Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (2024)

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Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (1)

This goat milk soap recipe yields soap that is great for your skin! It works with other milk types too so follow the recipe and get started.

Goat Milk Soap Recipe

Since I’ve written other soap-making articles, I’ve been asked often, “How do you make milk-based soaps?” While there are a few shortcuts, milk-based soap is a bit more difficult than most other cold-process soaps, but the end result is well worth the extra effort.

For Beginners

If you haven’t made soap before, we recommend you take a look at our otherarticles on soap making to familiarize yourself with the process before tackling this goat milk soap recipe. Here are some great recipes to help you learn:

  • Homemade Soap for DIY Cleaning Recipes
  • 25 Amazing Soap Making Tips and Secrets
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Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (2)

Goat Milk Soap Recipe (& Other Milk Types)

5 from 1 vote

This goat milk soap recipe yields soap that is great for your skin! It works with other milk types too so follow the recipe and get started.

Prep Time
30 minutes
Active Time
30 minutes
Resting and Curing Time
25 days
Total Time
25 days 1 hour
Servings
4 4 ounce bars
Estimated Cost
$5

Ingredients

  • 12ouncescoconut oil
  • 15ouncesolive oil
  • 13ounceslard(you can also use sustainably-sourced palm oil, tallow, vegetable shortening, or another comparable oil: see "Additional Notes" section)
  • 13ouncesgoat milk
  • 6ounceslye(100% sodium hydroxide – also find at local hardware store)
  • 1ounceessential oils
  • additives such as oatmeal or lavender flowers(optional)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  1. On the day before you make this goat milk soap recipe, you need to freeze your goat milk. Getting it very cold isn't good enough, it needs to be frozen. I put mine in zip-top bags in the freezer and keep it there until I need it. Each bag is pre-measured at 13 ounces soit's ready to use.

  2. Then, you need a large glass or stainless steel bowl. (Avoid using plastic, as it may absorb odors.) Put this in a larger bowl or the sink and fill the outside bowl about half full with cold waterand ice so it’s very cold. In the inside bowl, place your frozen chunks of milk.

  3. Very slowly, add your lye andcarefullysquish it into the milk. A stainless steel potato masher works quite well for this step. Keep adding the lye until it is all incorporated. It will probably not get hot or even warm. Don’t worry about that, it doesn’t need to. If the ice in the outside bowl melts, keep replacing it. It needs to stay very cold. The milk may turn orange or even tan to light brown. This is normal. If it turns dark brown, you’ll need to start over. The milk is scorched at this point. The sugars in the milk are very sensitive and need to be kept very cold to keep them from scorching. And if you smell an ammonia-like smell, that is normal too – just keep going. This smellwill fade while it is curing.

  4. When your lye/milk is ready, keep it on ice while you get the oils ready. Measure your oils using akitchen scale. Combine oils and heatthem slightly until they are about 110° – 125°F.

  5. When the oils are ready, slowly pour the lye/milk mixture into the oils. Mix by hand for the first 5 minutes and then use astick (immersion) blenderto bring it to trace. If you've never made soap before, this is where it gets quite thick, much like pudding. When it comes to a trace, add your essential oils and any additives and pour it into molds.

  6. Wait 24 hours or more, remove from molds,and cut if desired. Wait 3-4 weeks, turning it every so often so all sides have been exposed to air. You can test the pH with test strips to make sure it’s cured (the desired pH is between 8-10), or use the old “touch your tongue to it” method. If you get any kind of tingle on your tongue, it’s not ready yet and will be too harsh on yourskin if used at this point. (I’ve been doing this since 1995 and that tiny bit of lye on an uncured bar will not hurt you.)Wrap when completely cured.

Recipe Video

Notes

You could substitute milk for water in any soap making recipe, but certain types of milk are higher in fat, necessitating the use of more lye to make it work. I’ve used the following goat milk soap recipe and it works great. Depending on what kind of milk you use though, you may need to use a bit of additional lye. I made a goat milk soap recipe, and that has about the same amount of fat as whole cow’s milk. Others, such as buffalo, sheep, or yak (yes, yak!) have more fat. Increase your lye to 6.5 ounces for these milk types.

