Breast Milk Soap

[IwantItgreen]

This is the way I think about it:
I have milked cows and I have milked goats. If most of you knew how much mud and manure we had to wash off the udders before we could milk them at certain times of the year you would probably think about it a little differently.

Lactation is sooo natural no matter who/what makes the milk. It is what sustains life. Would l use a strangers breast milk soap? No, probably not. Would I make breast milk soap my soon to be born grandchild? Absolutely, if my daughter wanted me to. Not that we would share it with anyone else, but thinking of the intimacy of using it on baby makes my heart warm.

 

[Stinkydancer]

Well put!

 

[Lindy]

This is the way I think about it:
I have milked cows and I have milked goats. If most of you knew how much mud and manure we had to wash off the udders before we could milk them at certain times of the year you would probably think about it a little differently.

Lactation is sooo natural no matter who/what makes the milk. It is what sustains life. Would l use a strangers breast milk soap? No, probably not. Would I make breast milk soap my soon to be born grandchild? Absolutely, if my daughter wanted me to. Not that we would share it with anyone else, but thinking of the intimacy of using it on baby makes my heart warm.

I agree if it is between mother and daughter, or family members, it is personal.

Having been raised part-time on a farm I know all about how clean the udders have to be before milking. Would I buy raw milk from a stranger - not in this lifetime........

 

[Stinkydancer]

I would buy raw milk from a farmer for my soap if I could, does that count??

Not many goat farms here in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

 

[Stinkydancer]

Well ****...now I miss my breast feeding days.

 

[IwantItgreen]

now I miss my breast feeding days.

You know what? So do I!

Did you know that there is a shortage of donated breast milk nationwide and the human milk banks need donations. Yes, there are blood banks and there are breast milk banks!

 

[PrairieCraft]

StinkyD, I'm in the south suburbs, neighbor I want to move further south for more land. Horses and goats.

 

[scouter139]

I personally wouldn't use it either but I had no problem making it for my granddaughter, especially when it helped her so much.

We all have lived through alot of topics that were controversial at one time or another in our lifetimes that are now accepted without a second thought.

 

[scouter139]

I could have nursed 3 babies, too bad you never heard of human breast milk banks when mine were little.

 

[Stinkydancer]

StinkyD, I'm in the south suburbs, neighbor I want to move further south for more land. Horses and goats.

Where are you?

Could you imagine if I had a goat up here? LMAO! I live in Cook County...not a good scene with a goat running around in the yard.


To the banking thing..they didn't have it when I was younger either. It's such an intimate thing...I look at my kids now and I just can't believe it went so fast.

 

[Mom210]

hmmmm....just wondering WHO is doing the zap test for these breast milk batches? I wouldn't want to use lye heavy soap on an infant and I sure as heck wouldn't stick my tounge to it :? bleeeech ( not that I am actually considering making it , my kids are a bit past the breast feeding stage, and I am most certainly NOT sticking my tounge to someone elses milk soap. Would you call the soap by the name of the person who donated the milk? eg. "Jane Doe's super sudsy booby bars" ? LMAO just kidding . I breast fed all of my kids and it is a beautiful thing but bathing in it ( esp someone elses) is just plain laughable.

 

[ChrissyB]

You don't have to actually "lick" the soap, just lick your finger, touch the soap, then lick your finger again.

 

[scouter139]

I don't zap test it, I just left it cure for about 8 weeks and then I did a HP batch in the meanwhile. I could have my daughter test it if need be.
I like your suggestion for a soap name Mom...very catchy. I agree it's not for everyone..but then neither is breastfeeding but I would hope that they wouldn't think breastfeeding was laughable.

 

[EricaKemp]

It doesn't make sense to think it wouldn't be legal. In fact, it doesn't seem strange to me at all! I would make it for myself if I were producing. I would use it for my 3 y. old daughter and my husband has expressed he would use it too! Though, to us it seems quite unnatural to drink cow or goat milk. That milk was meant for the calves and kids. Did you know that if you're grown up body went without dairy for a few weeks your chances of becoming intolerant of it increase quite a bit? Now I have no problem using skin-loving milk in any of the products I make, as I find it does way more good for my outsides than insides. So human breast milk just seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[Jessrof]

I just saw this thread was revived and I would love to weigh in. I am currently a nursing mom of a 9month old and I began making soap when I was looking for a way to use my milk that was not fit for baby to drink. I love my breast milk soap and it has healed many a rash and sunburn to date. Breast milk has some amazing properties. In our house, most ailments are first treated with momma's milk, then we go to traditional routes. It has cured gunky eyes, hangnail inflammation, ear infections, snotty noses, etc. I also donate any milk I have to another mother that can produce milk. She is not related (but a close friend) and neither of us see this as weird. I agree with EricaKemp, BM in soap is a no brainer

 

[three_little_fishes]

I had no knowledge of soap making when I was nursing, but if I had I would have given it a shot! My youngest has the worst case of baby acne ever (even her doctor was a little shocked) and I started putting breast milk on it. Within a week it was a ton better.

