Mushroom & Lard Soap Recipe
There’s so MUSH to LOVE about this lard and mushroom bar of soap!
If you are looking to create a remarkably mild, skin-loving bar, pure lard soap is an excellent place to start. While using rendered pork fat might feel like a step back in time, it has been a cornerstone of traditional soapmaking for centuries—and for very practical reasons.
Lard produces a hard, conditioning, and creamy long-lasting bar that is exceptionally gentle on the skin. It is also incredibly economical. If you love the properties of tallow but are looking for a more budget-friendly option, lard is the perfect alternative.
When I first began my soapmaking journey, I struggled with bars that turned into a soft, "mushy" mess in the soap dish after only a few uses. That frustration led me to dive deep into the science of fats to find a formula that stayed firm and lasted through daily use without getting slimy or disappearing in a few days.
Traditional animal fats are the easiest and most economical way to achieve a mild soap that is durable, hard, and—best of all—resists that dreaded mushy mess in a soap dish.
In my book, From Seed to Soap, I have documented the exact formulations I’ve tested and perfected to ensure your bars are as durable as they are nourishing. While the book contains a full range of recipes, I am sharing my two favorite 100% single-fat bars right here on the blog to help you get started. My 100% tallow soap recipe is here. Made a few batches and want to learn how to use milk in soap? Check out this intermediate recipe.
Benefits of lard soap:
Gentle and conditioning
Hard, long-lasting bars
Ideal for sensitive skin
Traditional soapmaking fat
The one downfall of using animal based fats is that they aren’t known for their great lather and bubble. For this reason, my favorite soap formulations use them as part of the blend along with other oils that are known for big, beautiful bubbles. However, a 100% pure tallow or lard bar of soap is still fabulous, stand the test of time, a favorite for many and are simple to make. To boost the lather and bubble in this formula I include maple syrup, a natural bubble booster.
Don’t have maple syrup on hand? No problem—just use 2 tsp of honey instead!
2 Pound Lard Soap Formula
Distilled water 8.7oz / 247g
Lye-NaOH 4.2oz / 121g
Lard 32 oz / 907 g
Essential Oils:
Patchouli EO 0.6oz/ 17g
Fir 0.4oz/ 11.3g
Orange 0.2oz/ 5.6g
Additives:
1 TB Mushroom powder
2 tsp Maple syrup
Tip: Always use a digital scale for accuracy. Smaller units of measure - such as grams make measurements more accurate. Essential oils each have their own safe usage rate, you do not want to add them randomly or measure using ‘tablespoons’ or ‘drops’. If you see them measured this way in recipes this is a major red flag that you have not found a good resource.
*Essential oils and additives are always optional. You can not adjust the fat, lye or water amounts in a soap formulation without running it through a soap calculator.
Safety First
Making soap involves working with lye. If you’re new to making soap from scratch, it is imperative that you learn to make it safely. Soapmaking uses lye to turn oils into soap—once your soap is fully cured, there’s no lye left in the finished bar.
Lye is very alkaline, and the lye solution (or soap batter) can burn your skin (or eyes) if it splashes.
Protect yourself: Always wear gloves, goggles, and long sleeves. I like to wear an apron too. Regular glasses aren’t enough—goggles over them are best! A splash of lye will permanently etch your eyeglasses… so really - put the goggles over them and be a geek while you enjoy the science of making soap.
Ventilate your space: Work in a well-ventilated area. Open a window or turn on the oven fan.
Keep it controlled: Never leave lye or soap batter unattended. Keep kids and pets safely out of your workspace. Personally, I mix my lye in a lye-safe plastic pitcher in my kitchen sink and open the window. If a spill happens, it goes down the drain safely—and it even helps clean my pipes! Lye can discolor countertops, so protect your surfaces ahead of time. Soap batter can splash when mixing and pouring into molds. Grab some paper towels and prepare your area ahead of time.
