All that planting, trimming, raking, and digging can take a toll on your skin. And if you spend a long time outdoors in the summer, you are more likely to experience dry skin.
Many common garden plants can even irritate the skin and cause skin rashes. You might also experience rashes from garden soil or any other organic matter, like moss and twigs.
Regardless of the cause, you need to protect your skin when gardening. Having the right kind of protection and skincare can make a world of difference.
 "Bought the Almond Goat Milk Soap for SIL. She spends a great deal of time in her garden. She LOVES it!!! Aside from feeling clean & fresh, she says her skin is so soft & supple. No need to moisturize." - Ruth S. |
Here are some of goat milk soaps and skincare that we think are essential for your skin during gardening season, so you can enjoy growing what you love without the common discomforts.
Goat Milk Soap for Soothing Irritated Skin
Because of goat milk soap's anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial compounds, it can decrease itching and redness. When used over time, goat milk soap may boost your skin health, creating supple skin less prone to flaking and cracking.
One reason why people choose to take advantage of the benefits of goat milk soap is that many commercial soaps can strip the softness and moisture from the skin. If you are dealing with very sensitive skin, then you need something natural that provides the right amount of moisture without triggering skin irritation.
We highly recommend the following goat milk soaps for dry or sensitive skin.
- Purity Goat Milk Soap: Purity is our most popular unscented soap for sensitive skin. It has no added colors or fragrances - just natural ingredients that can help hydrate and nourish your skin.
 "I love this Purity bar soap so much! It’s just fabulous. So soft, sudsy, and creamy. It makes my skin feel so soft, clean, and fresh." - Lynne |
- Castile Goat Milk Soap: Castile is made with only organic extra virgin olive oil and raw goat milk. It is the gentlest soap we make and the one we recommend for hyper-sensitive skin.
- Calendula Goat Milk Soap: Calendula is an olive oil soap that also contains castor oil and is infused with calendula flowers, which are well known for their ability to reduce skin irritation.
- Tea Tree Goat Milk Soap: Tea Tree is a well-known and effective antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. It also contains anti-inflammatory compounds which can help soothe painful, irritated skin.
 "The Tea Tree soap softens, soothes, and leaves you fresh and clean. The soap moisturizes wonderfully. I am a gardener, and it soothes irritations immediately. It also deodorizes better than any soap I’ve ever used. I feel fresh all day. Amazing!" - Kim B. |
Goat Milk Solid Lotion for Adding Moisture to Dry Skin
Gardening can dry the skin in more ways than one.
- Sun Damage Exposing the skin to UV rays leads to dryness and skin pigmentation. The sun affects the outermost layers of the skin, making it feel rough, flaky, and dry. Sun damage can also lead to congested and dull skin.
- Dry Conditions If your soil is too dry, the dirt can actually pull moisture from your skin.
Our Unscented Solid Goat Milk Lotion can be a great product for pampering dry sensitive skin and supplying it with vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, and B12. These vitamins can offer some anti-inflammatory benefits that may reduce redness after gardening. It can also provide dry skin with much-needed moisturizing benefits.
 "My hands take a beating with the cold in the winter and playing in the dirt in the garden in the summer. The Lotion Sticks are just the thing I need to soothe my hands." - Joanne W. |
Available in two sizes, we love the small Unscented Solid Goat Milk Lotion because it fits perfectly in our pockets while we work in the garden and soaks right into our skin so we can continue working.
Goat Milk Lip Balm for All Seasons
If you have some crops to harvest in cooler weather, like cabbages, lettuce, brussel sprouts, or leeks, then you need to protect your lips. It’s no secret that cooler weather and cold winds can cause chapped lips. While the heated air and sun exposure can leave the lips feeling tight and super dry.
Our Goat Milk Lip Balms are free of harsh chemicals and are wonderful for keeping your lips soft and nourished. The lip balms contain very beneficial ingredients including cocoa butter which can add a protective moisturizing layer to the lips. And the coconut oil can help protect and restore chapped lips.