Goat Milk Soap Recipe Tips

  • Always keep your milk frozen and the lye/milk mixture cold. This is extremely important to prevent scorching.
  • Lye should be handled with extreme care as it is caustic and can burn your skin. Keep vinegar handy as it will neutralize any lye burns. I got burned yesterday by reaching for a paper towel. I brushed my arm across the lye jar and didn’t think I actually hit it until later when it started to itch. I wiped it with vinegar, put some ointment on, and it’s not even red today.
  • Use only stainless steel or glass as plastic can pick up smells from the milk as it’s “working.”
  • Your other oil can be any oil with a comparable SAP value. The SAP value is the amount of lye that it takes to make that oil into soap. (Actually, it’s more than that, but that’s the short version.) I tend to stick with oils like palmandgrapeseed, which have benefits for the skin.
  • Palm oil is a controversial subject. I have found that Spectrum Foods is the only company that produces sustainably harvested palm oil. (Find it here.) It comes from farmers and is not involved with the rainforest at all. They also make an organic vegetable shortening that works very well in soap.
  • To make goat milk soap with a whiter color either use all clear oils or add small amounts of titanium dioxide. Read our article on how to make goat milk soap white.
  • If your soap mixture doesn’t trace, don’t worry. As long as it is blended well, it will be fine. There have beena few times when my soap didn’t trace and it worked out despite this.
  • It’s very common for your soap to turn gelatinous duringthe first part of thecuring stage. (It’s actually a good thing.) If this happens, do not stiror you’ll upset the balance. Allow it to sit untouched and it will be fine.
Made this recipe?

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Alternative Milk Soap Method

When I’m teaching a class, it’s hard enough to keep everyone together without throwing frozen milk into the equation. So I give them an alternative. Prepare your soap as you typically would using a cold-process soap recipe. Then, at the trace, add a few teaspoons of powdered goat milk mixed with a bit of oil. I use oil, not water because it smooths out well and doesn’t get lumpy like when mixed with water. You may still get the orange color and some ammonia smell – remember that it’s normal for that to happen. You can still add whatever you want. The color will fade and become a nice creamy color.

I love making this goat milk soap recipe because it is so goodfor your skin. And it helps justify my love for mygoats!

Do you have a favorite goat milk soap recipe? Share in the comments section below!

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Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (3)

About Debra Maslowski

Debra is a master gardener, a certified herbalist, a natural living instructor, and more. She taught Matt and Betsy how to make soap so they decided to bring her on as a staff writer! Debra recently started an organic herb farm in the mountains of Western North Carolina. You can even purchase her handmade products on Amazon!

PAID ENDORsem*nT DISCLOSURE: In order for us to support our website activities, we may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for our endorsem*nt, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this website.

DISCLAIMER: Information on DIY Natural™ is not reviewed or endorsed by the FDA and is NOT intended to be substituted for the advice of your health care professional. If you rely solely upon this advice you do so at your own risk. Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure statements here.

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Comments

  1. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (7)how many women over 60 use sex toys says

    Is anyone here in a position to recommend Tail Butt Plugs? Thanks xox

  2. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (8)Kristi Grokett says

    Love this recipe, it has become my go to for everyday soap!!

  3. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (9)Promise says

    Helpful tips I would like to know how to run a recipe correctly on soap Cal for soaping please

  4. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (10)Janet Bennett says

    I have found powdered goats milk at WalMart, but it’s in a 12 oz container. Will that be sufficient for this recipe?

  5. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (11)Drew says

    Hi,

    As a newbie having made soap successfully once and just seeing your soap recipe – looks great . . . question is how much “essential oil” to add? Thought rosemary would be good with flecks of rosemary leaves as per one suggestion.

