I've been getting a few requests for soaps made with goat's milk, which was something I had seen all around but never personally tried. Well, a few weeks ago, I tried it! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, because in the soaping world, when you use different variables, all sorts of "troubleshooting" can occur. This bar pictured was my first attempt at making the soap, and it is sitting pretty in the Curing Rack right now.
When I first cut this bar, it was very very soft, unlike my usual soaps after they sat in their mold. I found that curious, but another variable that just comes with using goat's milk. I read more about the milk, and from what I've read, I saw that it contains high amounts of lactic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, and caprylic acid. What does this mean? Well, soapmaking is a very high-pH process, with the use of sodium hydroxide as your saponification agent. When adding in any type of acid, it is essentially partially neutralizing the caustic agent. With that being said, the amount of lye I added to react with my soaping oils wasn't at the same percent as usual because of the acids found in the goat's milk.
What does that mean? It means that the bar is more pH balanced, creamier, and probably all around softer. I have yet to try one of my bars since they are still curing, but I am excited to find out what it's like!
In the meantime, next week's post is going to be a semi-tutorial on a soap I'm entering into a contest. It's beautiful, and I can't wait to share it. Happy Monday, and until next time!
When I first cut this bar, it was very very soft, unlike my usual soaps after they sat in their mold. I found that curious, but another variable that just comes with using goat's milk. I read more about the milk, and from what I've read, I saw that it contains high amounts of lactic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, and caprylic acid. What does this mean? Well, soapmaking is a very high-pH process, with the use of sodium hydroxide as your saponification agent. When adding in any type of acid, it is essentially partially neutralizing the caustic agent. With that being said, the amount of lye I added to react with my soaping oils wasn't at the same percent as usual because of the acids found in the goat's milk.
What does that mean? It means that the bar is more pH balanced, creamier, and probably all around softer. I have yet to try one of my bars since they are still curing, but I am excited to find out what it's like!
In the meantime, next week's post is going to be a semi-tutorial on a soap I'm entering into a contest. It's beautiful, and I can't wait to share it. Happy Monday, and until next time!