How to Make Pure White Natural Goat Milk Soap
Easy recipe and instructions for making pure white goat milk soap. It’s a simple and nourishing soap recipe that’s especially great for sensitive skin. Includes guidance on temperatures, equipment, and ingredients.
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When you make goat milk soap, you can substitute some of the water used to make the lye solution with milk. Easier said than done though! Some years ago when I first began teaching myself how to make soap, I tried a recipe for goat milk soap. I tried and failed abysmally. The bars I cut at the end were yellowy-brown and crumbly and I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong. I’ve made a lot of soap since then and understand now that my temperatures were too hot. You’ve got to be mindful when using sugars in soap and that includes milk.
In this recipe, I’ll show you a way to make pure white goat milk soap. It’s a little trick that I’ve learned that combines a typical milk soap recipe with soaping at room temperature. The end product is a conditioning and very gentle bar of soap perfect for the most sensitive of skin.
Benefits of Goat Milk Soap
You can make perfectly lovely soap without using goat milk. But once you’ve tried goat milk soap, you’ll swear by it! It’s creamy, nourishing, and gentle and if you suffer from skin complaints then you could see an improvement. That means, if you have eczema, psoriasis, or acne, goat milk soap could help the redness, dryness, and itching.
Goat milk contains both saturated and unsaturated fats and each works to boost lather and to gently cleanse your skin. It makes soap less harsh on your skin, and the nutrients and fats in the goat milk work to clean while not stripping your skin of its natural oils. Goat milk also contains a small amount of lactic acid, which can help remove dead skin cells and reduce soap scum.
Goat milk in combination with nourishing oils in a soap’s superfat is a great option for those with sensitive skin. When other soaps and washes can feel harsh, goat milk soap can make your skin feel happy and healthy.
The Best Goat Milk to use in Soap Making
If you have access to organic, grass-fed goat milk, that’s the best milk to use in this soap recipe. Happy goats create healthy and wholesome milk! It’s filled with all of the nutrients and fats that will make great soap and can make all the difference to your recipe. One place that I get goat milk from is the local farmer’s market. Clare knows and tends all of her goats herself and most of them have names. Some years ago I even visited her goat farm to better understand how the goats were raised.
You can also source goat milk at your local supermarket, though it will be inferior to farm-purchased milk. It won’t have the same amount of fat and nutrients, and you don’t know how the goats were raised. Knowing where your ingredients come from is important to both us, and our customers, if we’re making soap for the public. Especially if that ingredient comes from an animal. If you know that the cattle that went into your tallow soap, or the bees that made the honey for your honey soap were treated well, then it brings that element of trust and wellness to your soap.
Soap Making at Room Temperature
This recipe is a little different from many of the others I’ve shared in that the temperatures are low. They’re low so that the milk in the recipe doesn’t scorch and change color, and they’re low to avoid any strange crumbly messes. The lye solution will be at room temperature when we mix it into the oils, and the oils themselves will be just twenty degrees above that. I don’t usually soap at these temperatures but it needs to be done to avoid your milk soap turning brown. Oh, and you’re going to need space both in your freezer and refrigerator for this recipe too.
Natural Goat Milk Soap Recipe
Equipment
- Stainless steel pan for melting the solid oils
- A large bowl for measuring the liquid oils into
Ingredients
Lye solution
- 107 g Sodium hydroxide 3.77 oz
- 100 g Distilled water 3.5 oz
- 100 g Goat milk 3.5 oz
Solid oils
- 200 g Coconut oil (refined) 7.05 oz
- 150 g Shea butter 5.29 oz
Liquid oils
- 400 g Olive oil 14.11 oz
- 50 g Castor oil 1.76 oz
Instructions
Freeze the Goat Milk
- Pour the goat milk into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Make the Lye Solution
- Put on your rubber gloves and eye protection (goggles) and set yourself up in an area with good ventilation. Under a hob, on the doorstep, or outdoors is perfect. Pour the sodium hydroxide into the water and stir with a stainless steel spoon. Be careful not to breathe in the fumes. Stir until the lye is completely dissolved and then set the jug aside to cool to 100°F (38°C).
- When the lye solution has cooled, add all of the goat milk ice cubes to the jug. Allow the cubes to melt and for the lye solution to lower to room temperature — that’s between 68-72°F (20-22°C)
Melt the Solid Oils
- As soon as you add the ice cubes to the lye solution begin melting the solid oils. In a stainless steel pan, heat the coconut oil and shea butter on very low heat until just liquefied. They’ll melt quicker than you think so don’t be tempted to turn up the heat.
