# Lard vs Tallow



## Kamahido (Jan 10, 2016)

Which do you prefer using... lard or tallow?


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## traderbren (Jan 10, 2016)

I've never used tallow because I can't find it locally and I'm too lazy to render for myself (unless hubs catches a deer), so I choose lard. For availability.


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## lenarenee (Jan 10, 2016)

In general...lard for 3 reasons: hardness, conditioning, keeping the batter fluid longer for swirls. Really no need for olive oil or other oleic oils since lard's fatty acids break down in oleic.  High lard soaps need very little or no titanium dioxide for a nice white bar. (Titanium is not a completely harmless ingredient and I just prefer to not use it)

Tallow: seems to be harder than lard (still studying that), somewhat less conditioning, less volume in its creamy lather - but still something that intrigues me about it. Under the right conditions tallow can also give a respectable time for swirling. I love the crispness of a high tallow bar. Even if I left it sitting in water I don't get soap "goo". Olive oil (or high soft oils soaps) get gooey very easily, lard far less so, and tallow even less than that. I think a tallow soap is whiter than lard, but I've seen others disagree with that.  My personal use soaps are high tallow with just a touch of co, and 15% avocado or shea butter and I love it. I think that tallow allows the avocado or shea to really shine. When I add shea to a lard soap, I don't really notice a difference except perhaps slightly less lather.

That's probably more info than you wanted!


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## LBussy (Jan 10, 2016)

I prefer lard for hand/face/body soaps and tallow for shave soap.


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## Susie (Jan 10, 2016)

I love lard, but a combination of lard and tallow is the best of both worlds, IMHO.


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## Obsidian (Jan 10, 2016)

Lard by far for all the reason already mentioned.


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## LoveOscar (Jan 10, 2016)

I haven't made or tried either yet. I'm looking forward to it. My consideration is that I have friends who won't touch anything pork (for various reasons), and some of them test my hobby soaps, so I am more likely to use tallow.


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## lsg (Jan 10, 2016)

I prefer lard to tallow.  I don't like the scent of tallow soap.  You can use tallow, but you can also use palm instead of lard or tallow.


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## Arimara (Jan 10, 2016)

lenarenee said:


> In general...lard for 3 reasons: hardness, conditioning, keeping the batter fluid longer for swirls. Really no need for olive oil or other oleic oils since lard's fatty acids break down in oleic.  High lard soaps need very little or no titanium dioxide for a nice white bar. (Titanium is not a completely harmless ingredient and I just prefer to not use it)
> 
> Tallow: seems to be harder than lard (still studying that), somewhat less conditioning, less volume in its creamy lather - but still something that intrigues me about it. Under the right conditions tallow can also give a respectable time for swirling. I love the crispness of a high tallow bar. Even if I left it sitting in water I don't get soap "goo". Olive oil (or high soft oils soaps) get gooey very easily, lard far less so, and tallow even less than that. I think a tallow soap is whiter than lard, but I've seen others disagree with that.  My personal use soaps are high tallow with just a touch of co, and 15% avocado or shea butter and I love it. I think that tallow allows the avocado or shea to really shine. When I add shea to a lard soap, I don't really notice a difference except perhaps slightly less lather.
> 
> That's probably more info than you wanted!



That's nice to hear. So far, I have used lard once and beef tallow twice. Off the bat, the beef tallow soaps have formed harder soaps faster than the lard within a week of making them. I'm also not as impressed with lard's early lather whereas the beef tallow has me sold.



LoveOscar said:


> I haven't made or tried either yet. I'm looking forward to it. My consideration is that I have friends who won't touch anything pork (for various reasons), and some of them test my hobby soaps, so I am more likely to use tallow.



You can always do  the lard thing for yourself, if you really want to try it. But is anyone in your circle has a pork allergy or are muslim, I guess that would not be an option without having to get separate equipment.



lsg said:


> I prefer lard to tallow.  I don't like the scent of tallow soap.  You can use tallow, but you can also use palm instead of lard or tallow.



Palm can be such a pain to get but I agree. It does make a nice soapy addition.


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## Dahila (Jan 10, 2016)

Lard + tallow here)


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## Steve85569 (Jan 10, 2016)

Dahila said:


> Lard + tallow here)



Yup!
Why not use both when you can? I also use palm tallow so does that make 3?
There are a couple of people that I know that don't want to use anything that was once part of an animal so they get vegetarian soap. Why confounds me but it's an interesting challenge on it own.:silent:


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## Arimara (Jan 11, 2016)

Steve85569 said:


> Yup!
> Why not use both when you can? I also use palm tallow so does that make 3?
> There are a couple of people that I know that don't want to use anything that was once part of an animal so they get vegetarian soap. Why confounds me but it's an interesting challenge on it own.:silent:



Especially since veggie soaps con carne are more satiating.


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## fuzz-juzz (Jan 11, 2016)

Love lard but it produces bad DOS for me. I tried both, home rendered and shop bought with same results.
It's creamy, conditioning and makes hard bars.
Tallow makes super hard, stark white bars, however they are less conditioning and more harsh. I've even noticed it in my LS formula. I still love it though and use it in my facial bars but would prefer lard. 
The other negative with tallow is that it seems to ash like crazy. It makes really funky looking bars especially if they don't gel.


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## shunt2011 (Jan 11, 2016)

I like lard, though I've not yet used any tallow.  I also make soap with Palm.  Covers those who are vegetarian/vegan and those who are carnivors and don't mind a little pork fat.


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## Dahila (Jan 11, 2016)

Steve85569 said:


> Yup!
> Why not use both when you can? I also use palm tallow so does that make 3?
> There are a couple of people that I know that don't want to use anything that was once part of an animal so they get vegetarian soap. Why confounds me but it's an interesting challenge on it own.:silent:



No very often they ask for soap, but I do have Dandelion with cocoa butter and scented with nag champa and sells well
I always use combination of tallow and lard and some Co and castor,  If I feel especially adventurous, I ad some other oil


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## IrishLass (Jan 11, 2016)

Like some of our other fine members, I use both (in the same soap). I find them to be great together- the each make up for what the other lacks. 


IrishLass


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