How Do I Make Goat Milk Soap

Goat milk soap has taken the beauty world by storm, lauded for its gentle cleansing and moisturizing properties.

If you haven’t tried it already, you really should get your hands on some, your skin will thank you for it. If you have tried it before, you might be wondering how it’s made and whether you can make it at home.

Washing hands with Frankincense & Myrrh Goat Milk Soap

"Great soap and scent (Frankincense & Myrrh)! I’ve tried several of their soaps, and they are all really good and great quality, and they all feel really good on your skin; the soaps definitely soften and moisturize your skin!" - John S.

In this blog, we are going to take you through how to make goat milk soap at home as well as some other great information.

What’s the Difference Between Goat Milk Soap, and, well, Soap?

Before starting to work out how to make goat milk soap, it is important to understand what distinguishes goat milk soap away from regular soap.

Soap was traditionally made using the time-aged process of saponification. Saponification is the mixing of oils and lye (which comes from tree ashes) with heat to create soap. However, regular commercial soaps that you pick up in the supermarket, such as Dove, are mainly made from detergents.

"The Castile and Purity are wonderful for my skin and my children who have dry and/or eczema prone skin. I was told long ago to use Dove unscented by a dermatologist, but that did not do nearly as well as this." - Linda L.

While the concept of cleaning is the same whether you are cleaning with traditional soap made through saponification or commercial soap made from detergents and chemicals; the impact of your skin is very, very different. Our skin is far too delicate to be treated with detergent.

So the difference between commercial soap, and goat milk soap is very much about the ingredients and the impact on the skin. If you are looking for a soap that nourishes, gently cleanses and replenishes skin moisture, then goat milk soap is for you.

How Long Does It Take to Make Goat Milk Soap?

Crafting goat milk soap is an exercise in patience. Unlike store-bought soaps there are no shortcuts in the process, and you should expect your goat milk soap to take 4-6 weeks to fully cure.

This extended period of time allows the lye and oils to chemically react resulting in a gentler, longer lasting bar of soap.

"Gentle, long lasting, wonderful bar soap (Purity). We use it both at the sink and in the shower. I don’t have cracked thumbs and my husband’s psoriasis is improved." - Martha L.

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Goat Milk Soap?

At the heart of goat milk soap lies the naturalness of its ingredients. To make goat milk soap you need:

Goat Milk: The clue is in the name, so ensuring that you have plenty of goat milk is key. Rich in vitamin, minerals and lactic acid, goat milk is the nourishing exfoliator in the process.
Oils or Fats: You can utilize an oil or fat that suits your preference; be it olive, coconut, other plant-based oil, lard, or tallow. The oils and fats are responsible for the cleansing and lathering properties of the soap.
Lye: A necessary component that turns the oils into soap, but completely transforms during the curing process. The only way to make soap without lye involves melting somebody else's soap who used lye.

In theory, once you have goat milk, an oil product and lye; you are good to go ahead and make your soap. But, why just make a basic run of the mill soap product when you can personalize the scent and appearance with some natural colorants, or some natural fragrance oils?

We’ve experimented with a whole host of scents over the years, some of our favorites are: Lavender, Black Raspberry and Cranberry Spice.

"I LOVE this soap (Cranberry Spice)!!! ...Wow, I love it so much! The lather, the scent, the way it moisturizes my skin, everything! Also, it’s lasting longer than other goat soaps I’ve used in the past!!" - Brooklyn P.

What Equipment Do I Need to Make Goat Milk Soap?

There are a few pieces of equipment that you need to be prepared to tackle the process of saponification. These include:

Safety gear: Goggles, gloves, respirator, long-sleeved clothing, and an apron.
Accurate weighing scale that weighs to grams.
Stick blender
Molds: Ideally, these should be silicone or lined wooden molds.
Thermometer
Stainless pots and utensils: Avoid aluminum pots and utensils as these can react with the lye and disrupt the process.

Your safety is of paramount importance while you are learning your craft.

How Do I Make Goat Milk Soap?

While seemingly simple, making goat milk soap requires precise measurements, safety precautions, dedicated time, and a whole lot of patience. It is recommended to begin with a well-researched and common recipe and appropriate safety gear before embarking on a more exotic approach to soap making.

"Thank you so much for doing what you do, and making such quality products. So far I have ordered several scents and have used the Ocean body soap first; I love the way it smells and feels on my skin!" - Donna M.