Add the Liquid Oils
- When the solid oils are melted, take the pan off the heat and pour in the liquid oils. If you pour the liquid oils against a spoon or spatula held just inserted in hot oils, it will help to reduce air bubbles. Pouring it straight in is the main cause of air bubbles in your bars, but pouring it against something will help stop that from happening. The oils flow down into the other oils rather than splashing in.
- Being already room temperature, they’ll cool the hot oils down. Stir well and keep an eye on the temperature. You want the oils to cool to 90°F (32°C).
Make the Goat Milk Soap
- When the lye solution is fully melted and the oils are at the right temperature, pour the lye solution into the oils. Again, pour the lye solution against a spoon or other implement to reduce air bubbles. It's also good practice to pour the lye solution through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any undissolved bits of lye.
- Immerse a stick blender (immersion blender) into the pan and use it (turned off) to stir the contents together. Then bring the stick blender to the middle of the pan, hold it still, and pulse for a couple of seconds. Repeat the stirring and pulsing until the mixture begins to thicken. It will take a couple of minutes and the consistency will change to that of warm custard. You'll also see trails forming on the surface if you dribble some of the soap batter from the stick blender back down.
Mold and Cool the Goat Milk Soap
- Pour the soap into your preferred mold, whether it’s a silicone mold, an empty paper milk carton, or something else. Protect the exposed part of the soap with plastic wrap and pop the mold into the refrigerator. Leave it there for 12-24 hours.
Cut and Cure the Goat Milk Soap
- Take the goat milk soap out of the refrigerator the next day but leave it inside the mold. Set it someplace on the counter and leave it there for three or four days to harden up a bit. This soap is very soft when it comes out of the mold and could break or get stuck if you try to cut it too soon.
- Use an ordinary kitchen knife to cut it into bars. Their thickness is up to you. After you cut them, leave the bars someplace airy and out of direct sunlight to cure for at least four weeks. The soap is safe to touch 48 hours after making it but it needs the extra time to allow the excess moisture to evaporate out. For full instructions on how to cure handmade soap head over here
Using your Homemade Goat Milk Soap
- The lather and feel of this handmade goat milk soap is fluffy and silky. The scent is softly milky and making the recipe just as it is will create bars ideal for sensitive and dry skin. If you’d like to scent these, you may add essential oil at trace. Read more about scenting soap with essential oil here — the article also provides recommendations on how much to use of each when making handmade soap.
- Once made, your soap will have a shelf-life of up to two years. Check the oil bottles that you're using though — the closest best-by date is the best-by date of your soap. That's because some of that oil is free-floating in your bars as the superfat, and it can go rancid over time.
More Soap Inspiration
Lovely Greens shares a lot of small-batch natural soap recipes using the cold-process method. If you enjoyed this goat milk soap recipe, you’ll like these other ideas too:
My soap turned out yellow… too much lye?
Yellowing happens as a result of temperature – if the soap is too hot then the sugars in the milk will scorch. Keep your soaping temperatures low and ensure you refrigerate the soap afterward.
very happy i found this recipe. I’m actually doing it right now! I just added the milk ice cubes to the lye, theyre almost melted and the temperature is about 35º. Is that ok? Or should I wait for it to go up to room temperature? Thanks for all this great info btw
Hi Bradley, 35C (95F) is good – have fun making goat milk soap! :)
hello, could I use tallow in place of shea butter my kid has an allergic reaction to shea butter?
Yes, but you’ll need to adjust the amount of lye needed for the recipe. I have a guide on how to change soap recipes if you’d like to learn more. Basically, you need to put the recipe in the SoapCalc and replace shea butter with tallow.
Some of the recipe items linked to Amazon are unavailable?
Could you suggest for me some alternatives? I am eager to try the recipe and just want to make sure I have the correct ingredients.
Hi Renee, the Amazon links should be working now, but I’ve also shared where to get soap ingredients if you’d like to check them out :)
Hi, can i make a base for melt and pour from this recipe? If so, could i leave the soap in the mold to cure, without cutting it? Thank you
Hi Maria, I’ve never made m&p from scratch but understand the process. There could be some challenges to making it with liquid goat milk since it will probably discolor during the cook. Powdered goat milk might be a better option to avoid this. If you do end up giving it a try, please report back? :)
hi! i have a recipe i like that uses olive oil, beef tallow, and coconut oil. i see the oils you use are very yellow (ex. shea butter, castor oil, and olive oil). how does this process you use prevent it from turning yellow with such yellow oils? in the bars i’ve made, my goat milk/lye mixture is white when i add it into the oils, so i’m thinking it’s the oils that are turning my soap a light brown! but i’d like to find a way to make a more pure white soap.
