80% Lard Soaps..OK, I Get it Now.

[Obsidian]

No, I have never noticed slime from lard, not even my 100% bars. Lard does make a really slick bar for me though.

 

[Susie]

Has anyone noticed slime from high-lard soaps? My 80% lard, 20% CO soap is lovely and has nice bubbly lather that feels very creamy, too, but sometimes the creaminess edges into slimy territory. I mean, it doesn't not make sense, since lard is high in monounsaturated fats like olive oil is, but has anyone else noticed this? Or could this just be the scummy feel that some get from lard?

Not me, either. How old is your bar?

 

[TeaLeavesandTweed]

Not me, either. How old is your bar?

Not old. About 6 weeks. Could just be young soap.

 

[DeeAnna]

My high lard soaps do feel slick and smooth when they're wet -- especially if the soap doesn't go through gel as happens when I pour any extra batter into a small individual bar molds. But I don't perceive that as slime. What is slime to me is when a soap forms a rope of goo when I press a fingertip into the wet soap and gently pull it away. Or when I wash my hands with the soap and it forms a ropy scant lather until I add more water to loosen it so it can foam better. The ropes of lather are sticky and gooey -- another word is slimy.

 

[ngian]

It's all about the perception of everyone while bathing. My 75% lard 25% PKO 5% castor soap that has cured for 6 months, feels like it it produces lather on my body that is very waxy, silky and slippery. Maybe the wax feeling is also due to PKO.

I think I feel the same with lard before saponifying it. It has a waxy, silky and slippery texture both as an oil and as a soap when it lathers.

 

[Hippy-Nerds-Wife]

Lardy, Lardy, Lardy!

My very first Soap was 100% Lard with 0% Superfat. It was for my friend who has more allergies than digits! I used it to make her some of my Laundry Soap and gave her a bar as a stain stick.

She got lather on her hands (from the bar/stain stick), liked it so much she used the rest as a hand soap! And asked me for more! Scentless/chemical free/colorless soap is both expensive and hard to find locally! So started my soaping journey. I am both richer and poorer as a result! But very happy!

 

[yinepu]

I've read through the thread and it seems that most of you are superfatting your lard recipes pretty low (2% for example). Is there a reason why? I've never made lard soap before; but I have made soap from other oils and I usually superfat those recipes around 5 to 7%.
I have lard on hand, just need to order out some of the Sodium citrate or Tetrasodium EDTA before I make a batch.

 

[DeeAnna]

Use whatever superfat makes you happy. Those of us who superfat at the lower end of the typical range happen to like the results we get, but we're not by any means saying our choice of superfat is the only right solution for every soap and every soaper.

There is one basic safety reason for using a slight superfat and that is to ensure the soap is not lye heavy. But some of us have learned that lye heaviness is not the "kiss of death" for a soap, if it's otherwise properly made. Moderate lye heaviness (as much as -5%) will completely dissipate in a properly-made soap during a typical 4-8 week cure time.

A lot of soaps contain a higher superfat than needed just for safety. The extra fat is thought to increase the "conditioning" property of the soap so the skin is less likely to become irritated or dried out by the soap. I'm not convinced a higher superfat is the only way to ensure a soap is mild and non-irritating. If I carefully choose fats that make mild soap to begin with, then I don't need a higher superfat to ensure mildness -- the soap is already gentle enough.

I also think there are downsides to a superfat that is higher than necessary -- a higher superfat can cut lather, can increase the chance of DOS (rancidity), and can make soap softer. These are all good reasons to not use a higher superfat than is needed for a particular soap.

If I were to make a 100% coconut oil soap for bathing, would I use a high superfat? You betcha!

Do I use a high superfat in a soap with a high % of lard? Nope. It's mild enough already.

 

[JayJay]

I agree with what DeeAnna said. Also, I believe that my lard soaps with 5% superfat leave a gross greasy residue in my tub. I think that it is more than just scum. It's like scum sealed under a layer of oil. It actually takes a fair amount of elbow grease to scrub it off of my tub floor. I am thinking about reducing my superfat to 3% to see if it helps the problem. I'm not sure if anyone else has had this issue.

 

[yinepu]

I agree with what DeeAnna said. Also, I believe that my lard soaps with 5% superfat leave a gross greasy residue in my tub. I think that it is more than just scum. It's like scum sealed under a layer of oil. It actually takes a fair amount of elbow grease to scrub it off of my tub floor. I am thinking about reducing my superfat to 3% to see if it helps the problem. I'm not sure if anyone else has had this issue.

