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Lard, Pig Tallow

Saponification values, fatty acid makeup, and what this oil does in a bar of soap.

Saponification values

Grams of lye needed to saponify one gram of lard, pig tallow. Multiply by your oil weight, then apply your superfat.

NaOH (bar soap)
0.141
KOH (liquid soap)
0.198
Iodine
57
INS
139

INCI: Adeps SuillusSaponified name (for labels): Sodium Lardate

Fatty acid profile

These figures account for 94% of lard, pig tallow. The remainder is made up of fatty acids this model does not track, so treat the derived qualities below as indicative rather than complete.

Fatty acidPercentage
Oleic46%
Palmitic28%
Stearic13%
Linoleic6%
Myristic1%

Soap qualities at 100%

What a bar made entirely of lard, pig tallow would score. Almost nobody soaps a single oil at 100% — this is here so you can see what the oil contributes to a blend. The shaded band is the range most makers aim for in a finished recipe.

  • Hardness42
  • Cleansing1
  • Conditioning52
  • Bubbly lather1
  • Creamy lather41

Oils that behave similarly

Closest matches by fatty acid makeup — the usual starting point when you have run out of lard, pig tallow and need a substitute. Check the lye maths again after swapping: SAP values differ even between oils that behave alike.

Recipes using lard, pig tallow

  • Homestead Lard Bar 55%The old farmhouse bar. Lard makes a hard, creamy, long-lasting soap for very little money.
  • Oatmeal Sensitive-Skin Bar 25%A creamy, low-cleansing base built for colloidal oatmeal. Add about one tablespoon per pound of oils at trace.

Open the calculator to load any of these from the recipe library.

Build a recipe with Lard, Pig Tallow →