Lard in lotion bars

[CTAnton]

Well as so often happens accidents lead to discoveries, or at the very least questions!
Last night I made a small batch of lotion bars. All the ingredients were already in the house, especially a good supply of beeswax.By accident I grabbed a tub of lard instead of coconut oil(the coconut was crossed out and lard written on the label in a lighter color pen).I remember thinking to myself this coconut oil is pretty soft, must be warmer in the house than I realize....
Anyway, I rebatched it today (too much beeswax) and added some fractionated coconut oil and some more coconut oil. The final recipe was 33% beeswax, 25% lard, 8% coconut oil,25% cocoa butter and 8% fractionated coconut oil.
My impressions this morning are, "This isn't half bad!"Is it greasy? Yes. Is bag balm greasy? Yes. And loaded with a lot of questionable stuff.I've got some IPM on order to see if that will cut down on the greasiness or at the very least find out what IPM brings to the table.
Just wanted to get feedback on whether anyone else uses lard in lotion bars and what they think of it, being hardly an authority on such matters...Many thanks!

 

[Obsidian]

I used lard once in some whipped body butter and loved it and when I make soap, I often rub straight lard onto my hands. I don't see anything wrong with using lard in your lotion bars if you can get the greasy to a level you are ok with.

 

[Nevada]

Read what Susan has to say about Lard the SwiftCraftyMonkey

Well as so often happens accidents lead to discoveries, or at the very least questions!
Last night I made a small batch of lotion bars. All the ingredients were already in the house, especially a good supply of beeswax.By accident I grabbed a tub of lard instead of coconut oil(the coconut was crossed out and lard written on the label in a lighter color pen).I remember thinking to myself this coconut oil is pretty soft, must be warmer in the house than I realize....
Anyway, I rebatched it today (too much beeswax) and added some fractionated coconut oil and some more coconut oil. The final recipe was 33% beeswax, 25% lard, 8% coconut oil,25% cocoa butter and 8% fractionated coconut oil.
My impressions this morning are, "This isn't half bad!"Is it greasy? Yes. Is bag balm greasy? Yes. And loaded with a lot of questionable stuff.I've got some IPM on order to see if that will cut down on the greasiness or at the very least find out what IPM brings to the table.
Just wanted to get feedback on whether anyone else uses lard in lotion bars and what they think of it, being hardly an authority on such matters...Many thanks!

 

[CTAnton]

Sorry to say Nevada I didn't find anything on her blog about lard...

 

[Aline]

Wouldn't lard go rancid over time?

 

[CTAnton]

Aline I don't have a definitive answer to that.From what I've read lotion bars are not a forever thing like soap..a year old lotion bar is over the hill.I do wonder if incorporating such a high percentage of beeswax will counteract to some degree of rancidity. I'll wait for the lovely DeeAnna to weigh in on this...

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

There was a precious thread about lard in B&B products. It shouldn't be too far back in the pages of posts

 

[DeeAnna]

Why is lard be any more likely to go rancid than any other fat used in B&B products? Not sure what the thinking is about that perception -- can you elaborate, Aline? If one is concerned about longevity of a B&B product, you can use ROE (rosemary oleoresin) to retard oxidation and/or use a goodly % of an especially stable fat/oil such as jojoba or meadowfoam.

IMO, lard is an alternative to shea. I have trialed an emulsified sugar scrub with lard. I really liked how the lard provided long-lasting, pleasant protection to my skin after the scrub is rinsed off with warm water. In over a year of using the scrub in the bath and at the sink, it smells fresh -- no off odor or bad appearance. I am currently trying a whipped body butter (anhydrous) made with lard, tallow, beeswax, meadowfoam, and jojoba. The recipe needs refinement -- it's very much a beginner's first try -- but I think it has potential.

As far as the greasy issue, any fat can be greasy on the skin. It's the recipe that makes the difference. At first, the emulsified scrub was greasy and didn't rinse off cleanly until I tweaked the amount of emulsifier a bit. The body butter feels greasy for a few minutes until it soaks in, but it's intended to be a product to soothe and protect very dry, itchy, irritated skin. I'd formulate a lighter product for routine daily use.

