High lard soap - scent

[wearytraveler]

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to reduce the lard scent from soaps that have high lard percentages? I made a high lard soap a couple of weeks back containing 70% lard. The scent of the lard was prevalent through the FO I used. I made another bath last night using 50% lard and, while not as noticeable, it's still definitely there. My super fat for both batches was 7% and I wonder if that would have anything to do with it. I love lard and love the results but the scent is just a bit distracting, for lack of a better word. I tried melting the lard in 30 second bursts in the microwave for the first batch and the second batch was done my leaving the lard in a measuring cup sitting in a bowl of very hot water. That took forever to liquify!
I'd appreciate any and all suggestions as I'd like to continue using high lard recipes.

Thanks!

 

[dillsandwitch]

I made some 70% lard soap a while back that was very piggy smelling. It did mellow out and fade away but it took a good 3 months to do so. Makes a damn fine soap though. Hopefully with time yours will get better too

 

[BattleGnome]

Have you tried asking others what they think of the scent? I have a very sensitive nose for milk and it smells spoiled days before anyone else seems to notice, maybe you have a similar experience with lard?

I only just started making lard soaps and have no other advice. I haven't noticed anything with my soaps but currently my lard % is under 40.

 

[Susie]

It is most often only me that smells the lard in soap. You probably also have a super sensitive nose. I typically use citrusy, woodsy, or spicy scents to cover the lard smell best.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If it gets hot (during melting or in the process) it can sometimes get stronger. Some lards also seem to be stronger than others.

 

[mx5inpenn]

I notice the smell of lard in my soaps for a couple months but then it tends to go away. My family just says it smells like soap.

 

[marilynmac]

The passage of time will remove the scent. I made 100% lard once, stirred it for hours by hand with my face over the pot and I got sensitized to the smell. The soap seems to reek of lard for months. Then it was really nice soap.

Write the date on it and stick in the back of your storage and forget about it.

 

[wearytraveler]

I'm exactly the same way. When I was married I'd have arguments with the wife about getting rid of milk that was about to go bad. She nor anyone else could smell it but I picked up the scent of spoiling milk days before it went bad. I guess I'll leave both batches alone for a while but it's sooo hard not using the soap!

Thanks for all the replies.

Have you tried asking others what they think of the scent? I have a very sensitive nose for milk and it smells spoiled days before anyone else seems to notice, maybe you have a similar experience with lard?

I only just started making lard soaps and have no other advice. I haven't noticed anything with my soaps but currently my lard % is under 40.

 

[IrishLass]

I'm exactly the same way. When I was married I'd have arguments with the wife about getting rid of milk that was about to go bad. She nor anyone else could smell it but I picked up the scent of spoiling milk days before it went bad.

That's the level of super powers my scent receptors had when I was pregnant. It was amazing- like I had a bionic nose that could smell things through a solid wall of metal from 20 feet away! lol Once I gave birth, though, it seemed my awesome smelling powers somehow got transferred to my hubby. My scent receptors went back to how they were before I got pregnant, and my hubby is now the one with the bionic nose. lol

For what it's worth, though- neither one of us can smell the lard in my soaps made with lard. The normal lard usage rate in my formula is 26.5 %.


IrishLass

 

[mzimm]

I'm a little of a Johnny-come-lately on your question, but I did want to add my voice to the others who encouraged you to wait it out. Both my high lard and high tallow soaps carry their animal scents for a long time, but do fade.
One 80% lard recipe was, however, ready to use after a normal 6 week curing time. That one had clove and patchouli EO's with a frankincense & myrrh FO, and bentonite clay added. That clove really went to work on the piggy smell right off, and now after 4 months the other scents are coming in to their own as well. I wonder if the clay also helped suppress the lard smell, but can't really say who the real hero was in the combination. It just worked great.

 

[lsg]

I think that a rosemary blend would cover up the lard smell. Peppermint also has staying power. I have not had any trouble with an off smell with my lard soap.

 

[earlene]

Now I am re-thinking using the lard I bought to make soap for Hubby. I don't even like the smell of cream in his coffee when he brings the cup into the car. I am sure that is space related. But as for smelling things other people can't smell, I still have that problem and my nose is 67 years old. I thought it would start to lose some of that with age, but I guess I am not old enough for olfactory decline. :think:

I can smell when my sons are getting sick. Always have been able to, but I think it's a mom thing. I can also smell when olives are going bad. (This actually lead to an argument when we had the restaurant, because no one else could smell it, but when a customer complained about the taste and the vendor agreed there was a problem & refunded our money, my nose gained new respect!)

Anyway, I suppose I can make a small batch of lard soap for him and see how it goes. If I can't stand the smell, I can move it to the attic to cure, like dixiedragon did with her Pine Tar soap. No, it's way too hot up there in the summer. I can move it to Hubby's basement workshop to cure. I already have odor absorbing stuff down there so I can tolerate what wafts up into the house from the basement.

 

[wearytraveler]

I love the feel that lard brings to the two batches I've made so far and because of that I don't want to give up on it. My first high-lard batch was at 70%. The second was at 50% and I'm planning to make a third in a week or two that will be at about 40%. I'm hoping that what others on this thread have suggested that the scent should fade with time is true cause I REALLY like the high lard soap!

Now I am re-thinking using the lard I bought to make soap for Hubby. I don't even like the smell of cream in his coffee when he brings the cup into the car. I am sure that is space related. But as for smelling things other people can't smell, I still have that problem and my nose is 67 years old. I thought it would start to lose some of that with age, but I guess I am not old enough for olfactory decline. :think:

I can smell when my sons are getting sick. Always have been able to, but I think it's a mom thing. I can also smell when olives are going bad. (This actually lead to an argument when we had the restaurant, because no one else could smell it, but when a customer complained about the taste and the vendor agreed there was a problem & refunded our money, my nose gained new respect!)

Anyway, I suppose I can make a small batch of lard soap for him and see how it goes. If I can't stand the smell, I can move it to the attic to cure, like dixiedragon did with her Pine Tar soap. No, it's way too hot up there in the summer. I can move it to Hubby's basement workshop to cure. I already have odor absorbing stuff down there so I can tolerate what wafts up into the house from the basement.

 

[cerelife]

Back when I was fairly new to soaping I made a few batches with 30% lard. The piggy scent never really went away to my nose, but my husband couldn't smell it at all! After those batches, I wasn't keen on using lard anymore. And BTW, I was only using 0.5 oz of fragrance ppo back then.
But I kept seeing all the posts about how great high percentage lard soap was, so I decided to give it another try a couple of years ago. I made an 80% lard soap with a FO known to accelerate (since I had also read that lard tends to slow trace), and it was amazing! Soo smooth and creamy looking and the bubbles were divine!! I was able to use 1oz ppo of a tricky FO, and while it still moved fast, the lard slowed it down enough to get a nice color and smooth pour - plus zero piggy scent!!
I now use my 80% lard recipe for all the 'problem' FOs that I love, and so far it's worked like a dream. It seems (to me, anyway) that the FOs that tend to accelerate also tend to be really strong in CP, so maybe that's why they cover the piggy smell so well?? And I use 1oz ppo in this soap, so that helps as well.