Cold Press Lard Soap Recipe

written by

Janet Mathes

posted on

December 17, 2025

🧼 Cold-Process Lard Soap

Beginner-Friendly, Very Detailed Guide
Batch size: 4,000 g oils (100% lard)

Makes 4 Loafs of soap (1,000 grams per loaf)

This makes a hard, gentle, long-lasting bar that’s excellent for sensitive skin

🧾 INGREDIENTS

Oils
• Lard (rendered & filtered): 4,000 g

Lye Solution (5% superfat)
• Sodium hydroxide (NaOH): 524 g
• Distilled water: 1,205 g

👉 This is about a 30% lye concentration, which moves slowly and is very beginner-friendly.

Essential Oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil (2%): 80 g

⚠️ Use pure essential oil, not fragrance oil.

Natural Color
• Organic nettle leaf powder
• Start with 3 teaspoons nettle powder per 3 cups of traced soap
• Add more or less to adjust color

⸻

🛠️ EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

✔ Digital scale (grams are critical)
✔ Heat-safe container for lye (stainless steel or heavy plastic)
✔ Stainless steel or enamel pot for oils
✔ Stick blender
✔ Silicone spatula
✔ Soap mold (silicone or lined wood)
✔ Thermometer (infrared or probe)
✔ Safety goggles
✔ Gloves
✔ Long sleeves
✔ Vinegar (for neutralizing spills on surfaces only — not skin)

⸻

⚠️ SAFETY FIRST (VERY IMPORTANT)
• Always wear gloves and eye protection
• Work in a well-ventilated area
• Never add water to lye — always add lye to water
• Keep kids and animals out of the room
• If lye touches skin: rinse immediately with cool running water

⸻

🧪 STEP-BY-STEP SOAP MAKING PROCESS

1️⃣ Prepare Your Work Area
• Cover counters
• Measure everything first
• Have your mold ready and nearby

Soap moves fast once trace begins.

⸻

2️⃣ Make the Lye Solution
1. Weigh 1,205 g distilled water into a heat-safe container.
2. Slowly sprinkle 524 g sodium hydroxide into the water.
3. Stir gently until fully dissolved.

⚠️ The mixture will heat up and give off fumes for a minute — do not inhale.
4. Set aside to cool to 90–110°F (32–43°C).

⸻

3️⃣ Melt & Cool the Lard
1. Gently melt 4,000 g lard in a stainless pot.
2. Once melted, remove from heat.
3. Allow to cool to 90–110°F, close to your lye temperature.

👉 Matching temperatures helps prevent false trace.

⸻

4️⃣ Combine Lye & Oils
1. Slowly pour the lye solution into the melted lard.
2. Use a stick blender:
• Pulse for 3–5 seconds
• Stir
• Repeat

You’re aiming for light trace.

What is Light Trace?
• Soap looks like thin pudding
• Drizzled soap leaves faint lines on the surface that disappear in a second

⸻

5️⃣ Add Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• Add 80 g eucalyptus essential oil
• Stir gently by hand or briefly stick blend

👉 Adding at light trace helps reduce scent loss.

⸻

6️⃣ Color with Nettle Leaf Powder (Optional)

Natural Green Color Method
1. Scoop out 3 cups of traced soap into a separate bowl.
2. Add 3 teaspoons organic nettle leaf powder.
3. Mix thoroughly to remove clumps.

✔ For darker green: add more powder
✔ For lighter green: use less
✔ You can swirl this back in or color the whole batch

👉 Nettle will darken slightly as the soap cures.

⸻

7️⃣ Pour Into Mold
• Pour soap into mold
• Tap gently to release air bubbles
• Smooth the top if desired

⸻

8️⃣ Insulate & Gel
• Lard soap gels easily
• Cover lightly with a towel

👉 If your space is warm, no insulation may be needed.

⸻

9️⃣ Unmold & Cut
• Unmold after 24–48 hours
• Cut into bars

If soap feels soft, wait another day.

⸻

🔟 Cure the Soap
• Cure bars 4–6 weeks
• Place on a rack with airflow
• Turn bars weekly

👉 Cure time = harder, milder, longer-lasting soap.


🐖 HOW TO RENDER LARD (CROCKPOT METHOD)

How Much Pork Fat Do You Need?
• You’ll need about 10–11 pounds of raw pork fat
• This yields approximately 4,000 g (8.8 lb) finished lard

⸻

Crockpot Rendering Instructions

Ingredients
• Raw pork fat (leaf fat or back fat) Use back fat for soap. Save leaf fat for baking

⸻

Steps
1. Cut fat into small chunks (1–2 inches) or put into a meat grinder. 

Tip: When fat is slightly frozen is it easier to cut or grind.

2. Place fat in crockpot.
3. Set to LOW.


⸻

Render Time
• 6–8 hours total
• Stir every 45–60 minutes

Fat will melt, and solids (cracklings) will sink and brown.

⸻

When It’s Done

✔ Liquid is clear
✔ Cracklings are golden and floating
✔ No bubbling from water left

⸻

Strain & Store
1. Strain hot lard through:
• Fine mesh strainer
• Cheesecloth
2. Pour into jars or containers.
3. Cool completely.

✔ Properly rendered lard is snow-white and odor-neutral
✔ Store refrigerated or frozen until soap day

⸻

🌿 WHY THIS SOAP IS PERFECT FOR BEGINNERS

✔ Slow-moving recipe
✔ Few ingredients
✔ Very forgiving
✔ Gentle on skin
✔ Long shelf life

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