Make Goat Milk Soap

Homemade goat milk soap can be some of the most luxurious soap you'll ever use. Making goat milk soap at home can also save you money and give you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what goes into your soap. Here is a step-by-step guide to show you how to make goat milk soap:

Steps

  1. Put on safety goggles, rubber gloves and a long-sleeve shirt or coveralls.
  2. When you are making cold processed soap, always run your fat/oil amounts through a lye calculator such as the one found at soapcalc.net. Different oils and fats have different "saponification values," i.e. how much lye is required to fully turn that oil/fat into soap. Never, ever, make cold processed soap without verifying the SAP values of your oils.
  3. Melt any hard (solid) oils/fats in a heavy saucepan over low heat or a double boiler.
    • If you are using liquid oils, simply heat them to approximately 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) by a glass candy thermometer.
  4. Remove the saucepan or double boiler from the heat and allow it to cool to approximately 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) by a glass candy thermometer.
  5. Ideally, your oils/fats and lye mixture should be within 10 degrees F of each other when you combine them. Also, the lower the temps, the longer it will take the soap to "trace."
  6. Pour goat milk into a stainless steel or HDPE (high density plastic) bowl (you can freeze the goat milk into ice cubes ahead of time to prevent the soap from overheating, if you prefer).
  7. Add lye to the goat milk very slowly, stirring constantly with a plastic spatula or plastic spoon. Always add the lye into the liquid, not the liquid into the lye.
    • The lye will heat up the goat milk. Set this mixture aside and allow it to cool to approximately 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) by a glass candy thermometer.
  8. Slowly add the lye mixture to the oils/fats.
  9. For best results, blend this mixture with a stick blender until it is emulsified. You want it to reach "trace," which means that the liquid soap begins to coat the head of the stick blender, and trails of soap from the blender sit for a moment on the top of the soap before sinking back in.
  10. If mixing by hand, it will take substantially longer than using a stick blender.
  11. Spoon or pour the thickened mixture into your prepared molds.
  12. Cover the molds with a towel and leave for at least 24 hours to harden.
  13. Remove the hardened soap from the molds. If the soap sticks to the molds, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes, then try again.
  14. Slice the soap into bar-sized pieces.
  15. Allow the soap to age on a wire rack (preferably) for 4-6 weeks before using.

Tips

  • Almost any kind of fat can be used in making soap. Olive, coconut, and palm oils are some top options. Shea and cocoa butters work very nicely as well and make for very rich lather.

Warnings

  • Lye is sodium hydroxide and can be very dangerous if not handled properly. It can burn eyes or skin and can be fatal if swallowed. It is important to protect yourself. Make sure you always handle and store lye out of the reach of children.

Things You'll Need

  • Safety goggles
  • Rubber gloves
  • Long sleeve shirt or coveralls
  • Soap or candy molds
  • 2 heavy saucepans
  • Fat such as lard, shortening, or oil
  • Goat's milk
  • Stainless steel bowl
  • Lye
  • Glass candy thermometer
  • Stick mixer or hand mixer (optional)
  • Towel

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