I’m into adding to my goat milk soap collection and am just about ready to debut my latest which is scented with an essential oil blend of Lavender, Patchouli, Pettigrain, Orange and Spearmint. Not sure yet what I’m going to end up calling it. It smells pretty terrific and I’m pleased. The only change I’ll make next go around is to deepen the color. The swirls kinda disappear and don’t come out as deep as I had wanted but the scent makes up for it.

Making goat milk soap can be tricky for a number of reasons. The main rule of thumb is to freeze the milk before pouring your lye into it. I freeze my goat milk in gallon freezer bags and then use a mallet to smash the milk up before pouring the lye into it. Otherwise, the milk overheats, turns bright orange, curdles and stinks to high heaven. Trust me, I learned this the hard way! You also want to soap cool. By cool I mean 80 degrees and no insulation. Milk soaps heat up so soaping cool will keep them a nice creamy color.

Look for this new goat milk soap in a couple of weeks. It is still on the drying rack!

Popularity: 54% [?]

Share This

I get asked all the time how I make soap or if my handmade soaps are “glycerin” soaps.  Well, I make what is called cold-processed soap.  Very simply put this soap is made by combining different fatty acids with sodium hydroxide (lye) and water.  When I make goat milk soap I replace the water with 100% goat milk.  Fatty acids can by from almost any oil from Olive, Oil, to Lard, to Sweet Almond Oil.  Combinations are as endless as your imagination.
 
Cold-process soap making is not rocket science but it does incorporate both art and science together.    There is a certain proportion of lye (sodium hydroxide) and water to fatty acids that forms a chemical reaction called “saponification”.  During saponification the oils and lye mix and become soap.   A by product of this process is glycerin.  This entire process takes several weeks to complete.  That is why handmade soap is allowed to cure.  I like to let my handmade soap sit on the drying rack and cure for a minimum of eight weeks.  This long cure period results in a mild and hard bar of soap that lasts in the shower.
 

Popularity: 63% [?]

Share This