 

[Soapmaker145]

People are selling butters with Tallow and Lard. FWIW, this is a site I heard of from some older women who use and love the product: http://www.vintagetradition.com. I think their prices are a little on the ridiculous side. Since I started using tallow for my soaps, I've been looking for a local source of tallow from grass fed animals (local farmers). I might try adding it to a body butter once I have it.

 

[HappyHomeSoapCo]

I make tallow balm and looooove it!

 

[Dahila]

Lard will have a much longer shelf life than sweet almond oil or even HO Sunflower oil. I think I will try to make a balm with lard or tallow )

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I don't know if you have designs to sell, but I will say that unsaponified lard in this context gives me a little twinge of "Ewww" and I'm about as carnivore as you can get. I would almost certainly get past that for a good result, but if that word on the label would tweak me, it's probably going to be a no-go for a lot of people.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

DeeAnna has used it, and finds it good enough to suggest others try it.

 

[DeeAnna]

I don't quite see why the animal fat vs. veg fat is a "squick" issue. Lanolin is an animal fat and people don't seem to be too troubled to use it. Our natural body oil (sebum) is an animal fat.

It's not like veg oils have always and forever been the fats of choice for use on the body -- people have always used fats that are readily available in their regions for soapmaking and other body care products. Historically in the US and the UK, that was lard and tallow. The demands and rationing during WWII (speaking about the US here) shifted many B&B and pharmaceutical preparations away from using lard and tallow to using mostly vegetable fats, so our perception that "it's always been this way" is really only 2-3 generations old.

 

[CTAnton]

Thanks to all that have responded to this thread and those that might want to chime in at some future date.Always nice to get your insights and suggestions.
I've made 2 batches so far; the first being the one with the lard and the second being one with coconut and shea . Beeswax in both. I will say this, for late November in this climate and being a gardener/weed puller /horticulturist, I can't recall my hands ever feeling this good. As I like to say, who knew? Never got this silky smooth feeling with Bag Balm or any lotion to be honest.....
Of course that leads to another thought/question:While I can wrap my brain around that lard changes so substantially in a cp/hp process barring the infinitesmal amount possibly left in the super fat, I am presuming that simply incorporating it with beeswax and oils in no way alters its make up...I do sense that Brewer George speaks for the majority of individuals out there...even of my own friends there's quite a few that would not use such a product. If I ever get around to selling it I think I have to take into account that in my area, the vast majority of people would not use such a product.
Sorry to be so long winded...

 

[navigator9]

the vast majority of people would not use such a product.
.

And yet they will gladly rub all kinds of chemicals into their skins without giving it a second thought. But not pig fat. Go figure.

 

[CTAnton]

I couldn't agree more Navigator..in my brief time making soap I'm amazed at the stubbornness and ignorance of what superficially seems like intelligent people...case in point, a friend's wife highly allergic to a lot of things(she says) only buys Cetaphil and won't touch my soaps...I've got to check out THAT label next time I'm in Costco...

 

[navigator9]

I couldn't agree more Navigator..in my brief time making soap I'm amazed at the stubbornness and ignorance of what superficially seems like intelligent people...case in point, a friend's wife highly allergic to a lot of things(she says) only buys Cetaphil and won't touch my soaps...I've got to check out THAT label next time I'm in Costco...

Ingredients
Water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben.

http://www.cetaphil.com/gentle-skin-cleanser

 

[CTAnton]

I find that interesting..wter as the first and therefore the ingredient in the largest percentage. I was at the doctor's office yesterday and read the label on the ls at his place. At least aloe was the first ingredient....should have taken a picture of the label . My BF in Oregon only uses a commercially produced ls and read me the label last night.....wow...even with my limited organic chemistry retained knowledge I'd say about 5 ingredients raised my eyebrows.

 

[HappyHomeSoapCo]

My recipe for tallow balm is 60% tallow, 20% shea, 20% jojoba. Let me tell you, this is heaven to skin. Pastured beef fat has a very high nutrient content and all the same fatty acids, omegas, and vitamins of our own skin. It does wonders for healing problem skin too. I dont make claims myself, but have so many customers who love it for psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and diaper rash! It is not greasy at all either!
On the ick factor, i do get a random occasional comment, but once people try it they are won over. And to think of it, i think the only people to think its gross and actually voice it, have been friends. Lol.