Hi Rachel, refined shea butter is white, castor oil is pale-yellow, clear, and only about 6% of the recipe. Light-colored olive oil (such as pomace olive oil) doesn’t turn soap bars yellow. If your bars turn yellow or brown when making goat milk soap, it’s nearly always from the milk. If it overheats/scorches at any time in the soapmaking process, either during mixing or after it’s in the mold, then it will discolor your bars. I recommend that you make my recipe and follow the instructions, including refrigerating at the end. I’m sure you’ll see success! Hope this helps :)
Can I add honey to this recipe? Or does it make the sugar content to hight. Would love a goats milk and honey recipe.
Hi Alison and yes you can add honey to this recipe. Make sure it’s runny honey, so if the honey you have is solid or chunky, warm it up to a liquid state first. Stir in one teaspoon (per 454 g batch of soap) after the soap batter emulsifies/traces, and don’t insulate the soap afterward. It’s better to refrigerate the soap after pouring it since that will cool down the reaction of sugars in the soap. Cooling goat milk (and/or honey) soap helps stop your soap from turning brown as the sugar can heat up and caramelize.
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for this recipe. Can I use just milk on this recipe?
Thank you so much!
Hi Daysi and yes, you can use any type of dairy milk for this recipe :)
Hello, thankyou for the recipe!
Can I take out the distilled water and just pour the lye over the frozen goatsmilk cubes?
Thankyou
Hi, and yes, you can. It’s another method to make goat milk soap, but on the odd occasion, the milk can still yellow a bit. That’s why I’ve shared the method in this piece. It ensures that your bars will come out pure white and not discolored.
Hi there!
Thank-you so much for this Simple Recipe. I see that there is a 3X next to the recipe and I was wondering how many bars of soap does that make? Just so I know what size mold to use.
Also, can I make this recipe using only goats milk and no water?
Would that change the whole recipe? Thank-you
Hi Erika, it will give you three times the amount as the original recipe — 2400 g or 84.66 oz. This loaf mold fits the recipe perfectly, so you’d need three if you triple the batch.
Thank you Tanya!
I meant to ask you this question in the previous comment. Do you measure the fresh goat milk for the recipe prior to freezing it.? Thanks
It’s easier to do so but in case you’re wondering, the same quantity of liquid milk and solid milk weigh the same.
Awesome! Thanks
Another lovely soap recipe I am dying to try. This recipe always felt intimidating to me until now. What type of fragrance oil will work best with this recipe? Thanks for sharing!
You can use any type you wish, Mac :) Some essential oils (and fragrance oils) will discolor soap so make sure that the ones you choose don’t have a history of it. Here’s more on essential oils for soapmaking if you’d like to stick to naturally scenting your bars.
Awesome!
Could I add coffee grounds to this recipe? If so how much?
Hi Savannah, and yes, you could :) I recommend 1/2 to 1 tsp for this size recipe. You can add more or less but that’s a good amount to create soap that’s not overly scratchy.
Hi Tanya, How are you?
I guess i need your help, i did not quite understand something….
when we mix the lye with the oils, the lye temperature should be between 20º-22º and the oils about 32º? so 10 º difference, right? ( celsius :-). )
Thank you so much and a warm smile from Portugal
Paulo
Hi Paulo, it’s best practice to mix the lye solution and oils at around (within 5-10 degrees) the same temperature. The most common mixing temperature for simple soap recipes is 100F (38C). However, as long as neither of the temperatures brings the oils down to a temperature that the fats begin solidifying again, you can mix at practically any temperature from 68-130F (20-54C) — even warmer in some cases. Mixing at higher temperatures can accelerate trace and will help push gel phase, though. It can also lead to soap volcanos if too hot! Lower temperatures slow down trace and are used when you want to avoid gel phase. Still, like in this recipe, it’s best to cool the soap after pouring it into a loaf mold to avoid a partial gel circle in the center of the soap loaf. Hope this helps.
Brilliant simple recipe. Only made one batch of cold process soap before trying this so complete novice. It wasn’t pure white but a lovely creamy colour, cut beautifully, was fairly soft, a bit like cheddar! and is now curing. Well chuffed and will make again, maybe with some essential oil.
