PKO vs PO - Crisco vs Liquid Soy Bean Oil

[paupau]

I see that PKO and PO both make hard bars, but what makes one more desirable than the other. I can find PO in the local Whole Food Store, PKO I would have to order.

Crisco has additives in it, so would that make the soap "un-natural" verses using 100 soybean oil.

 

[Guest]

well if you can find Palm locally then stick with that. They both harden soap, but a different melting point. Palm Kernel can behave like Coconut oil... but palm cant.. it depends on your preference.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Palm Oil is like tallow and lard, only a veggie oil. You can use palm to replace lard or tallow. I personally love tallow and lard in soaps, but some don't. I sub palm for it when someone requests a vegan batch.
Yea, PKO is a totally different oil than palm. It is used for cleaning, bubbles, and hardness. There are 3 main cleansing/bubbling oils Coconut, Palm Kernel Oil and Babassu Oil.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[paupau]

Thanks,

Paul, I think I will try a mixture with PO and lard

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Thanks,

Paul, I think I will try a mixture with PO and lard

I tell ya, adding just 10% lard will make a big difference in the feel of the soap, IMHO. As Emeral says: "Pork fat rules!"

 

[CPSoaper]

I love lard in my soap. My recipe with lard in it makes for the best soap. When I sub out palm for the lard, I can tell a huge difference. Still a nice bar but not as nice as the lard one.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I totally agree CPSoaper! 8) I personally love a bit of tallow and lard in my recipe. There are those, and I totally understand, that do not like or do not want AF's in their soap. That is why I sub out Palm Oil for tallow and lard. That is what I did for the current swap I'm in.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[dantango]

What exactly is the difference you experience when you add lard or tallow as opposed to palm oil or palm kernel oil?

In addition to being able to claim the soap is 'all vegetable' to those who care, some soap makers claim animal fats 'have been shown to clog pores.'

I like the idea of using 100% vegetable oils, even making 100% olive oil, in part so I can more easily distinguish my soap from commercial products when people ask; but if tallow or lard makes a better soap, even as a small percentage of the ingredients, then I want to experiment with it. I've used lard, about 20%, and couldn't see a difference, but there were other variables.

So what, specifically, are the benefits of tallow and lard, and what percentage would you add to an olive oil based soap?

I certainly like the idea of using a cheaper fat, but when I go to the trouple of making soap, cost is a secondary consideration. Speaking of cheap, what differences would I see substituting soy or canola oil for olive?