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what makes a VERY hard bar?


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You can get hard bars by using coconut oil, palm kernal oil, and babassu oil. You need to understand that these oils are also drying, so the important thing is to get the right balance between conditioning and hardness that will give you your optimum bar. These oils are also the ones that bubble the most.

There are other oils that will increase hardness that aren't as drying, but don't contribute to lather. Butters would fall into this category as well as olive oil.

Palm and lard are different in that they are both hard (not as hard as co, pko, and babassu, though) and contribute somewhat to lather, as well. They are not drying.

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Add 1% stearic acid to any recipe for a super hard bar. Traces quick, gels quick, and can be cut quick!

I've known that and even have stearic but for some reason I have never tried that. I'll have to try it. Other than making for a harder bar, does it change the soap in other way and what would happen if you put in more than the 1%?

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Yep, lard and tallow are animal products, as are some oils, like emu.

You can try the babassu too!

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Thanks! I'll give palm (as well as different butters...already using olive) a try, as I want to steer clear of animal products (thats what the lard is right? meat derived?)

I'll also pick up some stearic ;)

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