Hello Tanya, I have bought your book on Soap making and have tried many soaps already ! I am about to try the goat milk soap, I have access to local farmers’ milk but I have a question, should it be pasterized ? Or should I just ask for a raw fresh milk ? Thanks,
Denisa :)))
Hi Denisa, you can use raw milk or pasteurized — it makes little difference in soapmaking as far as I’m aware.
I made this soap and it went well except I got a bit flustered near the end as in the equipment list there is a sieve but then there’s no mention of it in the instructions! I started to sieve the lye mixture but it seemed to thick so I gave up. Should I have sieved something? Thanks very much for your help and all your recipes seem great!
Hi Sally and sorry for the confusion. The sieve comes in when you pour the lye solution into the oils, and its purpose is to catch any lumps or undissolved bits of lye. It’s a step that not all soapmakers use, though, so it’s optional. Hoping your soap turned out lovely :)
I’m new and don’t have castor oil…why use it and can you substitute anything for it?
There is no direct substitute for castor oil in soapmaking. It’s due to its unique fatty acid profile and soap properties. If you cannot buy/find it, make a soap recipe that doesn’t include it. More on why
Hi :)
Is it possible to replace the milk with another type of milk – oatmeal or even breast milk? Or does it require calculating a new recipe?
💜
Tal
Hi Tal, and yes, you could use another type of animal milk, including human. Oat milk and other nut milks aren’t the same thing as dairy milk though. Unless there’s added sugar, it doesn’t tend to scorch soap like naturally true milk.
Hi Tanya,
I’m new to soap making and I found this recipe to be very easy to follow and I appreciate the time you have put into this forum.
In my trials I added the goat milk once the lye reached 100 degrees, I then only let the solution get to 90 degrees before I mixed it with the oils. All the other recipes I followed your directions exactly. My question is, this “oops” actually turned out nicer. The color is a beautiful antique white and the others are creamy slight yellow. Is it ok that I only let the milk+ lye solution only get to 90 degrees?
Thank you.
Hi Tory, the yellowing in goat milk soap is caused by lye reacting with (heating) the sugars in the milk. Adding milk then letting it cool to 90F would have no impact on lessening the yellowing. The milks caramelize in the lye solution before you add it to the oils. Hope this helps.
thank you . Loved this soap. this was my first ever CP soap. I didnt get it all creamy white even though i put it in fridge. but ill try it in the freezer next time.
I’m a newbie to this soap making. I read the question about substituting goats milk powder for liquid. You suggested adding it to the oils. I’m wanting to use the powder option as well, I’m presuming I increase the distilled water by an extra 100 ml to compensate for the lack of fluid from the liquid milk?
Hi Lucinda, and yes, you would swap out the 100g of goat milk for 100g distilled water. Add the goat milk powder to your melted oils just before you add the lye solution and continue will the molding and refrigerating. Let me know how it goes? :)
Hello Tanya,
Thank you so much for this recipe and all the work you put into it! I just stumbled onto your website yesterday and made the soap with my teenage daughter. Perfect timing for Christmas and her chemistry class. Just took it out of the refrigerator and it looks fantastic. For the next 3 or 4 days should we be keeping it warm or cool? I use to make hot processed soap years ago and I remember having to keep it wrapped in a blanket. I am looking forward to exploring the rest of your website :)
Tracy
Hi Tracy and that’s fantastic! Well done on your first batch of soap for a while :) Now that the soap is out of the fridge you should cut it and cure it. Keep it at room temperature while it’s curing :)
I’m excited to try this recipe. One thing I wanted to note, I read the ingredients and the instructions. I got to the end where you mention adding additional essential oils at the same time you add the grapefruit seed extract. No where in the ingredients or instructions was the GSE listed. Maybe an edit is needed for clarification? I wouldn’t know where to add it! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Ah! Thank you :) I’ve removed GSE from most of my recipes now. I used to use it religiously but as long as all of your soaping ingredients are well within your best-by date, there’s no need to add an additional antioxidant.
Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I have been making goat milk soap for some time but just can’t get a strong enough smell. I use only natural essential oils which can be costly and I feel like I use some much and barely can smell it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Dezirae, I have a piece sharing how much essential oil to use in soap that you might find helpful. Many essential oils can be added to soap at 3% of the total recipe by weight. It’s more than enough to scent your bars beautifully :)
I appreciate you posting your soap recipes! I’ve tried others and have had much disappointment. The goats milk recipe had me wondering if I could use goat milk powder instead of goats milk itself?
Goats milk is not easiest to come by where I’m located and would be extremely helpful if I were able to use the powder.
Again thanks for all your post & the time it takes to do this.
