How to Make Easy Goat’s Milk Soap at Home

Making soap at home is such a magical & rewarding process! Once you see how simple it is you’ll be hooked too! I’ll show you how to make easy Goat’s milk soap in this tutorial.

Making soap was one of the first DIY’s I discovered. Once my friends discovered how easy it is to make cold process soap, they all started to make their own! Making soap to help with the Eczema & Psoriasis my daughter had was my goal and I have not bought a bar in over 10 years!

Ingredients:

There are thousands of recipes & combinations but this is one of my favourites, especially since the ingredients are easily found.

• Goat milk (I always freeze it first)
• Lye (sodium hydroxide)
• Oils (Lard, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil)
• Optional Essential oils ( for fragrance)
• Optional colourants (optional, e.g., herbs, clays)

I have calculated the recipe for you but you can make your own with this online calculator. Feel free to try some of the more exotic oils/butters, like shea butter, avocado oil, babassu oil or even tallow. This post explains the basic Cold Process Soap making.

How to use SoapCalc:

Don’t despair, this is easier than it looks! You can choose the units (grams, pounds, ounces) The water as percent of oils I use is 30%. In order to have extra oils that will not be saponified you can ‘Super Fat‘ the recipe. I like about 10% super fat. Add the fats/oils from the Oils Fats Waxes menu, choose the amount and when ready Calculate Recipe, then View or Print Recipe. Try it…

This next page will give the Soap Bar Quality. If you want to change anything you can go back and adjust the oil quantities. It is a wonderful tool for soap making – thank you!

Equipment:

• Digital scale
• Glass or stainless steel bowls
• Stainless steel or silicone spatula
• Immersion blender
• Soap molds (silicone or wood lined with parchment paper)
• Thermometer
• Gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves

Important Safety Precautions:

• Lye is Caustic: Lye (sodium hydroxide) is extremely corrosive. Always wear gloves, eye protection, and long sleeves when handling it.
• Ventilation: Work in a well-ventilated area (under a fan hood) to avoid inhaling lye fumes.
• Children and Pets: Keep children and pets away from the soap-making area.
• Accurate Measurements: Precise measurements are crucial for safe and effective soap making.
• Glass or Stainless Steel: Use only glass, stainless steel, or heat-resistant plastic containers and utensils. Avoid aluminum.
• Neutralize Spills: Have vinegar on hand to neutralize any lye spills.

Making goat milk soap at home is a rewarding process! Here’s a breakdown of how to do it, with a focus on safety:

Instructions:

Prepare the Goat Milk:

• I freeze my goat milk in ice cube trays or a ziplock bag. Frozen milk prevents the Lye mixture from getting too hot and burning the sugars in it.

• Take the frozen goat milk out of the freezer (break it into pieces), weigh needed amount & and place it in the stainless steel or heat proof glass bowl. You can add ice to a bowl underneath for more cooling.

Add Lye to Goat Milk:

• Using the digital scale, accurately measure the lye.
• Slowly add the lye to the frozen goat milk, stirring constantly. This will cause the mixture to heat up.
• Stir until the lye is completely dissolved. The mixture will become a yellowish color.
• Be very careful to add the lye to the liquid, not the other way around.

Prepare the Oils:

• Measure the oils according to the recipe.

• Heat and melt the oils to a of temperature around 100°F.
• Once the lye solution and oils are at similar temperature, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils, stirring constantly.
• Use the immersion stick blender to blend the mixture until it reaches “trace.” Trace is when the soap mixture thickens (like pudding) and leaves a faint trail on the surface when drizzled.

• Add Essential Oils or Fragrance oils (Optional):
• Once trace is reached, add any essential oils or natural colourants and stir well. The mixture will often start to get thick quickly so have the mold ready.

Pour into Molds:

• Pour the soap batter mixture into the prepared molds. (line with parchment paper if needed for easier removal later.

The soap batter becomes so thick that you can swirl the tops like icing on a cake.

Insulate and Cure:

• Cover the molds with a lid or plastic wrap and wrap them in a towel or blanket to insulate them.
• Let the soap sit for 24-48 hours to saponify.
• After 24-48 hours, remove the soap from the molds and cut it into bars.
• Place the bars of soap on a drying rack or parchment paper and let them cure for 4-6 weeks in a well-ventilated area. This allows the saponification process to complete and the soap to harden. The lye will react with the oils and no longer be a risk (saponification)

Get creative with colourants! Some gold eye shadow gives these a nice subtle glow! I have even used cocoa as a swirl in my soap!

Funny Fact;

There is a test that can see if the reaction of lye and oils/fats is complete. Touch the tip of your tongue to the soap, if it feels like a ‘zap’ then it is not complete yet; called the Zap Test.

Enjoy Your Soap!

I have never regretted making soap! It lasts really well and I notice there is much less ‘soap scum’ to clean in the shower, perhaps since there are much less odd ingredients. I love that I can make soap from grocery store ingredients and that it lasts so well. Use quality oils and they will only get better over the years!

You can even make your own soap dish

I have been quite impressed how lovely and creamy this recipe is, not to mention the benefits of goat milk soap. It’s creamy, nourishing, gentle, and ideal for those who have sensitive and inflamed skin. That means if you have eczema, psoriasis, or acne, goat milk soap could help the redness, dryness, and itching. You can substitute other oils but some will not last as long so I avoid using some of the canola oils. ‘But just like cooking, you will soon have your own preferences! Happy soaping!