Natural Goat Milk Soap Recipe
Simple goat milk cold process soap recipe that makes 8-10 bars. Technical information: 28 oz / 800 g batch -- 7% superfat -- 35% lye concentration.
Servings 10 bars
Cost 20
Equipment
- silicone loaf mold (28 oz) or another mold of your choice
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 (refined) 5.29 oz
Liquid oils
- 400 g olive oil (light colored or pomace) 14.11 oz
- 50 g castor oil 1.76 oz
Add at Trace
- 7 tsp lavender essential oil Optional
Instructions
Freeze the Goat Milk
- Pour the goat milk into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Prepare to Make Goat Milk Soap
- Cold-process soapmaking is chemistry, and this recipe uses lye. Lye is a caustic substance that is completely neutralized in the soapmaking process, but it can be harmful if not handled correctly. Please read this soap making safety guidance before proceeding.
- Get organized before you make your batch of soap. Have safety equipment ready, including goggles and gloves, and that you're dressed appropriately with long sleeves and flat, comfortable footwear. Have the soapmaking equipment laid out, ingredients pre-measured, and ensure you'll be work undisturbed.
Make the Lye Solution
- Put on your rubber gloves and eye protection (goggles), and set yourself up in an area with good ventilation. Next to an open window 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).
Pour the Lye Solution into the Oils
- 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.
Make the Goat Milk Soap
- 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. If you dribble some of the soap batter from the stick blender back down, you'll also see trails forming on the surface.
- If you're using the optional lavender essential oil, you can stir it in now.
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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
If you're looking for a goat milk soap that requires NO freezing, no waiting, and no goat milk powder, you'll find one in Natural Soapmaking for Beginners Online Course. The video showing how to make it is included above.