Cold Process Soap Using Lard

[wbocrafter]

I have been given some lard to make soap and was wondering if anyone had a good recipe that I could use to make some soap with lard.

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Sure!

50% Lard
20% olive oil
20% coconut oil
5% castor oil
5% avocado

Drop the avocado if you don't have it and raise the lard to 55%.

 

[toxikon]

You're definitely asking the right group, most of us loooove lard soaps!

My favourite recipe right now is:

50% Lard
20% Coconut Oil
15% Olive Oil
10% Avocado Oil
5% Castor Oil

35% Lye Concentration
5% Superfat

 

[Bamagirl]

My favorite recipe is:

55% lard
25% olive oil
15% coconut oil
5% castor oil

In my opinion, it makes for a really nice, gentle bar with good suds.

 

[mx5inpenn]

Lard anywhere from 40-60%, 5% castor, 15-20% coconut, the rest in olive and/or avocado is wonderful!

 

[Steve85569]

Those should give you a pretty good idea of where to start looking for your own "sweet spot" using lard.
I now use less coconut and more olive with the 40 - 60% lard than the suggestions above. That's mostly because of my old skin.

Enjoy the lard.

 

[Susie]

Mine is this:

Lard 65%
Coconut Oil 15%
Olive Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5%

Superfat 5%

My best suggestion is to try all of these recipes, so you will know what you prefer.

(See, I just gave you permission to make 6 batches of soap, all in the name of science, of course!)

 

[Millie]

Is there a consensus among the lardinators if extras (EDTA, ROE etc) are needed to help prevent DOS?

 

[Seawolfe]

I've never added ROE or anything to lard batches - in my experience lard isn't prone to DOS.

 

[Millie]

Thanks, phew! Sorry OP I probably should have posted that Q in another thread. But now we both know

 

[Susie]

Thanks, phew! Sorry OP I probably should have posted that Q in another thread. But now we both know

This is, to me at least, an appropriate place to ask the question.

I have never used any sort of preservative or antioxidant in my bar soaps, either. And I have used lard from the beginning.

 

[cherrycoke216]

This is, to me at least, an appropriate place to ask the question.



I have never used any sort of preservative or antioxidant in my bar soaps, either. And I have used lard from the beginning.

I'm a lardinator,too. But at first or second try, I did not like it. And my family hate it. They claim that it leaves a film on their body. So I searched the forum, and started adding both 1% EDTA and 1% citric acid ( also extra NaOH to neutralize the citric acid; 10g citric acid needs 6g NaOH ). And now these combo really helps with our ROCK HARD water.
Your mileage might vary.
ETA: I use these as chelator, and only have 1 DOS (dreaded orange spot ) now.

 

[DeeAnna]

Ooh, ooh -- can I play too???

My current favorite recipe is --

Coconut Oil 15.0%
Sunflower, high oleic 25.0%
Lard 60.0%

You can substitute any combination of olive oil or avocado or any other high oleic oil for the HO sunflower. You can take a total of 5% away from the sunflower and/or the lard (whatever makes sense to you) and add 5% castor. I use 32% lye concentration, more or less, and 3% superfat. I also use 5% KOH and 95% NaOH for added lather in my high lard recipes, but you definitely don't have too -- you can add sugar or beer and get good bubbleage too.

I add ROE in my home-rendered lard when the lard is freshly rendered to ensure it has a good shelf life. I always use 0.5% tetrasodium EDTA in my soaps to increase shelf life and reduce soap scum. I have articles about using ROE and EDTA -- they're in my "soapy stuff" webpage. Click the link at the bottom of this post.

 

[Susie]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the 5% KOH and 95% NaOH. It makes awesome bubbles!

I also use only "store bought" lard, as I know no pig farmers, and I hate rendering.

Thanks for the reminders, DeeAnna!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Hubby's favorite LS is 50/50 lard & PKO. Really nice and holds scent well -- lard helps with that.

I use oakmoss absolute (10% solution in jojoba) at a rate of 0.7% (1/4-1/2 tsp) PPO to offset the odor of lard/tallow.

SHORT STORY
When I first started making soap (2004), I sent a bar of tallow soap to a high school classmate in Minneapolis. She loved the soap, but asked, "Why do I smell hamburger when I shower?" :mrgreen: Thus, the inclusion of oakmoss -- a tip from one of the early gurus of soapmaking, also a lardinator, BTW.

 

[Millie]

SHORT STORY
When I first started making soap (2004), I sent a bar of tallow soap to a high school classmate in Minneapolis. She loved the soap, but asked, "Why do I smell hamburger when I shower?" :mrgreen: Thus, the inclusion of oakmoss -- a tip from one of the early gurus of soapmaking, also a lardinator, BTW.

Oh dear, I wouldn't want to smell that! Had you rendered the lard yourself or does that scent come with store bought lard too? I think I saw a few suggestions for Armour lard so I'll try that unless it comes hamburger scented. Although I love the scent of oakmoss I wouldn't want it in every soap, and that could get costly!

Edit: oops, tallow. I was wondering why it smelled like hamburger rather than bacon. I don't know where my brain is tonight. Wouldn't want to smell bacon in the shower either.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Edit: oops, tallow. I was wondering why it smelled like hamburger rather than bacon. I don't know where my brain is tonight. Wouldn't want to smell bacon in the shower either.

ROFL. Millie, you made me laugh so hard with that one, that I almost fell off my rocking chair!

:bath1:
​

 

[lenarenee]

I've been a dedicated lardinator for over 2 years, using Armour, Farmer's John's, smart and final's 50lb box, (finished 2 of them!) and "home" rendered lard from Fannie and Flo and etsy. I've had only a few problems with dos, and a huge majority of them I know where my lazy habits during storage.

I've used Smart and Final's tallow and Fannie and Flo's tallow and can not smell a darn thing.

I've never had a bar of lard soap that I thought smelled like pig. I do smell oil or fat sometimes. BUT...I smell the same thing from my all vegetable bars! So, not sure what that's about.

 

[wbocrafter]

Thanks everyone. I'm fairly new to soap making so I don't know what all the abbreviations mean but the recipes sure help. I've heard soap made from lard is wonderful & when someone gives it to you it's pretty hard to turn down.

 

[MotherMcree]

Not too much

Lard can be great in soap for a few reasons. It's great at stabilizing the oil and will allow you to unmold faster but if you choose to use it at a larger quantity than 30% you will smell it in the soap. I find this very unappealing, especially for a shower/bath soap, it is an unpleasant odor.
I usually use this base recipe for my soaps and they have been wonderfully conditioning and also great for sensitive skin. This recipe will also allow for E/O's and holds the fragrance nicely.

30% Olive Oil
30% Coconut Oil
20% lard
10% Sunflower Oil (works with the coconut to create a creamy, stable lather)
5% Cocoa Butter (adds to hardness and conditioning)
5% Castor Oil (its conditioning and will help as a natural preservative)