Feedback on Oatmeal Honey Goats Milk Recipe

Hi all

I would like to make my second batch. My first batch of a nice lemongrass soap turned out nicely!

Olive Oil- 8.4 Ounces
Coconut oil- 5.6 Ounces
Palm Oil- 3.6 Ounces

Total Oils- 17.6 Ounces

Goats Milk- 6.6 Ounces
Oatmeal- 0.8 Ounces
Honey- 0.4 Ounces
Lye- 2.54 Ounces

Do you think this sounds ok?

Many thanks in advance!

I would actually change your recipe a bit to: Palm to 8.4 oz, CO 3.6 oz and Olive 5.6. You've got almost 32% CO in your recipe which would be way too cleansing. Use more palm as you will get a harder longer lasting bar of soap. Re run through a soap calc for your lye amount. I would also suggest you measure in grams as making smaller batches it is much more accurate. Also, if you have access to Castor Oil, I would add that at 5% and subtract it from the Olive.

Thanks so much. Yes, my first batch had Ca Oil but I thought to test another recipe but if it will be better to add it back I will.
:mrgreen:

You can try making it without the castor oil. But you are going to be sorely disappointed with the lather, I would, anyway.

Hi nuta!

Welcome to another Aussie :wave:

Because this is your second batch (congrats on your first btw), I would suggest to you that you use only half of your liquid as goats milk. The reason for this is that goats milk can burn and get VERY stinky when it's mixed with lye (and that heats up). A workaround is to use water to mix with the lye (the first half of your 1/2 and 1/2 water and goats milk liquids) and then add the goats milk once the lye has fully dissolved and cooled down. Alternatively, if you have time and want to use full goats milk, you can freeze the goats milk in ice cube trays (which is what some here do quite effectively).

The other thing to be aware of is that honey will increase the heat of your soap, so watch the soap a little closer at the start of the cure to avoid overheating (this applies more if you are making a log of soap, it's not so much of a problem in individual moulds because the soap will cool down a lot quicker).

Anyway, best of luck and please post some photo's!

Speaking only for myself, your recipe looks fine to me. Although some folks can't use coconut as high as 30% or more, a good thing to take note of is that other folks are perfectly fine with 30% or more. It all depends on one's skin-type. For what it's worth, I'm one of those that can do any amount of CO as long as my superfat is high enough. For example, the recipe in your above post with an 8% superfat would do quite well with my skin-type.

Re: the goat milk. SaltedFig makes a good point, namely that a goat milk soap using 100% goat milk as your liquid for your second batch may prove to be a challenge. Not saying it can't be done, but just that there are challenges to be aware of.

I'm one of those soapers that hates to dissolve my lye into anything but water, so when I make a 100% goat milk soap, I use the 'split method' of milk soaping: I mix my lye with an equal amount of water in weight and then set it aside. Then I add the remaining amount of my required water amount as fresh goat milk directly into my oils (but first I fortify the fresh goat milk with enough powdered goat milk to bring the overall goat milk concentration up to 100%). Then I add the lye solution into the oils/milk. This is the best way I've found to make goat milk soap without any of the fuss or muss that comes along with adding the lye directly to the milk.

IrishLass

Thanks for the advice. This Aussie newbie appreciates it! I am moving to the USA in about a year!

I have the goats milk frozen in the freezer and was intending on using the ice bath, and also as I was adding the honey at trace I will pop the soap in the moulds in the freezer. I read everything I can get my hands on! I read the advice on Soap Queen as well!

Congrats on your successful first batch nuta! I have been reading, lurking and studying for about 3 months anticipating my first batch and plan on lemongrass as well. If only a snowstorm hadn't held up my ingredients. Good luck with your next batch. We have similar taste. Will coffee be your 3rd try?

Weedfield said:

Congrats on your successful first batch nuta! I have been reading, lurking and studying for about 3 months anticipating my first batch and plan on lemongrass as well. If only a snowstorm hadn't held up my ingredients. Good luck with your next batch. We have similar taste. Will coffee be your 3rd try?

Click to expand...

I went to look at some market stalls and smelt all the soaps and worked out that I should make the ones that actually had a strong fragrance. Often ones that said they were chocolate or vanilla didn't smell of anything. I bought various EOs..some lovely Aussie ones too: Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. I bought lemongrass, lavender, peppermint and spearmint. I would love to buy some lemon myrtle. I don't know if it's available in the States but it smells devine! Next up I am going to try a nice blend of something (don't know what yet!) and work on a natural colouring such as using Annatto powder. I may try coffee one day, but I don't drink it so never have it laying around the house! I am not that fond of using unnatural ingredients. While the pinks and blues etc look so lovely, I don't really want to the put them on my skin..but I may change my mind next week lol!

Here's the photo! They smell nice! I'll give them a few week's more curing time! They smell of honey and oats very faintly.

My first batch are at the back..the lemongrass.