How to DIY Goat Milk Soap

Materials and Tools:

• 12 ounces of organic coconut oil
• 15 ounces of olive oil
• 13 ounces of additional oil (lard, vegetable shortening, or tallow)
• 13 ounces of fresh goat milk
• 6 ounces of lye (commonly found at hardware stores)
• 1 ounce of essential oils (of your choosing)
• Immersion blender
• Potato masher or pastry cutter
• 2 differently sized bows, either glass or stainless steel
• Ice and water
• Soap molds
• Kitchen scale
• pH test strips

Soap is an important part of our daily routine, helping us to stay clean, fresh, healthy, and happy! Although not much thought may go into what you use on a day-to-day basis to stay smelling and feeling great, it’s something that you have an abundance of choices with. In today’s world, since many individuals are so focused on using organic and healthy products, making your own soap has become more and more common. Besides being healthy, it’s also economically sound—and fun! Below, learn how to make your own goat milk soap to stay fresh and healthy or to give as a thoughtful and special gift.

Why Goat Milk?

Goat milk is a wonderful soap ingredient for several reasons, making it a popular choice in homemade soaps. First, it’s creamy and highly moisturizing, preventing skin from becoming excessively dry. This soap contains an array of vitamins that are good for skin, such as vitamins A, B6, B12, and E. It also contains a high volume of beta-caseins, which are easy for skin to absorb, providing hydration. Other substances within goat milk, such as triglycerides, capric, and caprylic and caproic acids, help balance the natural pH level of skin. Finally, goat milk has anti-inflammatory properties since it's so high in fat, which aids in reducing skin inflammation as well as illness.

Making Soap with Fresh Goat Milk

If you have fresh goat milk, it’ll dictate the way that you’re creating your soap. Follow the instructions below to make your perfect bar!

Freeze Your Milk

Start by freezing your goat milk at least one day before you plan on completing this project. Put your milk in plastic bags that close along the top and place them in the freezer.

Prepare the Bowls

Once you’re ready to create your soap, place a small glass or stainless steel bowl inside a large one, filling the outside bowl about halfway with cold water and ice. Remove your frozen milk from the freezer and place it in the inside bowl. As you work, the ice should be replenished as it melts since the mixture needs to remain cold.

Add Lye

Gradually add the six ounces of lye to the milk, mixing it into the milk well with a pastry cutter or steel potato masher. Continue adding the lye until it’s fully incorporated, ensuring that the color of the mixture does not turn to dark brown. If the mixture becomes orange or tan, that's normal.

Measure and Heat Oils

Now it’s time to prepare your oils to add to your milk and lye mixture. Leave the milk and lye on ice to ensure that it stays cold as you complete this step. Using a kitchen scale, measure your oils and then combine them. Heat them until they reach a temperature between 110 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the Milk and Oils

Pour the lye and milk mixture into the oils, using your hands to combine the two well for the first few minutes. Then, transition to mixing the solution with an immersion blender in order to bring the soap in progress to “trace.” This means that the mixture becomes thick, much like the consistency of pudding. Once this occurs, pour the mixture into molds.

Let the Soap Set

Let the soap set in the molds for at least 24 hours, and then remove the bars. After that, the soap should set further for three to four weeks. Turn it often enough to ensure that each side of the bars has been exposed to air.

Test the Soap’s pH

To ensure that your soap is safe to use on skin, now is the time to test its pH with designated strips. Your soap’s pH should be between eight and 10. If the pH is correct, wrap the soap and it’s ready for use. If the pH is not yet correct, let it sit longer.

Creating your own goat milk soap is as easy as that, and it’ll be sure to be a hit in the shower. This natural way of creating a reliable cleaning method makes for a fun and useful DIY project that is completed in the simple steps listed above.