Lard Recipe

[TheGecko]

So I purchased a small tub (16 oz) of Armor Lard to experiment with, but I know very little about using Lard in soap. What I do know is that it can be slow to trace and that it can be used as a substitute for Palm Oil.

With the latter in mind, I would be using 20% Lard; is this enough to create a notable difference? My other ingredients are 35% Olive, 20% Coconut and 5% Castor Oils, and 10% each of Cocoa and Shea Butters.

Does anyone have a Lard recipe that they would be willing to share?

I figure I have enough Lard to make three -16 oz batches...just plain soap, no colorants or scents and to be cured for a minimum of six weeks.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Obsidian]

My recipe, 5% SF

Lard 50%
Olive 25%
Coconut 20%
Castor 5%

 

[cmzaha]

I use 27% lard in soap with tallow and yes, I do notice a difference. I make a beautiful creamy soap with no dos. Other than that I am one of the few that have dos issues with lard even with 2% superfat

 

[TheGecko]

Thank you both. I will definitely try your recipe @Obsidian...thank you for your generosity in sharing it.

 

[Jersey Girl]

So I purchased a small tub (16 oz) of Armor Lard to experiment with, but I know very little about using Lard in soap. What I do know is that it can be slow to trace and that it can be used as a substitute for Palm Oil.

With the latter in mind, I would be using 20% Lard; is this enough to create a notable difference? My other ingredients are 35% Olive, 20% Coconut and 5% Castor Oils, and 10% each of Cocoa and Shea Butters.

Does anyone have a Lard recipe that they would be willing to share?

I figure I have enough Lard to make three -16 oz batches...just plain soap, no colorants or scents and to be cured for a minimum of six weeks.

Thank you in advance.

If you swap the olive and lard. 35% lard, 20% olive, what you have listed is basically my standard recipe. I have not experienced any DOS at all although my oldest lard soaps are only 4 months old. It makes an awesome bar of soap.

 

[TheGecko]

If you swap the olive and lard. 35% lard, 20% olive, what you have listed is basically my standard recipe. I have not experienced any DOS at all although my oldest lard soaps are only 4 months old. It makes an awesome bar of soap.

Thank you.

 

[Susie]

My "current" lard recipe:

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

Superfat 3% (I live where there is hard water, and no whole house water softener)

If you have hard water, that is a whole 'nother conversation on how to deal with that.

 

[AliOop]

I have two versions of my basic lard recipe:

70% lard
20% CO
5% shea
5% castor

The other version has no shea, and the additional 5% goes to lard.

Both are 5%SF plus goat milk, and also sugar for more lather. Sometimes I add SL but don’t notice that much difference.

I have also made it with 50% lard and added in 20% OO, but I like the high lard ones better.

@cmzaha thank you for sharing your lard-tallow combo. I have lots of home-tendered tallow, so I’m definitely going to try that!

 

[SPowers]

The recipe I just used is 60% lard, 15% palm, 20 CO & 5% caster oil. The original recipe called for 75% lard and no palm but I didn't have enough lard so made the substitute. Slow to trace and seems very nice.

 

[TheGecko]

Thank you all. I just ran all of these through SoapCalc w/33% Lye Concentration...hope that is what you are all using; if not, let me know.

I'm going to start with Obsidian's recipe, then I'll have to make a trip to the store to get more Lard.

@cmzaha - Not ready to try Tallow just yet...not sure where to purchase it and the current global pandemic isn't at a point where I need to start rendering my own. Kind of like learning to shear a sheep, clean the wool, card the wool, and spin it into yarn. In case of an apocalypse, I have two local yarn stores that I can clear out.

 

[Quilter99755]

I've been playing around with lard anywhere from 30% to 75%. I started with subbing lard for palm when I ran out of palm for my usual soap. I found I liked the creamy lather. Little by little I have also gotten rid of my olive oil and am now using RBO in varying percentages. Lard, RBO and a butter (shea or cocoa). All are between 4-9 months old with no DOS even when the linoleic/linolenic numbers were on the high side (18 was the highest combo). So far I've found the lard/RBO combo to be way better than any of my soaps with OO, so doubt if I'll ever use it again. I don't see much of a difference in the soaps at any of the percentages...just like the lather and since getting rid of OO, I have no itches.

 

[cmzaha]

Thank you all. I just ran all of these through SoapCalc w/33% Lye Concentration...hope that is what you are all using; if not, let me know.

I'm going to start with Obsidian's recipe, then I'll have to make a trip to the store to get more Lard.