JayJay, do you have hard water? I'm wondering if that adds to the issue of greasy residue or not. We have extremely hard well water (TDS of over 5k), so it always makes me wonder just what effect that has on the soaps other than increased soap scum

 

[yinepu]

Use whatever superfat makes you happy. Those of us who superfat at the lower end of the typical range happen to like the results we get, but we're not by any means saying our choice of superfat is the only right solution for every soap and every soaper.

There is one basic safety reason for using a slight superfat and that is to ensure the soap is not lye heavy. But some of us have learned that lye heaviness is not the "kiss of death" for a soap, if it's otherwise properly made. Moderate lye heaviness (as much as -5%) will completely dissipate in a properly-made soap during a typical 4-8 week cure time.

A lot of soaps contain a higher superfat than needed just for safety. The extra fat is thought to increase the "conditioning" property of the soap so the skin is less likely to become irritated or dried out by the soap. I'm not convinced a higher superfat is the only way to ensure a soap is mild and non-irritating. If I carefully choose fats that make mild soap to begin with, then I don't need a higher superfat to ensure mildness -- the soap is already gentle enough.

I also think there are downsides to a superfat that is higher than necessary -- a higher superfat can cut lather, can increase the chance of DOS (rancidity), and can make soap softer. These are all good reasons to not use a higher superfat than is needed for a particular soap.

If I were to make a 100% coconut oil soap for bathing, would I use a high superfat? You betcha!

Do I use a high superfat in a soap with a high % of lard? Nope. It's mild enough already.

Ah... now see, the only lard soap I ever used was made by my grandmother back in the 60's. She still used the wood ash method and her lard soaps would eat the paint off a car (well, not quite that bad.. but you get the idea). So I've never had the pleasure to try a GOOD bar of lard soap. I'll try my recipe at a 2% superfat for the first batch and see how that does with our well water.
Thanks for the info!

 

[DeeAnna]

I would also consider adding a chelator to your recipe to reduce the amount of soap scum that forms in your hard water. Many people use sodium citrate and some of us use tetrasodium EDTA. Both work well.

I've provided info about how to use citrate and EDTA in other threads on SMF, but I'm also collecting this information on my own website so it's all in one place and easier to find -- click the link at the bottom of this post.

 

[yinepu]

I would also consider adding a chelator to your recipe to reduce the amount of soap scum that forms in your hard water. Many people use sodium citrate and some of us use tetrasodium EDTA. Both work well.

I've provided info about how to use citrate and EDTA in other threads on SMF, but I'm also collecting this information on my own website so it's all in one place and easier to find -- click the link at the bottom of this post.

I ordered both yesterday!

 

[quiltertoo]

After reading several pages of this thread I made a batch of lard soap. 75% lard, 20% coconut oil and 5% castor. 5% superfat. It is finally cured and I am using my first bar. I really like this soap. The lather feels so rich and creamy. The only thing I will do differently next time is add sugar. I add sugar to every batch but somehow forgot to add it to this batch. I miss those big bubbles.

Mary Lou

 

[mymy]

After reading several pages of this thread I made a batch of lard soap. 75% lard, 20% coconut oil and 5% castor. 5% superfat. It is finally cured and I am using my first bar. I really like this soap. The lather feels so rich and creamy. The only thing I will do differently next time is add sugar. I add sugar to every batch but somehow forgot to add it to this batch. I miss those big bubbles.

Mary Lou

Does is smell?

 

[quiltertoo]

Do you mean does it smell like lard ? No, no lard smell. I did scent it with French Lavender and Honey. Just a light scent and it is lovely.

Mary Lou

 

[mymy]

Cuz I try to avoid fragrance oil as much as possible. I have super sensitive skin :'( Will lard make sensitive skin goes outrage?

 

[Obsidian]

Lard is great for sensitive skin. Some people are quite sensitive to the piggy smell and a really high amount of lard may be detectable by some, I can smell it at 80% but not 50%. My go to recipe has 50% lard and even unscented, it just smells soapy.

 

[mymy]

I can use beef tallow instead to replace lard? Or do they have different properties? Soap made by animal fats are safe on facial skin?

 

[Obsidian]

You can but lard makes a better soap then tallow, its gentler and creamier. Yes, animal fats are safe on skin, in fact they are quite nice. I like high lard better then just about any other oil in a gentle facial bar.