Animal or vegetable fats - for you, why?

[bald as]

If you have a preference and actually know what the characteristics are you like from either a vegan soap or an animal fat soap can you discuss.

I come at this question from the soap making perspective and find correctly formulated versions of either I make for myself are fairly indistinguishable from each other.

Your thoughts?

 

[nav1]

Animal fat please
Ok, perhaps not bear tallow!

Whilst i can't deny there are very good veggie soaps (i have a few which i do enjoy), i prefer tallow soaps because i get a better shave with a thinner lather. I find veggie soaps to lose their cushion and slickness as they thin out faster than tallow soaps. The tallow lather maintains these properties and i just find it to provide better results.

Lard is an awesome ingredient, contained in the discontinued Wickham super smooth line. It's even better than beef tallow but no other soap uses it.

 

[Mark1966]

Nobody should see the making of laws, sausages and soaps.

Please don't tell me - just make it!

 

[nsavage]

For me I find that a well formulated vegan soap performs just as well as a animal fat based soap. I have and enjoy both in my den. That being said if I was told I had to make a choice between the two I would probably choose animal fat.

 

[borked]

Animal fat please
Ok, perhaps not bear tallow!

Whilst i can't deny there are very good veggie soaps (i have a few which i do enjoy), i prefer tallow soaps because i get a better shave with a thinner lather. I find veggie soaps to lose their cushion and slickness as they thin out faster than tallow soaps. The tallow lather maintains these properties and i just find it to provide better results.

Lard is an awesome ingredient, contained in the discontinued Wickham super smooth line. It's even better than beef tallow but no other soap uses it.

I agree with a lot of what's said above.
Simply put, I find The Far lathers easier and produces a better quality and more user friendly lather.
I find most vegan soaps are finicky and have a narrow bard in which they actually work.
Interesting that you find lard superior to tallow.
I am curious as to how different animal fats actually perform.

 

[bald as]

I made a predominantly vegan soap this afternoon but allowed 10% Lard in the recipe and it is a great soap so far. Lathers very well and seems to take a good dose of water as well. Very creamy so I will try it with the straight tomorrow evening.

 

[Nightguard]

I've experienced good and bad with both tallow and veggie based soaps. It really doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned as long as the soap maker knows his or her stuff and the lather is stable, slick and protective.

 

[todras]

I come at this question from the soap making perspective and find correctly formulated versions of either I make for myself are fairly indistinguishable from each other.

I would agree with this strongly, I find no apparent advantages or deficiencies with either, both lather and perform almost identically in every aspect of the shave for me.

 

[RazorPlay]

I have found vegan soaps as good as my best tallow soaps. It's just that it's far easier to find an average vegan soap than it is a tallow soap. Nearly all my tallow soaps are pretty good but only a few vegan soaps reach the same level. That could just be because the tallow soaps have been around longer.

This is all coming from a vegan myself - but only as far as what goes in my mouth. More accurately I would describe myself as a "whole food plant based" eater.

 

[alfredus]

I have yet to experience a vegan soap that can take as much water as my favourite tallow soaps.

As @bald as correctly put it, it is all about the correct formulation, and just because a soap has animal fat in it, doesn't make it any better than non animal fat formulations...

However I am talking about the (for me) great formulations.

But as always, I am more than happy to be corrected

 

[todras]

I have yet to experience a vegan soap that can take as much water as my favourite tallow soaps.

I think this may be why you experienced a less than satisfactory experience with Valobra, it may be a case that your love of hydration is resulting in the addition of excess water causing a lack lustre, foamy, thin and less than satisfactory lather. My second point would be, I dont personally believe more water is better, or produces a better lather rather I think it is solely down to personal preference.

But as always, I am more than happy to be corrected

You are the last person I think would ever be corrected when it comes to chemistry..well the equal last at any rate