    Please advise. Would like to try.

    Thanks.

  6. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (12)Brittany says

    This article was very helpful. As a soapmaker myself, I have had a goats milk soap batch burn a time or two and the ugly brown color is not at all appealing to my eyes, so I know it can’t be appealing to my customer’s eyes. I will freeze my milk next time and slow down when adding the lye. Great tips!

    • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (13)Debra Maslowski says

      Thanks Brittany! Yes, the first time I made goat’s milk soap, it was a disaster! I didn’t know about the scorching, but soon learned. I’ve found now that if I do have a batch that turns an off color, I use that to my advantage. Some milk contains more sugars, so it can turn yellowish or orangey. For these I make my mocha soap, adding cocoa and coffee. It’s a big hit!

  7. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (14)AOS says

    Hmmmmm, I got some goat milk mixed with herbs…it was really lovely and have been planning of how to make my own soap. Thank you so much but is there anything that can replace lye because we hardly get lye from this part of Africa.

  8. Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (15)Kristal Vaughn says

    THANK YOU FOR THE KNOWLEDGE
    I’M GREATFUL OXOXOXOXOX

    • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (16)Marianne head says

      Two questions Debra: you mention that if the milk turns brown it Is scorched. I reread the article several times and saw nothing about applying heat to anything but the oils. Is it the lye that “heats” the milk? Please elaborate on this. Also, I have never heard the phrase “comes to a trace” so please explain this. A family member gave me a bar of her goat milk soap (from her own goats!) which had flecks of fresh mint and Rosemary. It is the most delightful soap! Now I’m keen to make it myself! Thank you so much!

    • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (17)Debra Maslowski says

      Thanks so much Kristal!! I love knowing that I’ve helped people. And Marianne, you’re absolutely right. I neglected to clarify that information. Thanks for pointing it out. When you add lye to a liquid, it will heat up significantly. That’s why milk need to be kept very cold, so that the lye doesn’t scorch it. And as to the second question, the “trace” is where the soap thickens to the point of looking like vanilla pudding. When you use a regular recipe, the oils and lye solution create a oily combination that is quite liquid. Stirring for a while, sometimes up to an hour, will cause the lye particles to combine with the oils making it thicken. When it gets to this point, it’s ok to add essential oils, herbs and whatever else you want, and then pour it into molds. With milk based soaps, the “trace” might never happen, so it may not get thick like a cold process recipe would. It’s ok to add your ingredients, like the rosemary and mint, after a good 10 minutes of blending even if it doesn’t come to a trace. It’s possible that it might not. I hope this helps!

    • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (18)Marie says

      Hello
      when you measure the oils on the kitchen scale do you do it in a bowl and can you use regular measure cups?

      • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (19)Debra Maslowski says

        Hi Marie,
        You can use any type of container to weigh your oils. Just be sure to weigh them, not measure. It can sometimes, be the same, but more often than not it’s very different. What I do is to place the container on the scale ans set it to zero. Then weigh your first oil and reset it to zero. Keep doing this until you have all of what you need.

    • Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (20)margarita says

      I made my first batch of goatmilk soap. It turned out wonderfully. I used almond butter, so my soap turned brown, Like caramel. I tried it on my face, it feels nice and soft. I had fun adding any oil I choose. Next time I may go with a whiter bar and fragrance. It was fun, the hardest part is waiting for the soap to cure.

Goat Milk Soap Recipe: This Also Works With Other Types of Milk (2024)

FAQs

What types of milk can you make soap with? ›

You can use any kind of milk you like - cow, goat, almond, coconut, etc. It does require some extra prep work.

What can you add to goat milk soap? ›

For the rosemary and mint goats milk soap recipe, I used rosemary essential oil to compliment the goat's milk with its soothing properties which again help with dry skin. It also brings a lovely woodsy scent to the soap. I used mint essential oil, too, as it helps to tone the skin as well as hydrate and rejuvenate.