Below is simplified version of the saponification process, if you want the science behind saponification this article is for you:

Determine Your Recipe
Your soap is only as good as the recipe used to make it. If it is not a proven recipe, make sure that you run it through a soap calculator to make sure it works.
Prepare the Lye Solution
Consult your reliable recipe that provides you with the specific amount of lye and water/milk needed based on your chosen oil combination. Slowly add the lye to frozen goat milk or ice water while stirring constantly from a safe distance. The mixture will heat up considerably. Allow the lye solution to cool to around 90-100°F (32-38°C).
This is the scariest part of the process. Wear full protective gear. Do not inhale the mixture. Do not let it splash on your skin, or in your mouth, and especially not in your eyes. Do not let any of the lye crystals escape (they're tiny and they bounce). Do not do this anywhere children are present. Do not use aluminum containers and be very careful if you choose to use glass (plastic is the preferred container). Do not ever pour water on top of lye. Be very careful and use caution. Work with lye at your own risk. It is caustic and will damage your eyes and skin if there is any contact. It can also damage your lungs if you inhale the fumes.
Warm the Oils
Gently heat the chosen oils in a stainless steel pot to a temperature slightly warmer than the lye solution. 100-110°F (38-43°C).
Combine and Blend
Slowly add the lye solution to the oils while continuously blending with a stick blender. Do not let the stick blender overheat. You may need to give it breaks. The mixture will thicken and go through various stages, eventually reaching ‘trace’ - which is a point where the batter leaves visible trails when dripped.
Adding Extras
While we recommend sticking to a simple recipe for your first foray into goat milk soap making; now is the time to start adding your extras. When the combined solution nears ‘trace’, you can now quickly add any essential oils, fragrance oils, or colorants. If your soap is too thick, you will not be able to blend these in. Your timing is very important and it is better to add these earlier rather than later.
Pouring and Curing
Quickly pour the soap batter into prepared molds, tapping gently to remove air bubbles. If you wish, you can cover the molds with plastic wrap and then insulation such as a towel or a blanket, this will aid the mixture to retain heat and aid in the curing process.
Wait
Allow the soap to sit overnight.
Unmolding
After about 24 hours (the exact time depends on the formula, temperature, and humidity), carefully remove the soap from the molds.
Cutting
Cut the soap into the desired sizes.
Curing
Allow the soap to cure for 4-6 weeks in a cool, dry place with airflow. Rotate the soap periodically so all sides are exposed to the air.

How Long Does Goat Milk Soap Last?

When properly stored in a cool, dry place, cured goat milk soap will only improve as it ages. Any added scent should last 9-12 months. If your scent fades before then, you are not using enough or the quality is not sufficient to work with your recipe. How long the soap lasts while using will depend heavily on the recipe and if the soap was properly cured. We wrote a really handy article about how long goat milk soap lasts that you can check out for more detail.

"This soap is amazing! The Lavender scent is pleasant and subtle, yet long-lasting. It is by far my favorite." - Jay S.

Is It Cheaper to Make Soap or Buy It?

Some people make soap for enjoyment, and if that is the case, then saponification isn’t going to be a financial decision. But if you are looking for cost-cutting activities that you can do to save money, then you might be asking yourself if it is cheaper to make your own goat milk soap than to buy it.

Some factors to consider when considering the cost of making your own goat milk soap:

Ingredients Cost
Purchasing high-quality goat milk, oils, and fragrances can be very expensive initially.
Equipment Cost
When you consider the cost of specific tools like molds and safety gear like respirators, the initial investment costs can stack up a little bit.
Time Cost
The time you invest into learning, making and curing the soap needs to be factored in as a cost too. Not to mention the number of failed attempts that you have before you cure the perfect batch.

So quite often, when we are asked if it is more cost effective to buy pre-made soap versus making it yourself we say ‘it depends’. If you are an occasional goat milk soap user, then the initial costs will significantly outweigh what it costs to buy from Goat Milk Stuff. If you are a high volume user of soap and intend to make it for your family and friends to use, then over time, once you have divided the initial costs across multiple batches, you should find making it yourself is slightly cheaper.

The one thing that you shouldn’t doubt is that, as with all hobbies, soap making can be incredibly rewarding - especially once you've gotten over your fear of working with lye. While lye is dangerous, if you handle it carefully and have proper cleaning procedures in place, the risks can be minimized. The process of creating anything and then using it, is something that you hopefully will enjoy.