Does Goat Milk Soap Go Bad?

We’ve been making goat milk since 2005. Initially making just three small batches of Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Vanilla and Peppermint for the family, and you’ll be reassured to know that some of those original bars still exist and are perfectly scented and very much usable today.

"I love the Oatmeal Milk & Honey. So smooth and smells awesome" - Karen R.

That is because properly made goat milk soap does not go bad. It doesn’t spoil, and will not expire. Quite to the contrary goat milk soap can actually get better with age.

What Happens to the Milk in Goat Milk Soap?

Because one of the main ingredients in goat milk soap is (obviously) goat milk, it is easy to think that the milk could spoil and ruin the soap.

But the beauty of the saponification reaction is that it converts the milk molecules into soap. This means there is no ‘milk’ in its true, expirable-sense left, with it all being turned into soap. All that is left of the milk after saponification is the awesome molecular benefits that the milk compound held before the process started.

"Love the Honeysuckle soap! The scent really stands out in the shower. Becomes more subtle as it dries on my skin. Leaves my skin soft and smooth thanks to the natural exfoliant just like I have come to expect from all my GMS soaps. Thank you!" - Joyce M.

Milk after saponification contains all the natural vitamins, minerals, lactic acid, and butterfat goodness; while eliminating the risk of harmful bacteria, yeast, or mold causing your soap to go bad.

Does Goat Milk Soap Expire?

Because the raw goat milk has all been saponified and turned into soap, goat milk soap will never actually expire.

An important step in making the soap last as long as possible is the curing process. During the curing process, two main events take place:

• Moisture Evaporates:
  When soap is first made all the ingredients are mixed until the soap starts to get thick, like pudding. Once it reaches this point (called ‘trace’) the saponification chemical reaction has begun and the soap can no longer be separated from its individual ingredients.
  When ‘trace’ is reached, we pour the soap into soap molds. Many soapmakers use a block mold, which is as it sounds, a large block. However, here at Goat Milk Stuff, we find that these block molds will overheat and negatively affect the soap quality. So, we opt to use open tray-type molds, where the soap sits after saponification for about 24 hours.
  It is at this point, the soap is hard enough to unmold and cut, but it is still very soft. So the soap is placed on curing racks where vast levels of fan-circulated air flow across the surface area of the individual bars. We also use dehumidifiers to reduce the moisture in the circulating air.
  At this point, the soaps do lose some ‘water-weight’, which is why we don’t weigh them until they are six weeks old. Our view is that an older lighter bar will often last longer than a newer heavier bar of soap; giving you, the customer, greater value for your money and improved longevity in the product.

"LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Sandalwood Goat Milk Soap! Very light fragrance, which is nice! Soap leaves skin so soft." - Sharon W.

• Saponification Reaction During Curing
  The second event is the saponification reaction, which occurs during the curing process; but will also continue for the rest of the soap's life.
  Unlike many soapmakers, we don’t add any artificial heat during the curing process. Our research and extensive testing has shown that when allowed to cure at room temperature, soap is better for the skin; compared to soap that has been heated to speed up the curing process.
  A slow and steady cure is best, and that is why the product that you get from Goat Milk Stuff is more gentle on the skin and long-lasting than our competitors.

"Love the Castile Olive Oil soap! So gentle on skin." - Arlene S.

Does Goat Milk Soap Have to be Refrigerated?

Because the goat milk has all been turned into soap, there is no need to refrigerate your goat milk soap.

And because there is no milk left to spoil, the bar soaps do not require any chemical preservatives to keep the bar safe from perishing.

How Do You Store Goat Milk Soap?

There are two core considerations when working out how to store your Goat Milk Soap:

Where to store your soap?

Finding the perfect place to store your bar of soap is important. The most natural place to leave your soap is in a shower caddy or on the ledge of the bathtub; but this isn’t great for the longevity of your soap, as the excess water that the soap attracts in these places can short the soap's lifespan.

The best place to store your soap between uses is in a well-ventilated dish that allows water to drain, Keeping it in a low-humidity environment will also help it dry. But critically, you should keep your soap away from direct sunlight and other heat sources.

"Love this Soap Rest! I ordered just one to try out. The soap lasts longer and doesn't stick to Rest. Perfect product." - April W.

How to wrap your soap?

Convenient, traditional soap dishes made of sponge are prolific moisture traps; and therefore will prevent your soap from being able to dry. We would recommend opting for a dish made of natural materials like wood or bamboo; or if you are looking for something more accessible in the home, consider storing your soap in paper, cardboard, or cotton; these materials are great for allowing the soap to breathe, maintaining its long shelf-life.

If you have multiple bars of goat milk soap, then a great tip for extending the shelf life of each bar is rotation. Not only is it fun for you and great for your skin to rotate your scented soaps; but it’s also great for the soap too. Rotating your soaps, rather than using one to its end and then moving on to the next one, will help give your soap time to dry out between uses.

Is all Goat Milk Soap Safe?

Having been making goat milk soap for nearly 20 years, I can tell you that here at Goat Milk Stuff, the only times we’ve heard of our soaps going bad is when the soap has been stored in plastic.

But if you take care of your soap and store it properly it will not expire and it will not go bad.

At Goat Milk Stuff, our purpose is to bring you joy through the goodness of goat milk. We know that healthy skin is happy skin and we want to enable you to find the joy that healthy skin can bring. Goat Milk Soap is great for keeping your skin healthy and happy.

We work hard to make the best goat milk soap possible.