@cmzaha - Not ready to try Tallow just yet...not sure where to purchase it and the current global pandemic isn't at a point where I need to start rendering my own. Kind of like learning to shear a sheep, clean the wool, card the wool, and spin it into yarn. In case of an apocalypse, I have two local yarn stores that I can clear out.

Soapers Choice carries tallow. I purchase mine from Smart and final in 50lb cubes, but you may not have S&F's or want 50 lbs. SC sells smaller amounts.

 

[SPowers]

Thank you all. I just ran all of these through SoapCalc w/33% Lye Concentration...hope that is what you are all using; if not, let me know.

I'm going to start with Obsidian's recipe, then I'll have to make a trip to the store to get more Lard.

@cmzaha - Not ready to try Tallow just yet...not sure where to purchase it and the current global pandemic isn't at a point where I need to start rendering my own. Kind of like learning to shear a sheep, clean the wool, card the wool, and spin it into yarn. In case of an apocalypse, I have two local yarn stores that I can clear out.

I ran the recipe through soapcalc when I switched out some of the lard for the palm.

 

[Catscankim]

I have only been soaping for a few weeks so i cant give advice, but i can tell you that i have made several bars with 80/20 lard/coconut oil. It is very easy to work with.

My sister was like eewww lard? So i made her another recipe. Im tempted to give her one of each of the recipes and not tell her to see what she thinks lol.

 

[DeeAnna]

An 80% lard, 20% coconut oil soap doesn't necessarily lather all that well at first, at least it has not done so for me, but it will turn into a very nice soap after a generous cure. This particular recipe was the one that taught me all about the benefits of curing soap to increase the lather and longevity and add mildness. It was an eye opener.

As far as the people who get squicked by lard and tallow in soap -- If they use Dove or any of many commercial soaps or combination soap-syndet bars, tell them to look at the ingredients list.

Commercial soaps don't use lard, because it's more valuable in other products, but tallow is a very common ingredient in soap and combo bars -- look for sodium tallowate or potassium tallowate. If lard is bad, tallow is no better.

 

[Susie]

I have only been soaping for a few weeks so i cant give advice, but i can tell you that i have made several bars with 80/20 lard/coconut oil. It is very easy to work with.

My sister was like eewww lard? So i made her another recipe. Im tempted to give her one of each of the recipes and not tell her to see what she thinks lol.

I made 80% Lard, 20% CO. I wasn't that crazy about it. I like it much better with some Olive Oil and Castor Oil. Why not try both, then tweak it to suit yourself?

I arrived at my recipes by changing 5% of one oil for another oil. For example: 80% Lard, 15% Coconut Oil, 5% Castor Oil. Then 75% Lard, 20% CO, 5% Castor Oil, etc. Then after I figured out that Olive Oil might help my skin, I added that to the testing. 60% Lard, 15% CO, 20% Olive Oil, 5% Castor Oil. Then 65% Lard, 15% CO, 15% OO, 5% Castor Oil. Etc. And I went all the way from 100% Lard on down to 15% Lard just to perfect that recipe. And I did that with every ingredient I wanted to try. Lots of bars of soap, lots of testing. But I don't regret it. I now know exactly what each oil brings to the soap. And I can read a recipe and know how it will feel and act without having to make it myself.

 

[dianaabuela1]

I've been playing around with lard anywhere from 30% to 75%. I started with subbing lard for palm when I ran out of palm for my usual soap. I found I liked the creamy lather. Little by little I have also gotten rid of my olive oil and am now using RBO in varying percentages. Lard, RBO and a butter (shea or cocoa). All are between 4-9 months old with no DOS even when the linoleic/linolenic numbers were on the high side (18 was the highest combo). So far I've found the lard/RBO combo to be way better than any of my soaps with OO, so doubt if I'll ever use it again. I don't see much of a difference in the soaps at any of the percentages...just like the lather and since getting rid of OO, I have no itches.

Sorry to ask but what is DOS and RBO?

 

[lucky one]

I googled RBO I am pretty sure it is Rice bran oil. I have never used it personally. Also I think DOS is dreaded orange spots that happens in Cold process soap. If someone else could confirm that would be great ☺ I use the hot process method so I have not had to deal with them.

 

[SPowers]

Right on both accounts. I have new bottle of RBO on my shelf but haven't used it yet... still working with different oils to get a feel for them. DOS if I remember right can be caused by oils that don't have a long shelf life and can go rancid - there's lot of info available online about it.

 

[shunt2011]

I use 40% Lard, 20% CO, 25% liquid oil (Avocado, olive, HO sunflower), 10% Shea and 5% Castor in one of my favorite recipes.