Goat Milk Soap Making - 5 Tips

Goat milk soap just feels different than typical homemade soap. It's a subtle difference maybe. But many people buy into the idea that it's superior. As a long time milk soap maker, I think maybe the superiority of milk soap may be oversold. But it does have a better feel, it seems, and it's certainly an interesting selling point. Here are 5 tips for making the best milk soaps.

1. Use ice.

Milk burns if it gets too hot. That's what carmelized milk is... burned milk. That happens in the soap if the milk gets too hot. That's why much milk soap is a dark brown color, sort of burnt looking. Here's the tip. Slowly mix the lye into the milk and keep the milk pan immersed in an ice water bath. Keep the milk/lye mix at lower temperatures and the mix stays a yellow creamy color and not a burnt brown and the finished soap stays the same color.

2. Freeze the milk.

Another way to protect the milk from burning is to use partially frozen, slushy milk at the start of the addition of the lye. That way you can better control the heat of the lye reaction. Just freeze all your milk and let it partially thaw before mixing up you lye milk mixture.

3. Consider a blender.

Mixing lye in milk causes some of the milk fat to quickly start turning to soap. It makes little small clumps. It's just a cosmetic thing. You can mix the finished lye milk mix in a blender to completely eliminate these little clumps. This is very risky though and I wouldn't recommend that most people try this. Why? Whirling around a dangerous, caustic lye mixture borders on insanity. It makes beautiful soap though for crazy people who like to gamble...

4. Keep the liquid levels moderate.

There's no reason to use a lot of excess liquid in making milk soap. Most people use too much water in soap. So what? Excess water means longer for soap to cure as well as much more shrinkage. Carefully look at your recipes for the correct water ratios. There are on-line resources to help you get the water right.

5. Watch the lye discount.

To much lye means caustic, burning, nasty soap. Too little lye means oils don't get changed to soap. It's a balancing act and key to making great soap. Getting the right amount of lye, that is. The lye discount recommended varies, but often looks like about 10 percent. That is too high for milk soap, in my opinion. That leaves too much free oil which, for one thing, cuts the bubbles back. A number more in the 5 percent range is better. Be careful with lye discounts.

Making goat milk soap is a great way to make better soap. There's a demand for milk soap because it's perceived to be better for the skin and milder to use. Key to making beautiful milk soap is controlling the temperature of the milk and lye mixture. Keeping the temperature under control means you can build soap that's a creamy yellow instead of burnt orange.

Al Bullington and his family made and sold soap for years and learned to make money with soap. Read more about their experiences at their website: http://SoapBizKit.com.