Thanks Kindly,
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly, the best way to add goat milk powder to cold-process soap is to blend it with the liquid oils. You do this before you add them to the melted solid oils and before you add the lye solution. Many soapmakers use 1.5-3 tsp of goat milk powder per pound (454g) of soapmaking oils so that’s a good place to start with your own recipes. Hope this helps :)
Hi Tanya! I’m excited to try this recipe this weekend! I have one question that you may not know the answer to: Can I use frozen breastmilk in place of the goat milk? If so, does the lye amount change? I haven’t been able to find much online for using human milk haha.
I will be making this batch with goat milk but I thought maybe the next one I could try breastmilk!
Hi Kristen and yes you can do that! The lye amount will not change either :)
Hi Tanya – I sent you a message via this format over a week ago about how much to measure out “drops” of GSE but have not received a reply. However having looked at other parts of your website I realise that you have just moved house so you’ve doubtless not had any spare time, let alone answering queries. I hope the move has gone okay, it can be really stressful I know. I’ve watched your video of the new house and garden, it looks wonderful, I’m envious of the garden as mine is tiny.
After my email about the GSE drops I realised I have a dropper so used that when making the goat milk soap. I followed the recipe closely and having taken it out of the mould and cut into bars it looks really and just like your’s; I’m looking forward to using it when it is ready.
Many thanks, Marianne.
It has been a bit stressful recently and I’m glad you’ve sorted your dropper out :) GSE is an optional ingredient that you don’t need to use in soap recipes if you don’t wish to. It’s added in such tiny amount — drops — that I’ve never measured it in weight before.
Hi Tanya,
I am new to soap making and want to know if I make this recipe and let it cure the 4-6 weeks, can I use it as a Melt and Pour Soap Base? Or is that different recipes that require Hot Process
Hi Rachelle — I’d recommend that you read this piece on the different types of handmade soap you can make.
Can honey and oats be added at trace to this recipe as written?
Yes of course :) No more than 1-1/2 tsp of honey though and make sure to refrigerate after pouring into the mold(s). The extra sugar will heat the soap up.
Hi Tanya, I’m planning to try your recipe, but I’m just wondering – does it matter if I use semi-skimmed goats’ milk? Is the milk’s fat content important?
The more fat, the higher chance of the soap scorching from heat but if you make sure to keep the temperatures low, you’ll be fine.
what’s the grapefruit seed extract for? why do we need to add that?
It’s optional, but it helps free-floating oils (your superfat) from going rancid over time.
How much fragrance oil would you use for this recipe? would it be 3 teaspoons?
It depends on the essential oil. There’s further information in this piece: https://lovelygreens.com/make-soap-with-essential-oils/
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for sharing your recipes. I have just started making soap.
For the smaller 6 soap recipes, can you typically double a recipe?
Alison
Absolutely :)
Hi, I may have missed it, where do you get your goats milk, what brand do you use? Thanks so much and I love your website.
You can use any goats milk. I get my own from a farmer friend here on the Isle of Man.
This website is making want to make soaps. This is really the best for easy to follow instructions. Is there any ingredient that I can use to replace the shea butter? Shea butter actually dries my skin. Thank you for the advice.
Most of the shea butter in this recipe is transformed into soap so it should not have the same effect on your skin. As for swapping out, that’s not an easy thing to do without recalculating the entire recipe. Soap making is chemistry and the sodium hydroxide amount is specifically for the oils, and amounts of those oils, in a recipe.
Hello, please can you tell me the use by date for this soap? Surely it’s longer than the milks use by date? Thanks, Cathy
Yes, it is longer than the milk’s use-by date. It has a maximum shelf-life of one year OR the closest best-by date of the other ingredients you used.
hi ! Thank you so much for you soap-lovin’ heart and blog! It has been a great friend to me during my beginning stages! I plan on trying this recipe out. I really am looking forward to the white color; however, I have extra virgin olive oil,, will this effect the nice white? If so, can I add bentonite clay?
It may be a little yellow at first but should lighten over time. Make it first before considering other options.
Hello, love your recipes! I was wondering if you could replace the coconut oil with anything else? I’m allergic to coconut and I’m hard pressed to find melt and pour, per made soaps, and soap recipes without it.
Thank you for your help!
You can replace coconut for babassu oil but it has a different saponification value so you’ll need to update the lye amount. Here’s more on how you would do that: https://lovelygreens.com/change-customize-soap-recipe/
Hi Tanya,
Absolutely love making your soaps, they are absolutely amazing, was just wondering with your goat milk soaps, how do you go about adding some essential oils and colour, do I need to modify the recipe at all? Or can I just add the recommended % of essential oils to the recipe? Or in the case of colour as much as I would like?
