• Home
  • Blog
  • My Book
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • About
    • Contact
    • Terms & Privacy

Lovely Greens

INTERESTED IN SOAP MAKING & EDIBLE GARDENING?

Sign up for the weekly Lovely Greens newsletter to get new ideas straight to your inbox for free:

Check your Email

To be subscribed to Lovely Greens you'll need to confirm your Email address. Head to your email and find the message I just sent you. You'll need to click the confirm button to complete the registration.

.
  • Books
    • A Woman’s Garden
    • Lovely Greens Guide to Natural Soapmaking
    • Calendula Skincare Ebook
  • Gardening
    • Intro to Gardening
    • Kitchen Gardening
    • Skincare Gardening
    • Gardening tips
    • Gardening Projects
    • Flowers
  • Soap Making
    • Intro to Soap Making
    • Soap Recipes
    • Soap Making Series
    • Soap Making Videos
  • Videos
    • Introduction to Videos
    • Browse videos
    • Subscribe on YouTube
  • More topics
    • The Isle of Man
    • Plant Based Skincare
    • Candle making
    • Food Recipes
    • DIY Natural Home
    • Beekeeping
    • DIY Gift Ideas
    • Most Popular
    • Wild Food Foraging
    • Travel
  • Browse by Season
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
    • Winter
How to make Pure White Natural Goat Milk Soap
This post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure statement.
Share409
Tweet
Pin2K
3K Shares

June 21, 2017 · 85 Comments

How to make Pure White Natural Goat Milk Soap

Beauty· Soap

Easy recipe and instructions for making pure white goat milk soap. Includes guidance on temperatures, equipment, and ingredients.

When you make goats 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 goats 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 goats 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.

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Soaping 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 colour, and they’re low to avoid any strange crumbly messes. The lye-water 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 both space in your freezer and refrigerator for this recipe too.

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Goats Milk Soap Recipe

Makes 8 bars

For full information on soap making safety and equipment please head over here. It’s important to read it before trying to make soap the first time.

Lye Water
109g / 3.8 oz Sodium hydroxide (also called lye or caustic soda)
100g / 3.5 oz Distilled water in a heat-proof jug
100g / 3.5 oz Goats milk

Solid Oils
200g / 7.05 oz Refined coconut oil
150g / 5.29 oz Shea butter

Lovely Greens Guide to Natural Soapmaking

Liquid Oils
400g / 14.11 oz Olive oil pomace (it’s lighter in color than virgin olive oil)
50g / 1.76 oz Castor oil

Add at Trace
8 drops Grapefruit seed extract (optional)

Special Equipment needed
Digital thermometer
Digital kitchen scale
Stick (immersion) blender
Silicone soap mold

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Step 1: Freeze the Goats Milk

Pour the goats milk into an ice cube tray and freeze.

Step 2: Make the Lye solution

Put on your rubber gloves and eye protection 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).

Step 3: Add the Milk Cubes

When the lye-water 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)

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Step 4: Heat 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.

Step 5: Add the Liquid Oils

When the solid oils are melted, take the pan off the heat and pour in the liquid oils. 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).

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Step 5: Mixing

When the lye-liquid is fully melted and the oils are the right temperature, pour the lye solution into the oils. Immerse a stick 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.

Step 6: Add the Antioxidant

When the soap batter has thickened to the consistency of warm custard, stir in the optional drops of grapefruit seed extract. It works as an anti-oxidant and helps prolong the shelf-life of your bars of soap. It’s not a preservative but rather an agent that helps stop oils from going rancid.

How to make Natural Goat Milk Soap

Step 7: Mold and Cool

Pour the soap into your mold, whether it’s the silicone soap mold, an empty paper milk carton, or something else. Now line the exposed part of the soap with plastic wrap and pop the mold into the refrigerator. Leave it there for 24 hours.

Step 8: Cut & Cure

Take the 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.

When cut, leave the bars someplace airy and out of direct sunlight to cure for 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 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 the same time that you add the grapefruit seed extract. 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.

