's a lot of coconut oil! When you say 50/50 glycerine to water do you mean glycerine method, or using extra glycerine when you dilute the soap?

I like your idea of mixing this batch with a more gentle one. Right now we are using it to wash dishes, and it does a terrific job. My wife uses it wash her hands and doesn't seem to mind, but she is a nurse like you and has hands of steel. Here's the recipe I used:

 85 g. Castor Oil (approx 18.7%)

  85 g. Coconut Oil (approx 18.7%)

  284 g. Olive Oil (approx 62.5%)

  91 g. KOH (mixed with 50/50 glycerine to water)


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## Benjamin (Feb 5, 2014)

Hi cmzaha,

Thank you for the recipe! I was thinking of dropping my CO to about that percentage and using Lard or PO and avocado oil, so at least I'm headed in the right direction. 

What do you mean by -13 water? I haven't seen that before. 

Thanks so much for the help!
---Ben


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## cmzaha (Feb 6, 2014)

Benjamin said:


> Hi cmzaha,
> 
> Thank you for the recipe! I was thinking of dropping my CO to about that percentage and using Lard or PO and avocado oil, so at least I'm headed in the right direction.
> 
> ...


I am sorry maybe I typed it wrong. It is -13 superfat. You will want to neutralize but even with the -13 mine has never been lye heavy. I do use citric acid solution to neutralize. To make the solution you add 2 oz of citric acid to 8 oz boiling water. To a pound of soap paste use 3/4 oz solution. The negative superfat will assure a clear soap. I have Failor's book and a couple others but I really Sally's method in this book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Natural Soaps


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## grayceworks (Feb 6, 2014)

Benjamin said:


> When you say 50/50 glycerine to water do you mean glycerine method, or using extra glycerine when you dilute the soap?


 
The 50/50 method lets you still dilute your KOH in water, where it dissolves best, and get the benefits of using the glycerin method, where the soap-making part goes faster. 

You take the total liquid that the calculator tells you, and use half that amount in WATER to dissolve your lye. This will be very concentrated, just barely enough to dissolve the lye properly in, so be careful to stir enough and watch for volcanoes! Then take the other half the amount in glycerin, mix it into the lye-water, to get your full liquid amount. 

Read more about it here: 
http://alaiynab.blogspot.com/2013/10/liquid-soapmaking-5050-method-with.html


This does not include any liquid you will use later during dilution.


This is my favorite method of making liquid soap.


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## Benjamin (Feb 6, 2014)

Hi cmzaha,

Thanks! That makes total sense now. 

---Ben


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## Benjamin (Feb 6, 2014)

Hi Grayceworks,

I tried straight glycerine on my first batch and it was a mess. I did the 50/50 method on my second batch and it worked perfectly. Now I just need to make it a little less harsh, and I think I'll be golden 

Thanks,
---Ben


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