Thank you so much!
Hi Amanda and thanks! You can add essential oil and/or colour in the trace stage. I have information on how much essential oil you can use over here: https://lovelygreens.com/make-soap-with-essential-oils/
Dear Tanya!
What’s use Sodium hidroxide or Natrium hidroxide? And you wrote water , natural water or destilled water? Many many thanks :)
Hi Orsolya, it’s best to work with distilled water or rain water if possible. Tap water with chlorine or minerals can affect the soap’s lather and amount of soap scum it produces. I’m not sure about what you’re asking in regards to Sodium hydroxide.
Hi Tanya,
I’ve given a few bars of my goat’s milk soap away as gifts and my mother-in-law is saying that the soap is turning her white wash clothes a bit orange. Could goat’s milk soap do that? Or did I do something wrong when making it?
Thank you for your help!
Vicki
It should not be turning anything orange. Also, this recipe is not a good one for laundry soap and shouldn’t really be used as such. It’s superfatted — meaning extra oil for your skin. Extra oil does not bode well for clothing though.
I created bar soap for skin. She uses a wash cloth to wash her face. She said the soap turned her wash cloth orange.
Something is wrong in this scenario but it doesn’t have anything to do with the soap recipe.
Definitely! I’m only using it as face/body bar soap. I’m guessing my mother-in-law is using a white washcloth when washing her face. Possibly she’s laundering her wash clothes in something that is causing a reaction with the goat’s milk soap? I believe she always uses white vinegar in her rinse cycle to soften her laundry. Maybe that is still on the washcloth when she uses the Goat’s Milk Soap to wash her face? What are your thoughts on that?
Thanks,
Vicki
I’m not really sure but what you should ask her to do is to use a purpose made laundry soap for laundry. That way there’s no question :)
Hi Tanya, your website has really made me want to start and make soaps! I have ordered my mould online today. However, I am wondering if there are any other ways to prolong the “expiry” of the soap other than adding GSE. And any suggestions to stamping the soaps?
There’s no way to prolong the best-by date of soap, I’m afraid. GSE and other antioxidants only help free-floating oils in the soap from going rancid too early. The legal shelf-life of your soap will always be the closest expiration date of any of the raw materials you use. If the coconut oil you use goes off next week then your expiration date for soap sold to customers is also next week. Saying that, I’ve found that the best by date of many oils, especially solid oils and butters, is longer than on the packaging. If you’re making soap just for yourself then you don’t need to be as strict about an expiration.
Hi Tanya!
I just made a batch of your Natural Goat Milk soap and I’m not sure why but when I introduced the lye/milk (74 degree) to the oils (87 degrees), the batch gave off an ammonia smell. Is that normal?
Thanks,
Vicki
Milk mixed with lye can have an odd scent at first. How do your bars smell now is the more important question. If fine, then I wouldn’t worry :)
I just pulled it out of the refrigerator and I think I’m smelling just a hint of goat’s milk.
Thank you Tanya! I can’t wait to try this soap…..in 4 weeks. :)
Oh good, I’m glad :)
Dear Tanya,
I’m just getting into soap making, and I intend to start with your goats milk recipe, which I’ll stick to rigidly. I’ll let you know how it turns out. However, I just wanted your opinion, on the assumption that it works out well, as my intention is to focus in future on producing herbal soaps. Do you think that adding herbal oil and a corresponding colouring to your recipe (say sage oil and/or chopped sage and a little green french clay) would work, or is there a potential problem that I need to know about?
I think your website is really good, by the way, and your videos are great!
Best wishes,
Stephen
Thanks Stephen and yes, to answer your question. French green clay adds more of a tan colour though in my experience. I know some sources say that it is green but just keep that in mind if you use it and it doesn’t turn out the color you were expecting. There’s some more natural color ideas over here: https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-naturally-color-handmade-soap/
Hi Tanya!
I just love your website and how you explain everything. This is my first try at goats milk soap. I got my silicon ice trays and opened my very first bottle of goats milk and when I started pouring the milk into a container to weigh it before putting it in the ice trays, I noticed that there were some curds in the milk. :( I checked the date and it expires next week, so it should be okay. Is that normal? Or should I ditch the milk and go get a fresh bottle?
Milk that expires next week is still in date :) Just strain the curds out and freeze the liquid. There’s a chance that the curds might scorch and turn your soap brown but if that does happen, the soap is still fine to use.
