Once you go Lard - you never go back

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Does anyone know if it is true that pork fat is the closest (of animal fats) in composition to human fat? I don't even know where I heard that. The movie Fight Club maybe?
I just read that here on a post somewhere I think! Crazy! I know pigs’ skin and oh is closest to human skin. Why pig cadavers are use for practicing tattooing and med students learn slicing and stitching back up!

ETA: Nope it was a an article here:

https://basicsoapmaking.com/lard-soap-recipe/
“Lard can be a controversial ingredient in soap making. Some are concerned that animal fat will make their soap greasy and clog pores. Actually, it is quite the contrary. Lard resembles the structure of human skin cells which is composed of saturated fats. Lard soap is closer to our skin than plant-based soaps.”
 
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Hi i had to register for the soap club challenge run by Amy Warden and her recipe is in there, even if you just join for a month about 13.00 US it's worth it just for the tutorials.
Thank you, I'll take a look. 😊
 
ring around your local supermarkets,they should stock it.
I dont think they will have it, Pork is not a common meat we use. 70% people here are vegetarians and even some state have bans in processing certain meats. So, getting animal fats will be tricky.

She is in India, and I've heard other soapers from there state that they cannot easily access animal fats at a reasonable price.
True, I dont even know where to get it, thats why I checked amazon.
 
Indians mostly consume Chicken, Mutton and Beef. Beef is very Controversial in India. So animal fats are also very controversial.. So the only option is to buy from other countries. But the cost of shipping and import duties will be very high and also these will not work commercially.
 
Indians mostly consume Chicken, Mutton and Beef. Beef is very Controversial in India. So animal fats are also very controversial.. So the only option is to buy from other countries. But the cost of shipping and import duties will be very high and also these will not work commercially.
I also use sheep tallow and find it behaves similar to beef tallow. In fact I was taught to make cold process soap using sheep tallow (50 %) and am glad whenever I can get hold of it.
 
I love Lard in my soap's Its usually the highest ingredient. I want to try Tallow' Ive read it's equally as good as lard' but w/ just a few differences. 💫🧼
I've been using tallow in my normal recipe and I love it! In combination with olive oil and coconut oil I get a bar that's a very good all rounder, and the batter is nice and easy to work with, comes to the stages of trace in a timely but predictable way. The only time I've had trouble with it is when doing smaller than usual batches and taking too much time messing around with adding in fragrance and colours.
The downside is that it keeps a certain 'animal' quality, even after curing. I've been superfatting at 6% so I'm sure that's not helping either! I find it takes a full dose of essential oil to overcome the beefiness.
Tallow is easier to come by than lard, for me, but I'm thinking of asking the butcher for lard next time I see him, that's probably my best bet, and I'm very curious now to compare and contrast.
 
The downside is that it keeps a certain 'animal' quality, even after curing. I've been superfatting at 6% so I'm sure that's not helping either! I find it takes a full dose of essential oil to overcome the beefiness.
I usually try to get rid of any "beefy" smell by washing tallow twice or three times after rendering, with scraping off any dirt on the lower surface of hardened tallow each time. This normally helps and I enjoy my beautiful white (or coloured) hard tallow soap bars.
 
I usually try to get rid of any "beefy" smell by washing tallow twice or three times after rendering, with scraping off any dirt on the lower surface of hardened tallow each time. This normally helps and I enjoy my beautiful white (or coloured) hard tallow soap bars.
Oh that's a great point! I've been buying it from the supermarket so I figured it didn't need any further processing, but I'm sure they're less concerned about the smell since it's meant to be used for cooking. I'll definitely try washing it next time and see if it makes a difference!
 
Yes, that is true. I know some people make body butter with lard and its supposedly fantastic.
Does anyone know if it is true that pork fat is the closest (of animal fats) in composition to human fat? I don't even know where I heard that. The movie Fight Club maybe?
When it comes to cellular makeup, pig lard is incredibly close to human skin. It has a similar pH and is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats. One fact that skincare experts know: Oil dissolves oil. Since lard is so similar to our own skin oils, it’s a match made in heaven. As a cleanser, lard is a gentle and natural way to rid your face of that nasty sebum buildup and the daily dirt in your pores.

From the web: “Pigs are extremely efficient at processing sunlight and storing it as Vitamin D in their fat. Fortunately for us, we get to enjoy our four-footed friends’ hard work when we rub that fat on our faces. Vitamin D helps to minimize dark spots and lines, reduce acne, and promote collagen production. This D-rich lard comes from pastured hogs that have been exposed to sunlight, so be sure to keep this in mind if you purchase your lard. Lard is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin E and Vitamin A.”

I use 50% lard but I have found that the Walmart shortening comes the closest if you can't get lard.
I buy my lard at Walmart. If they are out, I go to another grocery store. I render my own tallow-make friends with a butcher 😁
 
I buy my lard at Walmart. If they are out, I go to another grocery store. I render my own tallow-make friends with a butcher 😁
I get my lard at Walmart most of the time but the dollar general store has it cheaper but it comes in 1 pound blocks. I save a $1 per 4 pounds of lard, compared to Walmart and it is the same brand.
 
Am I the only one who has a hard time with lard? It always seems to make my soap really soft and I get extreme soda ash. I guess I have to try it again but that’s been my experience. I have a vegetarian family so I get flack for using animal products. What am I missing? I don’t do plain soap, I like a lot of design and additives.
 
Oh that's a great point! I've been buying it from the supermarket so I figured it didn't need any further processing, but I'm sure they're less concerned about the smell since it's meant to be used for cooking. I'll definitely try washing it next time and see if it makes a difference!
I normally render lard I by cheaply from a farmer-butcher. as I could no go to the farmers' market during covid-time I bought one kilogram of rendered lard in a nearby shop. I used it in a few batches. When I arrived to the bottom I saw some impurities and it dawned to me I had better washed it at least once. It'd have been perfect for cooking and the soaps are alright, luckily, but I will certainly wash any rendered lard if I happen to buy it again.
 
Am I the only one who has a hard time with lard? It always seems to make my soap really soft and I get extreme soda ash. I guess I have to try it again but that’s been my experience. I have a vegetarian family so I get flack for using animal products. What am I missing? I don’t do plain soap, I like a lot of design and additives.

I use 55% lard in my normal recipe and I get lots of ash every time. The soap is soft coming out of the mold but hardens up nicely during cure.
 

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