I have recipes for both all vegetable oil soaps and ones with tallow and lard. My preference is for my lard based soap but most people I talk to don't like the idea (until they try it lol), Does anyone else have that problem? Which do you prefer?:?:
Animal or Vegetable?
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Mockingbird Ramble
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Just a poor college kid here, and I like the animal fats . I am not one to be squeamish (as per other hobbies), vegan, vegitarian oriented. I live in a very ag based area where most people raise 4H projects. Hint, and have a couple of head to butcher in the fall.
For me, it is much more eco friendly to by lard and tallow from the local butcher then shea and palm oils from wal mart.
I don't judge those who do, just like I don't care of you are vegan just understand I am making an informed choice about my diet and use of products.
That being said, I like the animal fats for the texture and qualities it brings to my soaps.
For me, it is much more eco friendly to by lard and tallow from the local butcher then shea and palm oils from wal mart.
I don't judge those who do, just like I don't care of you are vegan just understand I am making an informed choice about my diet and use of products.
That being said, I like the animal fats for the texture and qualities it brings to my soaps.
stargazer44
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I am mostly vegetarian, and just don't like the thought of rubbing animal fat on my body. :Kitten Love: SO I only use oil. Any additives I use are cruelty free as well.
Ruthie
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I live in one of those ag areas. Plus there are lots of Native Americans, who favor using all parts of an animal, not letting anything go to waste. So no one here seems to mind. I do make a few vegan soaps in case someone shows up wanting them, but I've never been asked.
Candybee
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Personally I love soap made with lard. Its the richest, creamiest, latheriest soap I ever used. But I make primarily all vegetable soap for my customers. Lately I have been thinking of bringing the lard back and having both. I used to sell all lard but got some complaints but mostly no one said anything about it. I really miss my lard soap so I will probably end up offering both.
You nailed it in your own post, LOL. People will give you a "look" when you tell them you make your soap with lard (or tallow). But when you tell them WHY it's in there, they become more open to the idea - unless they are vegan. You can also give them a list of ingredients from every commercial bar on the shelf - lard and tallow. Many people have no idea that Lever2000 is tallow based 
One great thing to do for someone who is a little reticent about using animal-fat based soap is to give them a sample. If they use it, they'll be back for more.
One great thing to do for someone who is a little reticent about using animal-fat based soap is to give them a sample. If they use it, they'll be back for more.
For personal preference I like tallow and lard with addition of a vegetable oil or alone. For some reason, the richness of lather that animal fat provides just isn't there with any of the vegetable fats or combos of them.
If selling, I would probably make any and all options available, animal and vegetable, animal only, vegetable only.
When I was able to use Ivory, for much of my life, I was fully aware that it is primarily tallow, I'm not certain many people look at their soap ingredients in the store. I think they buy for scent first, next would be color, then shape or how it will look in their bathroom.
If selling, I would probably make any and all options available, animal and vegetable, animal only, vegetable only.
When I was able to use Ivory, for much of my life, I was fully aware that it is primarily tallow, I'm not certain many people look at their soap ingredients in the store. I think they buy for scent first, next would be color, then shape or how it will look in their bathroom.
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jcandleattic
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I'm not opposed to animal fats, and will use soaps with tallow and lard in them, but I (and my skin) prefer vegetable oils because lard soaps will make me break out. (I haven't found that to be true with tallow soaps yet)
Honestly, unless your market base (if you are selling) is heavily vegan or vegetarian, it becomes a personal choice (IMO)
But if you are selling in a market that is heavily vegan/vegetarian consumers or if that is who you are marketing too, animal fats soap simply will not sell.
Honestly, unless your market base (if you are selling) is heavily vegan or vegetarian, it becomes a personal choice (IMO)
But if you are selling in a market that is heavily vegan/vegetarian consumers or if that is who you are marketing too, animal fats soap simply will not sell.
Just to point out that it isn't fat anymore - it's soap.
stargazer44
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May be true, but to someone who is vegan, animal fat is still animal fat. I also live in a very highly vegan populated area. And I prefer to not use animal products like tallow. (I can't even cook a turkey at Thanksgiving - it grosses me out!) I am mostly vegetarian myself. So for me, I stick with all vegetable fats.
I never would have survived 100 years ago....
