- Product Name: Homemade Rendered Lard
- INCI Name: Lard (for cosmetic labelling)
- Common Names: Lard, Rendered Lard, Pork Fat, Leaf Lard, Rendered Pork Fat
- CAS Number: 8016-28-2
- Source: Pork fat — Victorian farm, Australia
- Processing: Home rendered — traditional small-batch rendering; no chemical processing, bleaching, or deodorising
- Grade: Food grade — homemade; not commercially processed
- Appearance: White to pale cream soft solid when chilled; clear to pale yellow liquid when melted
- Odour: Faint characteristic pork/animal fat aroma — mild in refined home-rendered product
- Texture: Smooth, spreadable solid at refrigerator temperature; melts readily at room temperature in warm conditions
- Melting Point: Approximately 36–45°C
- SAP Value (NaOH / cold process soap): 0.138
- SAP Value (KOH / liquid soap): 0.193
- Iodine Value: Approximately 45–70 (moderate — good oxidative stability)
- Comedogenic Rating: 2 (low — well tolerated by most skin types)
- Shelf Life: Up to 12 months refrigerated; up to 2 years frozen
- Storage: Refrigerate immediately on arrival — keep chilled at all times; do not store at room temperature for extended periods
- Portion Size: 500g
- Availability: Limited and seasonal — produced in small batches when farm fat is available; not always in stock
FATTY ACID PROFILE
- Oleic Acid (C18:1 / Omega 9): 35–45% — skin conditioning and moisture retention; mirrors human sebum
- Palmitic Acid (C16:0): 25–30% — contributes bar hardness and stable lather in soap
- Stearic Acid (C18:0): 12–18% — contributes bar hardness and stability
- Linoleic Acid (C18:2 / Omega 6): 6–15% — skin barrier support
- Palmitoleic Acid (C16:1): 2–3% — rare in plant oils; found naturally in human sebum; skin barrier renewal
- Myristic Acid (C14:0): 1–2%
Lard's oleic-dominant, sebum-mirroring fatty acid profile is what makes it such an outstanding soap making fat and skincare ingredient. Combined with meaningful palmitic and stearic content for bar hardness, and palmitoleic acid that is almost absent from plant oils, lard produces soap bars that are hard, long-lasting, and exceptionally compatible with human skin.
FOR SOAP MAKERS
Lard is a legendary soap making fat — and for good reason. It produces some of the finest cold process bars available: hard, white, long-lasting, with a dense creamy lather that rinses clean and leaves skin feeling soft and conditioned. Traditional soap makers across Australia have used lard for generations, and many still consider it the finest all-round soap fat available.
SAP value: 0.138 (NaOH) — enter this into your lye calculator for cold process soap. Most lye calculators already have Lard listed at this value.
Typical usage rate: 30–80% of total oil weight. The most common approach is 60–70% lard as the base fat, combined with 25–30% coconut oil for lather and hardness, and 5% castor oil for bubbles. This produces a classic, hard, white bar with outstanding skin feel.
Trace behaviour: Lard traces at a moderate, predictable pace — faster than olive oil, manageable for beginners and experienced makers alike. Generally well behaved with fragrance and colourant additions.
Finished bar: Hard, dense, bright white bar that cures quickly — typically ready within 4–6 weeks. Lard bars have a characteristic smooth, silky feel that is distinct from plant oil bars and widely considered by experienced soap makers to be one of the most enjoyable bars to use.
Note on home-rendered lard: This lard has not been bleached or deodorised. It may impart a very faint animal fat note to unscented soap — this dissipates during cure and is not detectable in scented bars. It performs identically to commercial lard in cold process soap making.
FOR COOKS
Fresh rendered lard is one of the most flavourful and stable cooking fats available — and it is staging a well-deserved comeback on Australian tables.
Why cook with lard:
- High smoke point (approximately 190–200°C) — stable for frying, roasting, and sautéing
- Rich, clean flavour — adds depth to roasted vegetables, fried eggs, pastry, and meat
- Outstanding for pastry — produces the flakiest, most tender shortcrust pastry of any fat; the professional baker's preference before vegetable shortening took over
- Seed oil-free — for keto, paleo, carnivore, and seed-oil-free dietary approaches
- Natural fat without industrial processing — no hydrogenation, no trans fats, no chemical refining
How to use: Use as a direct substitute for butter, vegetable oil, or commercial lard in any cooking application. Spoon directly from the container — it softens quickly at room temperature for easy measuring.
