Results from experiment

[Martin]

I made 3 batches of soap unscented: 1: oo,co, castor, and lard. 2: oo,co,shea,ao. 3: oo,co,ao. I gave bars to family and friends to try and let me know which ones they like best. So far, hands down, it has been batch #1. So why waste money on the more expensive oils when every one seems to like just the regular oils? They all have different skin types also, but seemed to like batch #1 best. I will tell them next week what oils that one was. They do know what oils I used just not which bar. This is coming from 25 people too.

Sonja

 

[Guest]

ao? avocado oil?

I too have discovered that lard makes nice soap. I presume you attribute the #1 winning to lard? And that the shea or avocado weren't as good? And lard is so much cheaper than sb or ao!

Actually I just made avocado soap (38% ao, co, po, oo) and prefer it to my lard oo co. My avocado is the best batch I've made so far (out of 5).

You've got an interesting abbreviation system!

 

[Martin]

It just seems to me if you give them a bar of soap and tell them which one has the most costly oils in them thats the ones they like but if you don't tell which bar has what they pick the one with least costly oils. My aunt already said she wants some more of the one she likes. She is going to have a cow when she finds out it is just oo,co, and lard

Sonja

 

[Guest]

I'm frustrated because I really like the idea "100% vegetable oils" except I know that lard makes a pretty nice soap. I was going to call my lard soap "piggy oh oh coco." (lard 52% oo/coconut 24% each) What formula did you use?

Somebody should invent vegetable lard!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

The reason I feel lard is so good for our skin is well documented. Science has documented a pigs anatomy, organs are close to ours and used extensively in the medical field. Pig skin is used to graph human skin, and s used extensively for hernia repairs.

So it should be no major surprise why lard is so conditioning to the human skin. I don't make 100% lard soaps, even though have used several bars, but usually include 25 to 35% lard/tallow in my AF recipes.

It makes the best pie crusts also! :wink:

Paul

 

[Martin]

I used 50% OO, 25% CO and 25% lard just a very basic recipe.

Sonja

 

[reallyrita]

My basic recipe is very similar to Sonja's. It started out as a palm oil recipe but now I use lard in place of the palm oil and I LOVE the soaps. Some are more than 7 months old now and you can not detect the lard smell at all. They seem to take longer to trace than the palm oil soaps. I cure for six weeks or longer and they seem just as hard and long lasting. Best part, I can get the lard at Sam's club pretty cheaply. I do take the precaution of melting it at very low heat in the top of a double boiler at barely simmering water along with the coconut oil and any other little bit of hard oil I might be using...like shea or mango. I have a tub of beef tallow and I am going to experiment with that one day soon. Right now, I am making, using and sharing my lard soaps.....

 

[IrishLass]

I can certainly vouch for the wonderfulness of lard just from the soap I recieved from Paul in the 3-oil swap, which was made with lard, pko, and olive. It was very awesome.

I know that a lot of people on many of the soaping forums respond with an 'ick' factor when lard or tallow are mentioned, but when you think about it, our own bodies are made up of 'animal' fat, and our skin is continually producing 'animal' oils, so using animal fats seems perfectly natural to me.

I love lard and tallow in soap. I don't use them in every single recipe, but my soaping supplies are no where near complete without them. They are definitely in my 'must-have-on-hand' soaping arsenal.



IrishLass

 

[kwahlne]

I admit it. I am one of those "ick" people.... I can't help it. I just can't do it just yet!

To me, it's a pig! I don't want pig on me!

Kristin

 

[IanT]

It makes the best pie crusts also! :wink:

Paul

**** straight it does! anyone heard of Briemier farms on Long Island....pies are to DIE for...they make like a million (literally) each year... mmmmm mmmm....blueberry cream pie...making me hungry!

 

[gallerygirl]

I have not made soap with lard/tallow....for me it has more to do with the fact that I am making my soap to share with friends and family who are vegetarian and it would be unacceptable to them. However, I would like to try some just for me. lol k

 

[Guest]

I still feel that lard makes pretty good soap, it's just that I'm so endeared of the "nothing but pure edible vegetable oils" banner.

Maybe I'll use sodium lardate instead of lard.

 

[IrishLass]

I still feel that lard makes pretty good soap, it's just that I'm so endeared of the "nothing but pure edible vegetable oils" banner.

Maybe I'll use sodium lardate instead of lard.

Maybe you could offer 2 lines of soap - one 'all veggie' soap line, and the other line for the lard and tallow lovers.


IrishLass

 

[Guest]

Maybe you could offer 2 lines of soap - one 'all veggie' soap line, and the other line for the lard and tallow lovers.

Maybe I'll have a "cruelty free" line and a "we whip the animals until they bleed!" line.

I haven't decided if I'll use any lard. It does make pretty damned good soap.