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I made two batches of soap with lard at the same time, so today we will look at the second batch I made. I didn’t want to change the basic formula other than adding a few extras. So, I made the same formula with only changes in my additives!
Yesterday, Karen asked me if the soap had an odd or bad odor. Well, it smells like peanuts. This is an odd smell, but workable. I definitely wouldn’t use roasted peanut oil. I’ll have to try another batch of soap with different oils to learn about the scent the lard contributes. At the time I made these soaps I didn’t know if the peanut oil or lard would contribute a scent, so I decided to add Cedarwood Virginia Essential Oil and Rhassoul Clay to my second batch. This blended well with the nutty scent and makes a good smelling soap. (Even if it still feels like the soap from yesterday, it just smells better!) Come join me in the kitchen as I show making a batch of soap with lard! Collect needed items:
*q.s. = Quantity Sufficient. This is an ingredient that needs to have the amount calculated to match the size of batch that you are making. Measure fixed oils on your scale. Warm the fixed oils on the stove or in the microwave. I melted the oils on the stove in a double boiler. Add sodium hydroxide to the water. Mix well. Combine oils and lye solution. Mix until thin trace. Pour soap into the desired mold. Allow to sit until soap is firm. The next morning cut into bars. Stack to allow good air circulation. Allow to cure for several days before using. Longer curing will result in a harder bar. Soap Notes: The lather of this soap didn’t change in comparison to the soap I made yesterday, but it was “silkier” in feeling. I loved the feel and I even tried it as a shaving soap. Very nice glide! What do you think? |
 Cut bars of soap.  Measuring the oils.  Mixing the Sodium Hydroxide and water.  Mixed lye solution.  Adding the lye solution to the oils. |
 Mixing the clay into the raw soap.  Soap in the mold. |
 After mixing the clay into the raw soap.  Preparing to cut the soap. |
I love lard — especially as a single oil soap!!! FYI: If you run out of shea butter in the middle of making a batch of whatever, you can sub lard for the shea… they have almost identical qualities… but you do have to recalculate the lye amount. (This happened to me once, so that’s how I know it works. LOL) PS: Oakmoss neutralizes the odor of lard and tallow in soap.
Rhassoul clay – that’s one clay I usually forget I have! I used it in one soap, Eucalyptus, but have since discontinued it. Maybe it’s time to introduce a eucalyptus blend with rhassoul as one of the colorants!