You might also like

  • Simple Castile Soap Recipe: how to make olive oil soap with just three ingredientsSimple Castile Soap Recipe: how to make olive oil soap with just three ingredients
  • Eco-Friendly Cold Process Soap Recipe + InstructionsEco-Friendly Cold Process Soap Recipe + Instructions
  • Honey & Lavender Soap Recipe + InstructionsHoney & Lavender Soap Recipe + Instructions
  • All Natural Carrot Soap Recipe with Real CarrotsAll Natural Carrot Soap Recipe with Real Carrots
Tweet
Pin2K
Share409
3K Shares
Share409
Tweet
Pin2K
3K Shares
Previous Post: « 20+ Ideas & Projects to add interest to a Rainy Garden
Next Post: How to make DIY Ollas: Low Tech Self-Watering Systems for Plants »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patty says

    November 10, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    Can honey and oats be added at trace to this recipe as written?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      November 13, 2020 at 1:34 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Vashti says

    July 30, 2020 at 8:47 am

    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?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 30, 2020 at 9:59 am

      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.

      Reply
  3. mo says

    June 12, 2020 at 6:02 am

    what’s the grapefruit seed extract for? why do we need to add that?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 10, 2020 at 5:21 pm

      It’s optional, but it helps free-floating oils (your superfat) from going rancid over time.

      Reply
  4. Allison says

    April 9, 2020 at 5:01 am

    How much fragrance oil would you use for this recipe? would it be 3 teaspoons?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 11, 2020 at 5:08 pm

      It depends on the essential oil. There’s further information in this piece: https://lovelygreens.com/make-soap-with-essential-oils/

      Reply
  5. Alison Cuthbert says

    April 5, 2020 at 1:25 am

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 11, 2020 at 5:12 pm

      Absolutely 🙂

      Reply
  6. Robin says

    March 23, 2020 at 4:55 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      March 24, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      You can use any goats milk. I get my own from a farmer friend here on the Isle of Man.

      Reply
  7. Ava says

    January 31, 2020 at 4:07 am

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      February 3, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      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.

      Reply
  8. Cathy says

    January 20, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      January 23, 2020 at 9:54 am

      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.

      Reply
  9. Stephania says

    December 3, 2019 at 11:21 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      December 6, 2019 at 10:59 am

      It may be a little yellow at first but should lighten over time. Make it first before considering other options.

      Reply
  10. Grace says

    November 19, 2019 at 2:59 am

    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!

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      November 22, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      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/

      Reply
  11. Amanda says

    November 11, 2019 at 10:07 am

    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!

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      November 12, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      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/

      Reply
  12. Orsolya says

    November 10, 2019 at 9:57 pm

    Dear Tanya!

    What’s use Sodium hidroxide or Natrium hidroxide? And you wrote water , natural water or destilled water? Many many thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      November 12, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      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.

      Reply
  13. Vicki Farley says

    June 18, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 20, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Vicki Farley says

        June 25, 2019 at 4:26 pm

        I created bar soap for skin. She uses a wash cloth to wash her face. She said the soap turned her wash cloth orange.

        Reply
        • lovelygreens says

          July 2, 2019 at 9:06 am

          Something is wrong in this scenario but it doesn’t have anything to do with the soap recipe.

          Reply
      • Vicki Farley says

        June 25, 2019 at 7:45 pm

        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

        Reply
        • lovelygreens says

          July 2, 2019 at 9:04 am

          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 🙂

          Reply
  14. Johnray says

    May 17, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      May 18, 2019 at 3:22 pm

      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.

      Reply
  15. Vicki Farley says

    April 22, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 23, 2019 at 8:42 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
      • Vicki says

        April 23, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply
        • lovelygreens says

          April 23, 2019 at 5:50 pm

          Oh good, I’m glad 🙂

          Reply
  16. Stephen says

    April 16, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 16, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      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/

      Reply
  17. Vicki Farley says

    April 16, 2019 at 12:59 am

    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?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 16, 2019 at 9:38 am

      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.

      Reply
  18. Mischief says

    March 5, 2019 at 10:26 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      March 6, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      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.

      Reply
  19. Mary Jo Thurber says

    March 4, 2019 at 2:44 am

    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!

    Reply
  20. Sushma says

    February 27, 2019 at 11:23 am

    Hi Tanya ,
    Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    Can I use cold pressed coconut oil in the place of refined coconut oil?

    Thanks
    Sushma

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      February 28, 2019 at 12:28 pm

      You could but your recipe would be more expensive and might have a faint coconut scent.

      Reply
  21. Katrina Lomax says

    February 3, 2019 at 4:53 pm

    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)?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      February 3, 2019 at 5:23 pm

      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.

