Pros and cons with using different types of milk

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I don't think so, I would never dismiss a soap because it doesn't have GM - but admit I have passed on GM soaps because of the smell.
That's funny, I have not notices a smell in my goats milk soap. I thought my unscented bars just smelled like the shea butter I used in them. Maybe it depends on the quality of goats milk you are using. I'm using it basically straight from the goat. 😘
 
Goat milk and whole milk are comparable in their fat% and sugar content:

1 cup of whole milk = 8 g of fat and 12g of sugar(s)
1 cup of goat milk = 7g of fat and 11g of sugar(s)

For a comparison:

1 cup of oat milk has 5g of fat and 9 g of sugar(s). And it's more expensive than goat and cow's milk.
1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk has 4g of fat and 1g of sugar.

As for protein, I don't know how it gets broken down during the saponification process and if it has any impact on the qualities in the soap.
 
Goat milk and whole milk are comparable in their fat% and sugar content:

1 cup of whole milk = 8 g of fat and 12g of sugar(s)
1 cup of goat milk = 7g of fat and 11g of sugar(s)

For a comparison:

1 cup of oat milk has 5g of fat and 9 g of sugar(s). And it's more expensive than goat and cow's milk.
1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk has 4g of fat and 1g of sugar.

As for protein, I don't know how it gets broken down during the saponification process and if it has any impact on the qualities in the soap.

Oat milk is super duper cheap if you make it yourself! And then you know it only has oat and distilled water in it too. A 1kg bag of rolled oats is only a couple of dollars and is sufficient to make enough oat milk for more than 8 batches of soap.

I have my can of Coconut milk here and it says it has 82g of fat and 10.8 total carbs (6.4 of sugar). So per cup that works out to approx 46g fat and 2g carbohydrates (1.2g sugar). I don't buy low fat and I actually buy coconut cream, not milk.

@LynetteO I have only used canned CM which required a different process to just adding powder - so I'm sure you are fine.
 
1 cup of goat milk = 7g of fat and 11g of sugar(s)
Just a note of goat trivia: All goat milk is not created equal. Like cow milk, if it is a commercial brand from the supermarket, it is standardized, but if it is fresh from the goat, fat content varies quite a bit depending upon the breed and the individual goat. Nubians, for example, are known for rich high-fat milk, while Saanens are known for lower-fat but high quantity.
 
Just a note of goat trivia: All goat milk is not created equal. Like cow milk, if it is a commercial brand from the supermarket, it is standardized, but if it is fresh from the goat, fat content varies quite a bit depending upon the breed and the individual goat. Nubians, for example, are known for rich high-fat milk, while Saanens are known for lower-fat but high quantity.
Yes, so true! And Nigerians, which is what I have, are higher in butterfat at 6-10%, more than most breeds. Feed also makes a difference. Goat milk is naturally homogenized so the fat is evenly distributed. It’s lovely to make soap with . I use 100% or 50/50 with another liquid like beer , juices and aloe Vera juice so far. As @KiwiMoose said, I’ve thought of making my own oat milk but combining it with goat milk - double milk . I dried some goat milk last week in the dehydrator so I’m looking forward to trying that too. Because the milk is so fatty it took a long time. It dried yellow due to heat . I’m not sure what it’s like from the stores…
 
Hi! Just want to chime in that Oat & Almond Milk is not milk. Milk comes from Mammary Glands (Breasts) so only animals produce It.
 
I can't speak on the science of it but here's my thoughts.

GM: I've used and honestly I can't tell the difference between that and CM other than the smell
Breast Milk: I make custom batches for mamas, it makes a nice soap, but I understand the "heebie jeebies" associated with using someone else's milk. Honestly I cringe a little when testing the soap.
Yogurt: My personal favorite simply because a little goes a long way, and it's lotiony
Coconut Milk: I use this often, it's comparable (to me) to GM but without the smell
Buttermilk: My second favorite, similar to yogurt in lotion quality but it gets a bit better lather. I use this in my OMH lineup.