Would it work if I were to ad lemon or orange zest to it and ad a citrus touch? Would that change the recipe? Also, If I were to emit the grapeseed oil, how long would it be good for? Could I use sunflower oil instead of Coconut oil? Lastly, is this recipe good for eczema and/or dry and irritated skin?
Sorry for all the questions! It sounds like a very good recipe!
Unless you’re an experienced soap maker I don’t recommend changing anything in a soap recipe. It’s more complicated than just taking an oil out and replacing it with another. However, you could add the citrus zest if you wish — half a teaspoon will do for this recipe. It won’t add scent but will add specks of colour.
I made the Goat Milk Soap recipe today and it went exactly as you described. Thank you for this recipe and your detailed instructions. The soap looks beautiful and the whole process was very satisfying. I made soap 20 years ago and it did not go as smoothly as this recipe did. I appreciate Lovely Greens website, a true gem!
Hi Tanya ,
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Can I use cold pressed coconut oil in the place of refined coconut oil?
Thanks
Sushma
You could but your recipe would be more expensive and might have a faint coconut scent.
Hi, what does it mean if my soap was crumbly? Also can I use all goats milk or must I use hall and hall (water/goats milk)?
Crumbly soap can be an issue when making soap with sugars like milk, honey, or actual sugar. It’s not the sugars themselves though that cause the issue — it’s the extra heat they generate. It can cause the centers of the soap to gel and the outer edges to not go through gel. In other types of soap it’s just a color difference that happens in this case. In sugar soaps it can sometimes cause crumbliness. Avoid this by soaping at lower temperatures and either ensuring the bars go through gel completely (insulate or gently oven process) or don’t go through it at all (refrigerate). As for the amount of milk — yes you can use all milk. Your chances of soap coming out crumbly or discoloured go up though if you do not take precautions.
Hi!
Thanks sooo much for all the great information… I was wondering if I am suppose to put soap in refrigerator after making it to avoid over heating and for the soap to come out crumbly?
Not all soap, but I recommend that you do that with this recipe and any others that include sugars. Sugars being milk, honey, juice, or actual sugar.
Hi Katrina, I make goats milk without using water and haven’t had any issues.
Hi Tanya,
I am new to your website and I just love it. I tried your goat milk receipe today and I hope it will turn out right. My only worry is that the soap didn’t thickend as much as it used to do to reach trace with my other recipe.
I was wondering if goat milk powder could be an alternative to the liquid one. Did you ever try it?
Thanks for your help and time :)
Joanne
Hi Tanya, I’m interested in making goat milk and also goat whey soap so my question is- could it be done only with milk or whey without any water? Also, should I use fresh or pasteurized milk- is there any difference, because I’d rather use fresh.
Greetings
The more milk you use, the higher chance of it scorching. Saying that, give it a go and see how the soap looks, smells, and lathers afterwards. As for fresh or pastueurized — I don’t think it really matters.
Hi! I am wondering if there is a way to color this soap a light gray. I love the white, but I am worried the white won’t be as white as I need it to be. So my next option is a light gray. Do you have any ideas?
Thank you!
Hi Lesley, I’d recommend you try making it first. This recipe will give you pure white bars if you follow the instructions. If you’d still like to tint it a light grey you can use a little activated charcoal.
I was wondering if it is possible to color this soap to a light gray? If so, what would be the best colorant to use as well as maybe add to the soothing properties that this soap has. I love the white, but I’m concerned that it won’t be as white as I was hoping for. So my next alternative is a light gray.
Thank you so much!
Hi – how much soap does this recipe make – just looking at possible mould sizes?
Many thanks – and looking forward to trying this! xx
It’s a 800g batch, so about 8 100g bars
Love this easy to follow instructions, and the comments have cleared up many questions. Is there a print option for the goats milk soap? Blessings to you and your family.
Bev
Hi Tanya!
I am a always so impressed by your recipes, ideas and farming information. Thank you for sharing all your ideas, recipes and tips. I would like to double this recipe..is this possible without any major issues? Do you have any thoughts or tips on doing this successfully? Thank you so much for all you do for the natural living and soaping community! Tara Penske-Amadeus Aromatherapy
You can absolutely double or triple it, not problem. Have fun soaping and let me know how you get on :)
Is this recipe compatible for hot process soap making? I am new to soap making. I tried your recipe and love the way it feels, but I don’t really have the time to wait 4 – 6 weeks since we are getting ready for farmer’s markets.
I wouldn’t recommend it for hot process — the soap will turn brown with the extra heat.
