Connecticut man turns his own body fat into soap, facing backlash online

A 23-year-old Connecticut man, Robert Tolppi, went viral on TikTok after he converted his own body fat into soap, an endeavor reminiscent of a scene from the movie "Fight Club." Tolppi, who frequently shares unusual content with his 1.5 million followers, decided to make soap using the 400 cc of fat removed during a liposuction procedure, rather than discarding it as medical waste.

In his TikTok video, Tolppi detailed the process, which involved heating the fat, mixing it with lye—a caustic liquid—and adding vanilla essential oils and rose petals for fragrance. Despite the satisfaction from his self-made "blubber scrubber," he cautioned others to handle lye carefully and work in a well-ventilated area.

Tolppi tested the end product, expressing excitement and amazement at its effectiveness. His hands felt clean and scented, he reported. "It smells so good," Tolppi exclaimed, after cutting the soap into bars. The entire process garnered both fascination and disgust, with some viewers comparing him to Tyler Durden from "Fight Club," while others saw him pushing the boundaries of zero-waste and recycling movements.

Reactions on social media were mixed. Some found the video humorous or disgusting. Due to his propensity for creating satirical content, others speculated whether the soap-making stunt was legit. Tolppi relished in the diverse feedback, underlining that while he was inspired by the concept of zero-waste, his idea was not directly drawn from the iconic movie.