# Can you actually make soap out of human fat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858 "2003-05-22T18:31:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/1 "2003-05-22T18:31:16Z")
Just like in “Fight Club”, can human fat be used to make soap? (from a chemical point of view, not morral). Also, if it could be made, could it legally be sold? MtM ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/2 "2003-05-22T18:37:35Z")
Yes: chemically, any fat + caustic soda = soap. Sold? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/3 "2003-05-22T18:46:57Z")
Why wouldn’t it be legal to sell it, as long as the fat was obtained legally, e.g. from liposuction with the patient’s permission? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/4 "2003-05-22T19:06:06Z")
Q.E.D.: Health reasons? I propose an SDMB test case - McDeath will provide the fat, Raygirvan will process it (since he seems to have the knowledge here), and QED can try to sell it. I will observe. and laugh. mainly laugh. With, perhaps, a bit of vomiting. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/5 "2003-05-22T19:10:54Z")
What health reasons? It’s certainly no more unhealthy than using any other animal fat. Granted, Joe Consumer might be squeamish about knowing where his soap came from, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/6 "2003-05-22T19:31:14Z")
Of course it’s possible; there’s a body in the Mummer Museum in Philadelphia to prove it - she was extremely fat, and was buried in soil of just the right properties to convert her remains into soap. I wouldn’t, personally, like to break off her soapy old leg and hop in the shower, but my distaste for the idea doesn’t change the chemical reaction that took place. ---
**Author:** ![andymurph64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@andymurph64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andymurph64)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/7 "2003-05-22T19:34:25Z")
Is McDeath curious or is there a more practical reason for his question… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/8 "2003-05-22T19:35:37Z")
I apologize; it’s not the Mummer Museum, it’s the Mutter Museum, and you can learn more about the Soap Lady [here](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-928mummy.story?coll=sfla-news-fringe). (Link goes to the only site I could find that actually spoke about her, rather than mentioning her in passing as something that could be ogled at the museum.) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/9 "2003-05-22T19:37:09Z")
[The Mutter Museum (with an umlaut over the u, so it’s Moooooter) is a great place for oddities.] ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/10 "2003-05-22T19:44:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by McDeath\_the\_Mad \* > **Also, if it could be made, could it legally be sold?** AFAIK, which admittedly isn’t terribly far, human adipose tissue is considered biohazardous and infectious medical waste, (even if it’s not shown to be infected) and is subject to strict regulation regarding its disposal. Ordinarily it must be incinerated. There _may_ be some sort of loophole that would allow importation of such a soap from somewhere else, but I would be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/11 "2003-05-22T19:52:46Z")
Re the Soap Lady: in this case wer’re talking about _adipocere_, which is soap-like, not soap per se. A quick web search found a site entirely devoted to the [adipocere](http://adipocere.homestead.com/introduction.html) phenomenon (not for the squeamish). ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/12 "2003-05-22T19:55:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\*I apologize; it’s not the Mummer Museum, it’s the Mutter Museum \*\* That makes a little more sense. I couldn’t figure out what a fat lady turning into soap had to do with a New Year’s Day parade in Philly. ---
**Author:** ![DaCheat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@DaCheat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaCheat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/13 "2003-05-22T20:15:00Z")
I think McDeath is wondering what to do about all the bodies he’s got collected in his basement. You sicko!!! ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/14 "2003-05-22T20:24:42Z")
Welcome to the SDMB **DaCheat**! And a “friend” asked me to look into it. MtM ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/15 "2003-05-22T20:29:38Z")
So is modern commercially sold soap made of animal fats? If so, what animals? And what do vegans use for soap? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/16 "2003-05-22T20:44:29Z")
To some degree or another, yeah, apparently. Just about all the major soap manufacturers use a mixture of beef and pork tallow (or beef tallow and pork lard, if you want to get persnickety) Ivory Soap’s website says it’s made of both vegetable oils and animal fats. You can make animal-friendly soap out of vegetable oils, coconut, cocoa butter, hemp seed, etc. like my good friends at [www.austinsoaps.com](http://www.austinsoaps.com), shameless plug. At least that’s what they say they make it out of. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/17 "2003-05-22T20:46:17Z")
Um, make that [www.austinsoap.com](http://www.austinsoap.com) ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/18 "2003-05-22T21:07:07Z")
Whooo! A question I can answer! Soapmaker here. Yep, if you had human fat (ugh), you could make soap with it. Any fat will work, some fats not as nicely as others. I’ve met soapers who made alligator-fat soaps and bear-fat soaps, for instance. Headcoat: Some evil corporate soap is made from animal fats or an animal/vegetable fat blend. I believe rendered pig fat is most common. You can buy lard at the grocery store and whip up a big ol’ batch of lard soap if you like. Alternatively, there are a LOT of pure vegetable oil soaps out there. Not sure what is available in the ECS aisle of WalMart (although anything labeled as castile soap should be pure olive oil soap), but any health food store will carry a nice supply of vegetarian-friendly soaps. I typically use only vegetable oils–coconut, palm, and olive are the basics. Most soapers I know do the same, although a few incorporate tallow into some or all their soaps. HTH karol ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/19 "2003-05-22T21:14:41Z")
**bodypoet** where do you get coconut oil? Is it food grade? I want to make some popcorn in coconut oil but can’t find any. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858/20 "2003-05-22T21:18:29Z")
This is why I prefer to use “Castile soap” when I can. The majority of commercial soaps leave me itchy. Castile soap doesn’t. I’m thinking of just making up a big batch some time myself (ah, the joys of having bought a couple of acres to call my own). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-actually-make-soap-out-of-human-fat/176858.md?page=2)