Goat Milk Soap

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Soul_Healthy

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I have a problem. I made HP soap with a usual recipe (except I used half evaporated goat's milk and half water). It's extremely drying to the skin. I used two tbsp. of honey, 2 tbsp. oatmeal, 1/4 calendula blossoms, and about 2 tbsp. of vanilla bean paste. The milk was frozen, but the mixture did turn orange. I have no idea why it's drying me out. My tea tree soap doesn't even dry me out. I used 30% coconut oil, 30% palm, 30% olive oil, and 10% shea butter. I had 32 ounces of oil, and I used (according to the lye calculator) 129 g. of lye. What could be the problem? Anybody got an idea? Thanks in advance.

Mallory
 
your coconut may be too high . what was your SF% ? ... how old is your soap did it fully cure ? the older / longer soap cures the milder it gets.
 
I think it might be your 30% CO. That would dry my skin out. I would drop it to 20-25, I like 20-22 and add the difference to your OO. Also what SF are you using? Has it had a good cure? That would play part in it as well. If it's fresh give it a good cure an try it again.
 
i put your recipe on soapcalc, and i got 5% for SF, which is the standard default. agree with the others, i think with that amount of coconut, you'll better off increasing your SF to at least 7-8%.
 
with 30% coconut, I would need at least 10% SF, I have really dry skin. HP should cure for minimum 4 weeks just like any other handmade soap. Its a bit of a myth that HP is ready immediately.
 
Hot processing soap only makes sure it is saponified. It speeds up the process by a few days at most. CP soap is "safe" to use once it stops zapping, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to use it so soon. Yes, it will get much milder and better with time.

I cure my HP soaps for 6-8 weeks, just like CP.

Cooking your milk soaps will cause them to turn darker. It isn't a problem, it just happens that way. It caramelizes the sugars in them.

I agree with what others have told you, you have a very cleansing recipe. I would drop the coconut to no more than 20-25% and increase the more conditioning oils.
 
I'm new to soapmaking. Is it really 6-8 weeks for CP soaps since I've read an article saying 4-6 weeks are fine?
 
Last edited:
I'm new to soapmaking. Is it really 6-8 weeks for CP soaps since I've read an article saying 4-6 weeks are fine?


Many different people have a different time when it is ready. It also varies by recipe. A Castile need 12 months before many people will say it is ready.

Soaps will always be better the older they are (if you made a good soap) but you need to find your time that works for you and your soaps.
 

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