Love this! Can I leave out the anti-oxidant if I don’t have any on hand? If I do leave out the Grapefruit Seed Extract, do I have to change the recipe? (Also thinking of throwing in the honey at the end).
Yes of course — the antioxidant is optional. As for honey, it can heat the soap up due to its sugars. To keep your soap light coloured make sure to refrigerate it after pouring it into the mould. Happy soaping :)
I made soap twice with this recipe and it came out perfect both times. I appreciate the detailed instructions that provide everything needed to make this soap. I used almond fragrance for the first batch and lavender/lemon for the second.
Really pleased you enjoyed the recipe so much that you made it twice :) Thanks for sharing your experience Noah
hi Tanya , i love your site, can i avoid to put the soap in de fridge? what’s the difference?
Thanks so much Mirta! You don’t have to refigerate your soap but beware that it might not turn out as creamy white as in the photos. It might even get a gel circle in the centre. Not a biggie as far as functionality (it’s still very usable soap), it just won’t look as nice if it discolours.
I made this recipe 4 days ago and it turned out great. When I first poured it in the mold I matched the color with some goat milk soap that I made a couple months ago. The color was slightly lighter than the older soap from the beginning but it seems to be getting lighter each day. I just cut it for the 4 week cure and am quite pleased. Thank you so much.
Hi Tanya I love the way go around explaining things. I am a big fan of urs. I had one question though, can I used cow or buffalo’s milk instead of goat’s milk.
thanks
Of course you can :) Buffalo milk soap — interesting!
Hi there, I love this site. Have just made my first batch of lemongrass soap and it has turned out quite brittle and crumbly. Am I able to reheat and repour? Thanks.
Brittle and crumbly doesn’t sound right — check to see if the soaps are lye-heavy (with a PH test) before rebatching. You might have mis-measured the ingredients. It’s happened to us all!
I’m following your posts and thank you for sharing with us what you create. I love soap with goat milk and I think I will try as soon as possible this way to make it. I have tried several times to put the goat milk to the trace, up to a maximum half of the amount of liquid, and the result is quite pleasing. The advantage of this method is that milk should not be frozen, but just brought to room temperature. Thank you again.
You’re welcome Otilla :)
Tanya, Love your instructions on how to make soap. Do you have a receipe to make Goats Milk soap without lye?
You can’t make soap without Lye Terri — even the ‘Melt and Pour’ soap you can buy pre-made is created using lye.
Best recipe I’ve seen!! Thanks for sharing! :)
That’s so kind of you to say :) Thanks Nichole
Thanks so much for the recipe ! My first time to your site. Very detailed, easy to follow directions. You don’t get all scientific with us. I used to make soap. Back in the hippie days. LOL ! My how things have changed ! This will be my first time trying again. The thing I want the most is lather. Have you any suggestions to make that happen ? Thanks again.
Hi Leatrice :) The coconut oil and castor oil in the recipe see to it that you’ll get a great lather. Welcome to my site and happy soaping!
I have been making goats milk soap for years and it’s always the light brown color. I am thrilled to give this recipe a try. Thank you.
Letting the ice cubes melt into lukewarm lye water helps a lot! Best of luck with your next batch Mary :)
Great looking soap mold! Where can I buy one?
There’s a link in the article to where you can get your own!
Hi Tanya, I tried making Goats milk soap a few days ago, and it turned to mush, none of the other recipes say to put it in the freeer, I have sodium lactate, i think that is what it is called, should I use that instead of putting in the fridge. I really enjoy your videos, and all that you do. I just want my cold process soap to turn out. LoL any advice is good.
Thanks
Joyce
You don’t put your soap in the freezer Joyce — you put it in the fridge to cool. If your soap turned to mush it could be a couple of things: the recipe isn’t good (check a recipe’s values in the SoapCalc before using it), you haven’t waited long enough before cutting it (don’t unmould for 3-4 days with softer soaps), or your soap false-traced meaning the oils cooled and hardened in the pan before they could be bonded with lye. I suggest you use my recipe instead and follow all the steps to the T. You mention substituting ingredients in a previous recipe in a Facebook comment — please don’t do that. It’s the surest way to fail when making soap.
Hi tanya, im new to soap making. I was looking for recipes to try and i came across yours. I like your goat soap recipe but goat milk is too hard to find here in my country. Am i be able to substitute this to soya milk?
Hi Diana, and yes, you could substitute another milk, even non-dairy milk in this recipe. Soy won’t give you the same creaminess and soap qualities as dairy milk though.