Thread: What are the fundamentals of a tallow based home-made shaving soap?

Ultimately soap is just oil and lye. Find a recipe for tallow or lard soap from a reputable source and just substitute the bacon fat.

And do report back. Take pictures as you make it, too!

Originally Posted by Andy77

Ultimately soap is just oil and lye. Find a recipe for tallow or lard soap from a reputable source and just substitute the bacon fat.

And do report back. Take pictures as you make it, too!

I approve of the profile picture.

There is no special ingredient to promote a lather? I read in several places that shaving soap uses glycerine or some liquid oil(s) to make it lather properly. It is funny how each resource would claim that just one or the other was responsible for lather, so it's impossible to tell if either source is wrong, or if both ingredients help.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

After pressing the thanks button once, I saw it change into a "report this post" button. Luckily, I caught myself.

I did browse both google and some forums, including these. The only problem is that I keep running into advanced formulas for superior soaps. For example, one of the first results of my advanced search had a recipe with avocado oil in it! Why avocado oil when you already have coconut, olive, and castor oil, along with shea butter and tallow. I mean, sounds like a great soap and all, but I feel like only a couple of these are necessary and I can't seem to find any recipes that only use necessary ingredients.

I'd report me too!! Yes, though, there are quite a few recipies floating around. I just don't have one at the tips of my fingers and have to scram shortly.

Thanks for not Reporting me.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

I approve of the profile picture.

There is no special ingredient to promote a lather? I read in several places that shaving soap uses glycerine...

I use glycerine by itself to create an uberlather on top of soap that already contains glyc. So I'd have to say, from experience, I know glyc to promote lather.

However, alot of people out their don't like to use glyc and make soaps based on tallow, for instance.

Originally Posted by Siguy

I'd report me too!! Yes, though, there are quite a few recipies floating around. I just don't have one at the tips of my fingers and have to scram shortly.

Thanks for not Reporting me.


I use glycerine by itself to create an uberlather on top of soap that already contains glyc. So I'd have to say, from experience, I know glyc to promote lather.

However, alot of people out their don't like to use glyc and make soaps based on tallow, for instance.

You have been a great help. I must say that for such a simple principle, soap making seems to vary a lot from person to person... this does not make it easy to get it right on batch #1.

On glycerin: I can only tell you my soap recipe, which is 35% each of stewric acid and tallow, 20% coconut oil, and 10% avocado oil, with 10% the weight of oils in glycerin and 50/50 potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. This produces a fantastic and stable lather.

Martin De Candre is just 70% stearic acid and 30% coconut oil and glycerin. You could just try that as a base.

OP If you're interested, pm me your particulars and I'll send you a puck of homemade shaving soap.