 

[makemineirish]

The Minority Opinion

As others have stated, breast milk is liquid gold and it seems a shame to waste any on soap when it is better used to nourish babies, whether your own or others. However, I am also aware that it often happens that some milk is not appropriate to "serve" (due to items ingested or freezer shelf life).

I would have no problem using a breast milk soap produced from a stranger's milk. While it is true that breast milk (avoiding any confusion by abbreviating this as BM) is a bodily fluid and can transmit certain diseases if consumed. There is no risk of contracting any of them through soap. Saponification and cure aside, topical application is not conducive for any of the diseases that can be transmitted through breast milk.
http://www.babycenter.com/404_what-infections-can-be-passed-through-breast-milk_8840.bc

There is a greater statistical health risk posed in undergoing a blood transfusion. While carefully screened, the rare mishap occurs. Beyond that, there are individual immune responses and contaminants that cannot be screened for.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Blood-transfusion/Pages/Risks.aspx

There is no ick factor for me. If anything, I would assume that breast milk from a comparably hygienic human is less gross than that from the manure speckled and dirt crusted teats of a dairy cow.

The IceCreamist in London made news last year with its breast milk ice cream flavored with Madagascar Vanilla and lemon zest. They called it Baby Gaga and sold it for $23 per scoop. Nonetheless, they sold out in days! London authorities later confiscated the product while debating the controversial aspects.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/authorities-confiscate-breast-milk-ice-cream_n_829103.html

New York chef Daniel Angerer had enough milk to overrun their freezer when his daughter was born. They wanted to donate to a milk bank but could not do so until all his wife's prerequisite health screenings had been completed. Loathe to discard the "gold" and being an inquisitive chef, he made cheese for themselves and epicurean souls in search of truly exotic ingredients.
http://chefdanielangerer.typepad.com/chef_daniel_angerers_blog/2010/02/mommys-milk.html

I live in Austin and a local lollipop confectioner makes a breast milk flavored lollipop for children. It should be noted that the lolly is vegan and contains no actual breast milk. However, the description on their site indicates that plenty of donor milk was consumed by the confectioners in the process of trying to replicate the flavor.
http://www.lollyphile.com/products/breast-milk-lollipops

I do not have any kids myself, but assume that quite a few husbands have inadvertently sampled breast milk when they are forced to share their favorite toys with a little one. I myself was curious enough to sample the best friend's booby juice when she had my god child (from a glass, gutter brains).

Internet searches tell me that there are a number of people attempting to acquire breast milk for a variety of skin issues. While I can certainly understand the "intimate" quality of the product, my point (and I do have one) is that there are clearly a number of people besides myself that do not suffer from any "ick" factor.

 

[Lotus]

I have some thoughts, here. People often have a hard time figuring out why we humans have such an adverse reaction to things that are a natural part of life. But, there is a reason for it. Apparently, most people just don't realize it.

I believe that breast feeding and breast milk related things and discussions outside of its intended use become a huge debate for one reason.

We see the baby who receives the milk as an innocent child, and yet it's coming from a place which has a huge "sexual" intrigue (for lack of a better word). This little seemingly contradictory fact makes combining the two ideas a bit sacrilegious.

This is also why people are uncomfortable with public breast feeding. You are doing something beautiful and natural, yet I'm looking at something that turns me on.

Why people ignore this important aspect of the debate is beyond me.

This is why, I believe that breast feeding in public is fine, but the mother should show a bit of decency and decorum while doing it.

Like-wise, breast milk soap is fine, but you're just weird if you're not uncomfortable with washing all over your body with something that was meant for someone innocent, but came from a place related to sexuality.

There! Something I've been wanting to say for years.

 

[becca757]

In 'The Everything Soapmaking Book' the author has a recipe for baby soap using breast milk. Supposedly the lactic acid is good for common baby skin problems.

I'm just curious if anyone has tried this.

It's interesting that goat's milk soap doesn't phase one at all, but HUMAN milk soap seems so weird.

Its disgusting if you ask me! ick!!

 

[Half Caper Farm]

There is no ick factor for me. If anything, I would assume that breast milk from a comparably hygienic human is less gross than that from the manure speckled and dirt crusted teats of a dairy cow.

As a farmer, I must take exception to this comment. I milk cows for a living and we take great care to clean and sanitize the teats before and after we milk. I also milk my goats for our own consumption - same thing - and we drink it raw. Eight years and never a problem.