Why is lard used in soap?

Lard or pig fat will produce creamy and stable lather. In addition, it has mild moisturizing qualities that will prevent the soap from drying the skin. Lard soap is highly compatible with the structure of the human cells. Our cell membranes are largely composed of saturated fats, just like the ones found in lard.

What are the benefits of using excess fat to make soap?

There are a few reasons why soapmakers may choose to superfat their soap. The first is, a small amount of extra “free” oil in the soap adds extra moisturizing qualities to the soap. This can often be referred to as “emollient” qualities. Basically, it makes the soap more moisturizing to the skin.

Is soap actually made from fat?

All types of soap are salts made from a chemical reaction between fat and an alkali substance. Many throughout history have used animal fat, also called tallow, to make soap. Nowadays, most soaps you buy in stores are synthetically made. However, you can still find soaps made from animal fat, called tallow soaps.

What makes soap cleansing?

When you wash your hands with soap, the hydrophobic ends of the soap molecules attract the oily dirt, forming a drop of oil surrounded by soap molecules with their hydrophilic ends sticking outward. When you rinse your hands, the hydrophilic ends of the soap molecules allow the suspended drops of oil to be washed away!

Does lard soap lather well?

Lard doesn’t lather very well, though, so if you’re expecting a bubbly lather from your soap, it’s a good idea to add another oil, like a little bit of castor oil (about 5\%). Lard on its own makes a great laundry soap for homemade laundry detergent, although we use ours for personal washing and it cleans just fine.

Does lard make the best soap?

Many report that using tallow for soap making will produce a harder bar that lathers better while using lard for soap making will produce a softer bar with nicer conditioning properties….Lard Soap Making.

What is Superfat for soap making?

Superfatting is the process of using less lye (or more fat) than industry standards so that there’s some leftover oil in the soap that’s not bound to lye. This leaves behind more unsaponified fat, providing more moisture in the soap. Every oil requires a different amount of lye to turn it into soap.

What is the best Superfat in cold process soap?

A superfat of 1\% to 3\% is good safety margin. The second reason is to increase the mildness of the soap on the skin. Soap sometimes cleans so well that it dries or irritates the skin. Increasing the superfat above the 1\% to 3\% safety margin can help tame this tendency.

How does animal fat make soap?

Tallow soaps are made by mixing animal fat with sodium hydroxide, more commonly known as lye. Lye is highly corrosive, but when it mixes with tallow it undergoes a reaction called saponification . After the reaction, a fatty acid salt is formed, known as sodium tallowate. Many people make soap at home.

Is lard in soap bad for You?

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.

What is the best way to clean lard soap?

I recommend that you add other soap making oils that offer better cleaning abilities and more bubbly lather to make up for what lard lacks. A little bit of castor oilwill take care of the suds and some coconut oilor palm oilwill make your bar clean much better. Let me stifle a common myth that even I used to believe about lard soap.

Can you use lard as a laundry detergent?

Lard on its own makes a great laundry soap for homemade laundry detergent, although we use ours for personal washing and it cleans just fine. It’s a very luxurious soap. (Note: one commenter – see below – says that her plain lard soap lathers really well, so it’s good to experiment!)

Can you make lard soap from pig fat?

This beginner’s guide to making lard soap from pig fat will get you making gift-worthy bars in no time. For many years, the idea of making soap at home was too intimidating. Images of soap-makers suited in goggles and shoulder-length gloves, coupled with the skull and crossbone-level caustic warnings made the process seem daunting.