Lye doesn’t have to be scary. Know the risks, take the safety precautions. With care, you’ll be perfectly safe. Check out my free lye safety download —or join me for a one-on-one virtual soapmaking session and let me mentor you through your first batch!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set Up Your Workspace: Gather all necessary supplies and set up the soap molds.
Prepare the Liquids: Weigh the water in a lye safe container.
Mix the Lye Solution: Measure the lye and stir to dissolve the lye in water in a well-ventilated area. Add lye in small portions, stirring to dissolve.
Melt the Fat: Measure and heat the lard until fully melted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Cool the Mixtures: Let the lye solution and oils cool to between 90°F and 115°F.
*Prepare any additives now. If using maple syrup, add to hot oils.
Combine the Lye Solution & Oils: Pour the lye solution into the oils in a large stockpot. Use an immersion blender, blending intermittently and
stirring by hand until the soap reaches a light trace. Do not overmix.
Add the Extras: Blend in the essential oils and split the batch into two containers. Pour ⅓ batter in one container and ⅔ batter in a second
container. Mix the 1TB mushroom powder in ⅔ of the soap batter. Mix to medium trace.
To simplify, skip splitting the soap batter, add the essential oils and mushroom powder. Mix to incorporate and pour into molds. This will create a solid brown bar of soap.
Pour into Molds: Once medium trace is acheived, pour the mushroom portion of the batter into a single loaf mold. Pour the white portion on
top, low and slow, to prevent batter from falling through the mushroom layer. This creates a layered soap. Let the soap sit undisturbed for 24-48 hours.
Unmold and Cure: Remove the soap from the mold and cut into bars. Allow it to cure for 4-6 weeks before labeling and using.
Tips for Beginners
Start small: This two pound batch is perfect for your first few times making soap. The purpose in the beginning is to learn the process and learn to handle lye safely. Two pounds of soap will give you 9-10 bars, each weighing around 3.5-4 oz. Properly cured soap -waiting the full 4-6 weeks will give you the best bubble, the best feel and the longest lasting result.
Keep it simple: Focus on one oil or fat recipes first with minimal ingredients. That’s what makes this recipe a great place to start!
Take notes: Track your measurements, temperatures, and observations for future success. Grab record keeping forms in the store.
If you can’t take an in-person soapmaking class, try a virtual one. If that’s not possible either, watch several soapmaking videos online—look at different soapmakers and their techniques. Pay close attention to how they handle lye safely and how they work with trace. After watching a few different makers, you’ll start to notice practices you want to adopt… and probably a few you’ll want to avoid.
Start Simple, Stay Traditional
Making a 100% pure lard soap bar is one of the simplest ways to get started with natural soapmaking. By using a traditional and holistic fat that is eco-friendly, you can focus on the core fundamentals—handling lye, reaching trace, and the patience of the cure—without the distractions of complicated recipes.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of a single-fat bar, you’ll have the confidence to experiment with so much more!
Ways to Learn & Create
E-Book Library: Get the Instant Download of the Entire Bookfor immediate access to every chapter.
The Curated Excerpts: Don’t need the full book but want my tested and perfected recipes? You can grab the Recipes & Formulations Onlyor the Balms & Salves Guide separately. For those who have all the know how and just want tested and perfected recipes.
Prefer a Physical Copy? I have copies in my store. You can also find it on Amazon.
I designed this to be the resource I wish I had when I started. I simply could not find a book or resource that made me smile- so I went to work.
I walk you through 14 tallow and lard-based formulations, with in-depth explanations of every soap making step—from understanding soap calculators to troubleshooting common issues.
The "Why" Behind the Ingredients: Simple yet thorough explanations into dozens of ingredients and how to use them.
Scalable Formulations: I provide step-by-step recipes for those just starting out, as well as 2lb and 4lb batch formulations designed to help you confidently build your own bars with your favorite ingredients.
Easy-to-Use Reference: Dozens of "at-a-glance" charts that make using additives simple and safe.
Too much to list… just get a copy and thank me later!
Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