VanessaP
Well-Known Member
May be true, but to someone who is vegan, animal fat is still animal fat. I also live in a very highly vegan populated area. And I prefer to not use animal products like tallow. (I can't even cook a turkey at Thanksgiving - it grosses me out!) I am mostly vegetarian myself. So for me, I stick with all vegetable fats.
I never would have survived 100 years ago....
To be fair, 100 years ago, you would have had a different mind set from growing up in a different time when nearly everyone (except for the very rich) still did their own butchering.
I love love LOVE lard and tallow soaps, definitely more than I like palm. I have one all veggie oil recipe that I adore and its quickly becoming my #2 formula.
Bicycle808
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I went thru this a little while back. I wanna use tallow in my soap, and let's face it: palm oil is far worse for the environment than tallow is. Sure, the beef industry is rough on the environment, but the tallow is gonna be there regardless, so long as they're making burgers and leather. But the deforestation and, consequently, the destruction fo habitats and critters that comes from the harvest of palm for oils and the food industry is troubling.
Speaking with friends, family, and customers, most ppl were disgusted by the idea of an animal-based soap. One fella was, despite being a vegetarian, waaaaaay more horrified by the palm. A handful of other folks said they don't know/don't care what goes into soap; they just like good soap.
So, I ended up buying a 50lb bucket of "sustainable, organic" PO from soaper's choice. It was a bit pricey, maybe twice what the tallow was (assuming the purchase of the same quantity from the same source), but we're talking 10c per oz versus 5c per oz of a substance that makes up 30% of the oils in my recipe. The difference boils down to, quite literally, a few pennies per bar, and in return I get more label appeal (vegan, "sustainable", s'posedly organic) versus some less appealing attributes (meaty, arguably gross, not organic).
In the end, the anti-palm vegetarian guy laughed at my naivete for believing the "sustainable" bit, and quite a few ppl make positive remarks about the soap being vegan. Most folks don't even read the label (or, not until after they buy it.) Mostly, I still want to experiment with tallow...
maybe one day.
Speaking with friends, family, and customers, most ppl were disgusted by the idea of an animal-based soap. One fella was, despite being a vegetarian, waaaaaay more horrified by the palm. A handful of other folks said they don't know/don't care what goes into soap; they just like good soap.
So, I ended up buying a 50lb bucket of "sustainable, organic" PO from soaper's choice. It was a bit pricey, maybe twice what the tallow was (assuming the purchase of the same quantity from the same source), but we're talking 10c per oz versus 5c per oz of a substance that makes up 30% of the oils in my recipe. The difference boils down to, quite literally, a few pennies per bar, and in return I get more label appeal (vegan, "sustainable", s'posedly organic) versus some less appealing attributes (meaty, arguably gross, not organic).
In the end, the anti-palm vegetarian guy laughed at my naivete for believing the "sustainable" bit, and quite a few ppl make positive remarks about the soap being vegan. Most folks don't even read the label (or, not until after they buy it.) Mostly, I still want to experiment with tallow...
maybe one day.
i make mostly vegan. I do love lard and tallow but rarely use them because pesticides, etc are stored in fat. Im not too comfortable using that on my skin or selling it so the only animal fats i get to use for soaps and such are those saved from some hunting friends.
CaliChan
Well-Known Member
I really enjoy animal fat soaps. They just always come out better. But people always cringe at the thought of using animal fat soaps and I think its because lard has been stomped on so much in the past but it really isn't that bad for you and its great for your skin
I stomped out my moms squeamish thoughts about using my soaps with lard in them after I explained to her that the commercial soaps she's been using for years contains it
I stomped out my moms squeamish thoughts about using my soaps with lard in them after I explained to her that the commercial soaps she's been using for years contains it
VanessaP
Well-Known Member
That's just it. When people have been using commercial soap for decades, and the broad majority of them have animal fats in them, they just didn't know better than to look. "Well, its a national brand, I didn't think, I just used it. It HAS to be vegan, right?" is the response I got from a friend in NY when she asked about soaps. She about died in a fit of rage when I told her to look at the ingredients LOL
I need to make some animal fat soap just to try it, and see how it turns out. I could be wrong, but I live in an area that people are worried about things being vegan, chemical free, palm free etc. I once told a lady that I could make the soap palm free, just have to add Lard or Tallow! Really there are some great palm free vegan recipes out there, but I knew she would freak out ( I must have been bored). Anyway making a soap with animal fat is on my to do list.
