My soap making process
Goat milk soap is loved for its creamy lather, gentle cleansing, and skin-nourishing properties. Rich in vitamins, fats, and natural lactic acid, goat milk helps moisturize and soothe the skin, making it ideal for sensitive and dry skin types. Below is a simple overview of the traditional cold process goat milk soap-making method.
Goat Milk Soap Recipe (Cold Process)
Ingredients (1 lb / ~450 g batch)
Goat milk: 114 g (4 oz), frozen into cubes
Sodium hydroxide (lye): 57 g (2 oz)
Olive oil: 227 g (8 oz)
Coconut oil: 170 g (6 oz)
Shea butter: 57 g (2 oz)
Essential oil (optional): 15–25 g (0.5–0.9 oz)
Equipment
Heat-safe container (for lye & milk)
Stainless steel or heavy plastic bowls
Stick blender
Thermometer
Soap mold
Safety gear (gloves, goggles)
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Step 1: Prepare the Goat Milk
Fresh goat milk is frozen into cubes before use. Freezing is important because it prevents scorching when the lye is added, helping preserve the milk’s nutrients and creamy color.
Step 2: Mix Lye with Goat Milk
Lye (sodium hydroxide) is slowly added to the frozen goat milk, never the other way around. The mixture is stirred gently until fully dissolved while keeping the temperature low. This step requires care and proper safety gear.
Step 3: Heat and Prepare Oils
Natural oils and butters—such as olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter—are gently heated until melted and then cooled to the proper temperature to blend with the lye mixture.
Step 4: Combine and Blend
The lye-milk solution is slowly poured into the oils and blended until it reaches light trace, a pudding-like consistency that signals the soap is ready for additives.
Step 5: Add Scents and Botanicals
Essential oils, herbs, or clays are added at this stage to enhance the soap’s scent and skin benefits, while maintaining a gentle, skin-friendly formula.
Step 6: Pour into Molds
The soap batter is poured into molds, tapped to release air bubbles, and insulated lightly to allow saponification (the soap-making reaction) to complete.
Step 7: Unmold and Cure
After 24–48 hours, the soap is removed from the mold and cut into bars. The bars are then cured for 4–6 weeks, allowing excess moisture to evaporate and creating a long-lasting, mild soap.
We value your feedback and would love to hear about your experience making these products. Your thoughts help us improve and continue creating high-quality, skin-loving formulations. Please feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or questions with us. Thank you.