 "This Unscented Lip Balm is perfect. It is lightweight, not thick and heavy like other lip balms. I use it before going outdoor for my many barn chores and gardening." - Renee T. |
Natural Bug Repellant for Deterring Pests
Bugs are constantly looking for a host to feed on. And when you are gardening, you are an easy target. To make planting and pruning a lot more enjoyable, you might want to try a natural bug repellant.
Our Bug Out Goat Milk Soap and Bug Out Solid Goat Milk Lotion have come to our rescue many times and are a staple whenever we spend time outdoors.
 "I tried both the Bug Out Lotion and the Bug Out Soap. They both smell amazing, fresh and light! I find it hard to believe this is used to repel bugs, but I was gardening all day without a single bite!! That's a first!!" - Lisa S. |
The soap and lotion serve as a natural defense against bugs and pests. While they can’t make you completely resistant to bug bites, you may notice a lot fewer bites in the summer when using them, especially when you use them in combination. Plus, they don’t contain any chemicals and are very gentle on the skin.
Jewelweed for Relieving Poison Ivy and Other Rashes
Rashes from gardening are a common problem. When your skin comes in contact with poison ivy, you can develop an itchy rash. This is an allergic reaction to the plant oil. You can also experience poison ivy dermatitis if you touch clothes or gardening tools contaminated with the plant's oil.
Jewelweed is a popular option for easing the garden rash and itching after touching poison ivy. Jewelweed is a beneficial plant for avoiding dermatitis after poison ivy exposure.
We love our Jewelweed Goat Milk Soap. It has been very effective for us and many of our customers in soothing the skin after exposure to poison ivy. And, in our personal experience, it has been very beneficial in speeding up the healing process.
 "I have used it (Jewelweed) after gardening to remove any ivy oil I may have been exposed to. I love the qualities of goat milk soap so this combination is a winner!" - Sylvia A. |
Our Jewelweed Salve can also be applied to the affected skin after washing your hands. It can supply all the healing components of the plant to the skin, making it a great option for boosting the natural rejuvenation process.
Comfrey Salve for Speedy Healing of Minor Surface Wounds
Minor cuts and scrapes when gardening are very common. Even when you wear gloves!
Even though cuts and scrapes are not an emergency, the skin can still become irritated, red, or inflamed if you don’t take good care of it.
We follow these steps when we get minor scrapes while gardening:
- Wash the wound.
- Dry the skin with a clean towel.
- Apply some Comfrey Salve to the cut or scrape. It should not be used on any deep or puncture type wounds.
 "My husband had a blister from raking rocks. He kept applying (Comfrey Salve) and the blister healed quick. We really like it." - Marsha B. |
Comfrey contains allantoin. Allantoin is an active ingredient that can offer soothing, anti-irritating, and moisturizing properties. Allantoin can help speed up wound healing and renew skin cells.
Arnica Salve for Keeping Muscle Soreness at Bay
If you are doing any heavy lifting, bending over a lot, or have more ground to cover, then gardening can often lead to sore muscles and joints. Overhead pruning and trimming and prolonged postures can take a toll on your neck, lower back, and shoulders.
To ease some of that discomfort, it is best to do some stretches before you start gardening. Regular warmups can improve your flexibility, range of motion, and blood flow. These are all important factors when trying to avoid soreness and pain.
But, if sore muscles or joints are a regular problem, then you might want to try Arnica Salve. Arnica can help provide your muscles with some relief. This salve may ease the soreness by speeding up blood flow and curbing the discomfort.
 "I use (Arnica Salve) every night on sore muscles and joints (knees and ankles). The smell helps calm me and my muscles before bed and I’ve noticed less creaking in my knees and ankles." - Brigiete C. |
Protections for Your Skin While Gardening
Gardening is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and stress-relieving activities. We love to see the plants bloom and when harvest season comes around, it's a family activity to collect all that good food. But, with planting, digging, and weeding, come many elements that can affect your skin's health and comfort.
If you're new to gardening, or even if you've been doing it for years, we highly recommend protecting your skin with:
- Thick gardening gloves
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Long pants
- A wide hat
- Sunglasses
- Goat milk soaps and skincare
Goat milk soaps help cleanse and nourish the skin, while solid goat milk lotions may add an additional layer of protection and moisturization. Whether you're gardening or doing any outdoor chores, protecting your skin is essential.