Can you mix glycerin and goat milk soap? ›

A: Not 100% certain about the goat milk, but you can mix it with the glycerin. I made mixes with both liquid and solid glycerin and it turned out fine.

Can you use store bought goats milk to make soap? ›

One of our favourite uses for our goat's milk, other than cheese, is to make goat's milk soap. Great for people with dry skin, this soap is easy to make and makes a wonderful gift. It is just as easy to make with shop bought goat's milk, so no need to buy a goat (though you may want to!!)

What are the disadvantages of goat milk soap? ›

Goat's milk soap and other skin products may contain additives and perfumes that may irritate the skin. Other ingredients in skin products containing goat's milk may include olive oil, coconut oil, and fragrances.

What is the best milk for soap? ›

Goat milk soap is the best choice for people with sensitive skin as goat milk soaps are pH balanced and will not strip your skin of its natural oils like some harsh soaps can. We pride ourselves in producing a high quality soap that we know is made with the best goat milk possible.

What makes goat milk soap better? ›

Goat milk soap is less allergenic than synthetically loaded commercial soaps and detergents. It is known that goats milk can reduce skin inflammation, and soothes dry and damaged skin. Goats milk soap can reduce wrinkles and delay signs of skin aging. Its natural emollients and triglycerides moisturise skin.

Do you have to use lye in goat milk soap? ›

Even goat milk liquid soap uses potassium hydroxide (a form of lye) instead of the sodium hydroxide (lye) that is used to make bar-soap. However, to make any soap, lye is a necessary ingredient.

Can you add coconut oil to goats milk soap? ›

Coconut oil is a popular ingredient in goat milk soap recipes because it lathers quickly and produces more bubbles than other oils. However, coconut oil can also make the soap feel heavier on the skin.

Can you whip goat milk soap? ›

Another way to use this soap base is to whip a whipped soap base, and apply it to the melt and pour soap for a whipped texture. Goats Milk Soap Base can make bath fizzies recipes too. There are many ideas that you can come up with using this soap base, it's up to you to decide what you like.

Can you use evaporated goats milk in soap? ›

Yes, I've used it. The recommendation is to subtract half the required amount of water and add the lye to that, then add the evaporated goat milk to the oils in the amount that makes up the subtracted water. So, for example, if your recipe calls for 10 oz. water, you can use 5 oz.

How long does homemade goat milk soap last? ›

Properly made goat milk soap can be kept indefinitely without going bad. Soap, much like wine, gets better with age. Simply store out of direct sunlight, in a place that is neither too hot, too cold nor too humid. Doing so, will allow your soap to be kept for years.

How long does goat milk soap need to cure? ›

At Goat Milk Stuff, we let our soap cure for a minimum of 6 weeks before they are bagged and ready to ship out. But there is a wide variation to how old the bars are when they actually ship. Some can be 6 weeks and some can be 3 months.

Can you use spoiled milk for soap? ›

Answer: You probably could use sour milk in a soap recipe but the question is really whether or not you would want to. The quality of your soap is directly related to the quality of the ingredients you put into it. I think you might find that the smell would still be there after the insulation period and cure time.

Can I use cow milk to make soap? ›

Tips for adding Cow's milk to soap

One of the main things to watch for when soaping with milk is that the proteins and sugars in the milk will cause the chemical reaction with the sodium hydroxide to speed up and become hotter as it makes lye. The best way to combat this is to first freeze your milk.

Can you use old breast milk to make soap? ›

How old can the milk be? We only need 200ml (7 oz) of frozen breastmilk to make 1 kg of breastmilk soap. As long as the breastmilk is kept in frozen deep fridge, the breastmilk can be up to one year old or more.

Can you make soap from milk? ›

Fresh Milk

Either pasteurized or raw milk can be used for soap making. Store-bought fresh milk can be used if you don't have a dairy animal. The milk you have in your fridge right now will do, although whole milk will give a creamier soap lather compared to low-fat varieties.

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