Lard in Soap Making

Lard is, as most people know, obtained from pigs (hogs). Pork fat has long been used in the soap making industry and it's easy to see why. Not only is lard very cheap but it really does produce a great bar of soap when used with other oils.

A few of Lard's qualities are as follows:

• is a soft, creamy, white oil that produces a very white bar of soap.


• tends to be very inexpensive.


• be sure to purchase food quality lard to avoid that 'piggy smell'.


• produces a stable, conditioning, long lasting lather.


• best used in a formula with other oils such as coconut and olive.


• very similar to Palm and with the controversy surrounding Palm oil, Lard is a great non-vegan alternative.

Lard is always used at the beginning of the soap making process as a part of the base oils and is never used to superfat a recipe.

The chart below shows the approximate percentages of fatty acids present in Lard.

This information is provided for reference use only and is not meant to substitute the advice of a licensed health care professional.