Make goat milk soap yourself – 2 simple recipes with and without lye

Today the trend is towards homemade natural cosmetics! Coconut oil, milk, essential oils … these natural ingredients work wonders for your skin and hair and it would be a shame not to use them! After natural face creams, masks and natural shampoos, homemade soaps, especially goat milk soap, are a hit on Pinterest. If you also prefer 100% natural skin care, then you can make your own goat milk soap yourself.

What is the effect of the goat milk soap?

Goat milk soap is known for its moisturizing and anti-aging properties and also helps with skin problems like psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis. Here we’ve rounded up 6 of the best skin benefits from using goat milk soap:

• Goat milk soap is used effectively to treat acne. Goat milk contains many vitamins, but is particularly rich in vitamin A, which is necessary to restore damaged skin tissue and maintain a healthy complexion.
• It is known that goat milk can relieve skin inflammation and soothe dry and irritated skin.
• Goat milk soap can reduce wrinkles and combat the signs of aging.
• The pH value of goat milk is similar to that of our skin. Thus the natural self-protection of the skin is not disturbed.
• Goat milk contains important nutrients and vitamins such as vitamins A, C, B1, B6, B12 and E..
• Goat milk soap works like a gentle peeling. It contains alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid, which remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. This makes the skin look smoother and younger.

Make goat milk soap yourself with soapy water

If you plan to use fresh goat milk, be sure to use soapy water. To make this soapy water yourself, you need to dissolve solid sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in water. NaOH for soap production is usually available in pharmacies. Slowly add the sodium hydroxide beads or flakes to distilled water and stir gently until completely dissolved. Let the caustic solution cool down. Then a few drops of natural oils can be added to the solution. As simple as that!

It should be noted, however, that the NAOH caustic soda used in soaping is a corrosive, dangerous chemical that can cause severe burns. If there’s anything that keeps people from making soaps on their own, it’s fear of handling caustic solutions. As long as you follow the safety rules and don’t shorten the steps, you shouldn’t have any problems using lye in your soap making.

When using caustic soda, the following precautions should be observed:

• Always wear gloves and protective goggles when working with alkalis.

• Do not use any aluminum utensils that could be damaged by caustic soda.

• Wear a respirator to avoid inhaling the vapors. It is best to work outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

• Always add the caustic soda to the water and not the other way around.

• In the event of contact with the skin, rinse several times with water.

Recipe for goat milk soap with honey

Ingredients for 8-10 bars of soap

350 ml of olive oil

175 ml coconut oil

75 ml avocado oil

90 ml of distilled water

95 ml goat milk

85 g sodium hydroxide (also called caustic soda)

1 tbsp honey

1. Before you start, freeze the goat milk in ice cube molds so that it does not burn when mixed with the lye solution. You can leave the milk mushy or freeze it completely.

2. Weigh the distilled water and caustic soda. Pour the water into a glass bowl, then add the caustic soda.

3. Stir well until the caustic soda is completely dissolved. You will notice that the solution warms up and becomes opaque. Let it cool for a few minutes, then it will become transparent again.

4. Add the frozen goat milk to the lye solution and keep stirring. The mixture can turn slightly orange or brown because the sugars in the milk are caramelized by the lye. To prevent the sugars from burning, stir constantly until everything is melted and well combined.

5. Measure the oils in a separate bowl. You can weigh them all in the same bowl by tare your balance between the oils. (i.e. put the scales back to 0 (zero) grams). You need to warm the coconut oil slightly first so it becomes liquid. The other oils do not need to be heated. If the temperature is too high and the sugar is burning, your soap could turn brown.

6. Add the lye solution to the oils and stir gently until everything is combined.

7. You can now start to mix the oils and the caustic solution with a hand blender to a homogeneous mixture. Stir intensely for a few minutes until your soap has a creamy consistency. This is the point in soap making when the oils and lye are emulsified and the saponification process begins.

8. Now you can add the honey and any essential or scented oils that you want to use. Stir again with the hand blender until they are completely incorporated.

9. Pour the soap into silicone soap molds. If it’s warm outside, put your soap in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the soap from partially gelling. Otherwise, let them cure in a cool, ventilated place.

After a few days, you can remove the soap from the molds. If you have more patience, it is best to let the soaps cure and dry for 4-5 weeks before using.

Make goat milk soap yourself without lye

Your second option to make goat milk soap yourself is to use a ready-made goat milk soap base. These are now also available to buy online.

It is important to note, however, that the “melt and pour” soap base is not considered by many people to be as natural as cold processed soaps, as manufacturers often use multiple chemicals to maintain its meltable consistency. So check the ingredients and make sure your skin can tolerate the additional chemicals used in the soap base.

450 grams of goat milk soap base

2 to 4 tablespoons of honey

1 tbsp natural oil such as jojoba or sweet almond (optional)

Microwave-safe bowl or saucepan for a double boiler

Silicone spatula

Soap molds made of silicone

Soap dye (optional)

1. Cut the soap base into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Melt the cubes in the microwave or water bath.

2. As soon as the soap base has become liquid, you can work in the honey and then add a few drops of essential oils. If you’d like, you can add a few drops of yellow soap dye to give the soap a honey color.

3. Pour the mixture into the soap molds and let it harden for at least 1 hour. If you’re in a hurry, you can put the molds in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes and speed up the process. Then take the soaps out of the molds and leave them at room temperature for another 24 hours.