Lard confusion

[JuneP]

While waiting for my first CP soap to finish the 48 hrs hibernation under a couple of heavy bath towels, I decided to follow someone's suggestion for substituting lard for palm oil. I was wanting to create a recipe that would be slow to trace so I could try my hand at more than one color in the soap, using a swirl technique. I created a recipe and went to the nearest grocery store (a Walmart) in search of pure lard. Long story short, what they had was next to Crisco and in reading the label, it has citric acid, BH, and some other chemical.
So my question is - what should I be looking for in lard for soap making. And secondly, does anyone successfully use the type of lard that Walmart is selling with the preservatives I mentioned?
There are some very pure organic ones on Amazon.com, but they're very pricy and the shipping is as well. I'd appreciate any information of the lard to use and best source for it.

I'm unveiling my first one lb, plain Jane, CP soap in another hour - excited and a bit nervous!

Thanks so much!
June

 

[new12soap]

The stuff from walmart is what I use. The citric acid and BHT are what we would call antioxidants, not preservatives. They are used in tiny amounts to make the lard more shelf stable and extend the shelf life. They are actually sometimes used in CP soap to help stave off DOS.

HTH

 

[Susie]

You should be able to un mold and cut your soap unless it is Castile soap. I usually only wait 18-24 hours at the most before cutting. Also, I use the lard from Walmart. Works great!

 

[JuneP]

Mold stuck

The soap is in a silicone oval mold, so there are 8 individual oval soaps. Any idea of how to get it out without breaking them all?

Thanks!
June

 

[DWinMadison]

I use the Walmart lard also labeled Manteca in a green and white tub. It works great. My recipe uses lard, palm, coconut and olive plus smaller amounts (5% each) of sunflower and castor. I noted earlier today, they give plenty of time for coloring and swirling but are ready to unmold easily within 24 hours.

 

[new12soap]

The soap is in a silicone oval mold, so there are 8 individual oval soaps. Any idea of how to get it out without breaking them all?

Thanks!
June

After they have firmed up, put the mold in the freezer for 30-60 minutes, they will easily pop right out.

 

[JuneP]

Freezer suggestion

Thanks, I'll wait until after dinner and put them in the freezer for an hour. I forced one out just to see what was going on under the firm top; and it was like putty, I was able to pull it out in pieces and push it back together like silly putty! Is it normal for the soap to firm up at the top of these silicone molds and still be soft underneath? This is obviously a learning opportunity! LOL

June

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

I forced one out just to see what was going on under the firm top; and it was like putty, I was able to pull it out in pieces and push it back together like silly putty! Is it normal for the soap to firm up at the top of these silicone molds and still be soft underneath?

What recipe did you use? The only time I have had anything like that was when I messed up and put in too much water. I have never made Castile so not sure if that would be that soft for so long. I need to cut mine by 24 hrs or it is really hard to cut. The individual silicone molds sometimes are still sticky since it is so much harder to get them to gel, but they don't take that much longer.

 

[JuneP]

This is my recipe. It was 11 oz of oil, 4.18 oz of water 1.51 oz lye and 0.48 fragrance oil. I covered it with two heavy bath towels. Did I keep it too warm?
%
COCONUT OIL 20
PALM OIL 22
AVOCADO OIL 8
OLIVE OIL POMACE 40
SHEA BUTTER 5
SWEET ALMOND OIL 2
CASTOR OIL 3

SUPER FAT 6%
FRAGRANCE 0.7

CLEANSING 14
HARDNESS 38
CONDITIONING 59
BUBBLY 16
CREAMY 17
IODINE 62

INS 144​

 

[AMyers]

I have had issues with my silicone individual molds taking a LOT longer to firm up enough to unmold. I keep hearing about adding sodium lactate, which is supposed to help with that, but also keep forgetting to add it! (I bought the stuff! Doesn't it just add itself where necessary? Haha)

 

[shunt2011]

I too find that soap in individual molds take longer to harden for unmolding. I've had soap with SL in it take 4-5 days so I just throw them in the freezer for a couple hours and then unmold. Much easier.

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

That is more water than I like to use, but I have slowly reduced my water over the years. That's the only reason I can think that it may still be soft. Did you reach a true trace? Can't remember what happens if you don't reach trace, just tossing ideas.

 

[JuneP]

Reaching trace

I believer I did achieve trace. By the time I poured it, I have to use a spatula to smooth the top because it didn't sink down level. The water content was determined the the lye calculator at soapcalc.net.
I know that some people reduce the water to allow the soap to harden faster; but that is also supposed to accelerate trace, so at this beginner stage of mine, I'm reluctant to try that at this time.
Thanks for all of your input.

June

 

[lovinglife]

I love SL, it works great in my soap to harden it. I am lazy and I use one cap full per pound of oils and have had great results. Even in my silicon molds I can pop them out the next day and have good clean crisp edges.

 

[JuneP]

Sodium lactate

Thanks for sharing how much of SL you use. Do you add it straight to the oil before trace, or use another method. I've ordered some from Wholesale Supplies but don't know when that order will arrive, so I'll play with some of this Michaels Melt and pour till it arrives to test some of the colors and fragrances I have on hand.

I got some new fragrances yesterday (Egyptian Musk, Black Raspberry Vanilla, and Pomegranite" Loved them all; but want to try the Egyptian Musk first in a one lb test batch of melt and pour for some of the men in the family. I don't think it's only a male scent. I thought it was wonderful and would definitely use it myself. Our son keeps asking me when I'll have soap so I thought I'd give him one of these to test; but I just tried on of those Michael melt and pour I made a week or so ago, and it's not very good - not creamy, very little bubbles or lather. So I'll just use it to make some guests soaps for the powder room. :-(

Question: Is there anything that I can add to this melt and pour, like some castor oil or some other soft oil that would make it richer, with some more lather/bubbles? I have a lot more left, and I'm reluctant to use it unless I can find a fix for it. I have Apricot Kernel oil, Sweet Almond, Avocado oil, Olive oil, Safflower oil, Sunflower and Grape seed oil on hand. My thinking which may be beginner screwy thinking, is that adding a bit of one of those oils might be like super fatting; or am I totally off the mark!

 

[lovinglife]

Maybe you could make pretty little imbeds with your melt and pour to use in your other CP soap. I have added SL to my lye water and also to my mixed oils. Didn't seem to matter.

 

[JuneP]

Thanks for the suggestion. I just got a raspberry mold for embeds. Down the line when I get better at this and am making swirls, I want to use the raspberry embeds on top of the soap. Now would heart embeds made with the melt and pour work if I put them in CP soap? I'm clueless about how to do this. I've seen a You Tube video with using melt and pour clear with embeds, but don't know how I could incorporate colored melt and pour inside a white or colored CP soap. As I keep saying - "So much to learn"!

Thanks!
June