      Reply
    • Kathleen says

      April 28, 2019 at 5:13 am

      Hi Katrina, I make goats milk without using water and haven’t had any issues.

      Reply
  22. Joanne Duguay says

    November 19, 2018 at 4:34 am

    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

    Reply
  23. Bogdana says

    October 20, 2018 at 9:34 am

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      October 20, 2018 at 10:00 am

      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.

      Reply
  24. Lesley Ann Johnson says

    September 21, 2018 at 3:04 am

    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!

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      September 21, 2018 at 10:07 am

      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.

      Reply
  25. Lesley Ann Johnson says

    September 21, 2018 at 2:56 am

    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!

    Reply
  26. Sarah says

    July 22, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Hi – how much soap does this recipe make – just looking at possible mould sizes?
    Many thanks – and looking forward to trying this! xx

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 23, 2018 at 7:28 am

      It’s a 800g batch, so about 8 100g bars

      Reply
  27. Bev says

    July 8, 2018 at 1:50 pm

    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

    Reply
  28. Tara Penske says

    July 7, 2018 at 2:28 am

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 7, 2018 at 11:32 am

      You can absolutely double or triple it, not problem. Have fun soaping and let me know how you get on 🙂

      Reply
  29. Sharon Hartis says

    April 15, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      April 16, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      I wouldn’t recommend it for hot process — the soap will turn brown with the extra heat.

      Reply
  30. Nicole says

    January 28, 2018 at 9:02 pm

    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).

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      January 30, 2018 at 5:56 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
  31. Noah says

    January 7, 2018 at 8:13 am

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      January 8, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      Really pleased you enjoyed the recipe so much that you made it twice 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience Noah

      Reply
  32. mirta torres says

    October 12, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    hi Tanya , i love your site, can i avoid to put the soap in de fridge? what’s the difference?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      October 12, 2017 at 10:06 pm

      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.

      Reply
  33. arefa says

    September 29, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      September 29, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Of course you can 🙂 Buffalo milk soap — interesting!

      Reply
  34. carolyn says

    July 21, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 25, 2017 at 3:48 pm

      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!

      Reply
  35. Otilia says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 19, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      You’re welcome Otilla 🙂

      Reply
  36. Terri Sidell says

    July 1, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Tanya, Love your instructions on how to make soap. Do you have a receipe to make Goats Milk soap without lye?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      July 2, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      You can’t make soap without Lye Terri — even the ‘Melt and Pour’ soap you can buy pre-made is created using lye.

      Reply
  37. Nichole says

    June 28, 2017 at 2:31 am

    Best recipe I’ve seen!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 28, 2017 at 6:34 pm

      That’s so kind of you to say 🙂 Thanks Nichole

      Reply
  38. leatrice gulbransen says

    June 25, 2017 at 6:28 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 26, 2017 at 9:53 am

      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!

      Reply
  39. Mary says

    June 25, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 26, 2017 at 9:52 am

      Letting the ice cubes melt into lukewarm lye water helps a lot! Best of luck with your next batch Mary 🙂

      Reply
  40. Karen Rink says

    June 22, 2017 at 10:54 am

    Great looking soap mold! Where can I buy one?

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 22, 2017 at 6:29 pm

      There’s a link in the article to where you can get your own!

      Reply
  41. Joyce Blake says

    June 21, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    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

    Reply
    • lovelygreens says

      June 22, 2017 at 10:53 am

      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.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to lovelygreens Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




*

I agree

Primary Sidebar

Tanya Anderson Lovely Greens Welcome to Lovely Greens. I'm Tanya and I share ideas on growing organic herbs, vegetables, and fruit and then creatively using them in the home, beauty, and kitchen. Learn more about Lovely Greens

As featured in

Gardeners World Logo HGTV logo Vegetarian Living Logo Willow and Sage Magazine Logo Grow Your Own Mag
A Woman’s Garden, a new book from Tanya Anderson of Lovely Greens, covers eight categories of useful plants, over thirty-five plant-based projects and recipes, and features women gardeners from around the world
  • Books
  • Gardening
  • Soap Making
  • Videos
  • More topics
  • Browse by Season

Footer

Categories

Archives

Search this site

COPYRIGHT © 2021 LOVELY GREENS | Privacy Policy
This site uses cookies to give you the best possible experience. Find out more.