I don't think so, I would never dismiss a soap because it doesn't have GM - but admit I have passed on GM soaps because of the smell.


Other than subtracting from my water amount, I have never done math for using CM.


I used to agree with this, but then Dibbles did some testing with various ingredients. I discovered that a couple soaps that I thought were milk soaps were using sorbitol. So I've adjusted my thinking to "I can tell when additives are used and it's more than a lye + water + oils soap".
I definitely feel a difference using goat milk. I use it powdered and scent with Lavender EO. It sells out every time. I love the creamy lather and the way it feels on my skin when washing with it.
 
I definitely feel a difference using goat milk. I use it powdered
Have you compared it to CM? I can't tell the difference between canned CM and GM (other than GM smells), used in the same amounts. I can tell a difference between a plain soap (just water) and a milk soap. I know GM has huge label appeal, just by the number of people who will walk away from my booth because it's not GM.
 
Anyone ever try or have any success using Kefir milk?
Or yogurt? (if so, what kind of yogurt do you think works best?)
Thanks
 
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Anyone ever try or have any success using Kefir milk?
Or yogurt? (if so, what kind of yogurt do you think works best?)
Thanks
I haven’t tried kefir yet but I want to. I have 4 jars in my fridge as I make it myself. I’m wondering how it’ll do. The kefir grains feed off the lactose in the goat milk, which is what causes them to grow. Since the kefir has less sugar in it, makes me wonder what kind of soap it makes 🤔
 
Hi! Just want to chime in that Oat & Almond Milk is not milk. Milk comes from Mammary Glands (Breasts) so only animals produce It.

That may be, however, they can and are still called 'milk' which is IMO a legitimate usage of the word. As a reference about the use of the word 'Milk' to describe plant-based products goes back a good 600 years.

See these two articles related to usage for drinks made from animals milk and/or from plant 'milks':
FDA Crackdown On Calling Almond Milk 'Milk' Could Violate The First Amendment (forbes.com)
https://grist.org/article/the-fda-is-confused-about-the-definition-of-milk-kory-stamper/
Or yogurt? (if so, what kind of yogurt do you think works best?)

When I use yogurt in soap, I generally use plain yogurt. I doubt there is a lot of coconut in coconut yogurt, but I don't know for sure since I don't buy it myself.

What I have noticed when I buy yogurt though is that the nutrient labels often differ greatly from one brand to another (sugar content, etc.) The kind I prefer to eat is Icelandic yogurt (by far the best tasting yogurt I have ever eaten), but it rarely survives long enough to end up in soap. If I want yogurt for soap, I have to buy a cheap brand, so I won't eat it; that's the only way it will ever end up in soap.


Another observation:

Of the plant-based 'milks' the nutrient content varies greatly from one brand to the next, as well. For example, I stopped buying soy milk long ago when the only ones available in the stores where I lived at the time had too much added sugar. I am not a fan of sugar and hate sweet drinks, so when my soy milk started tasting sweet, that was it for me. So when it comes to adding any plant-based 'milk' to soap, it's usually something I made myself and the nutrient content will absolutely not be the same as listed on the store-bought brands. The only exception is Coconut Milk, because I have no desire to make that myself. Maybe if I lived where coconuts grow prolifically, I might, but I don't.
 
When I use yogurt in soap, I generally use plain yogurt. I doubt there is a lot of coconut in coconut yogurt, but I don't know for sure since I don't buy it myself.

What I have noticed when I buy yogurt though is that the nutrient labels often differ greatly from one brand to another (sugar content, etc.) The kind I prefer to eat is Icelandic yogurt (by far the best tasting yogurt I have ever eaten), but it rarely survives long enough to end up in soap. If I want yogurt for soap, I have to buy a cheap brand, so I won't eat it; that's the only way it will ever end up in soap.

thanks @earlene - your thoughts are helpful.
since I don't consume yogurt, I don't know much about it.
But I have heard that there are variety of types out there: Greek yogurt, Icelandic, French, goat's, sheep, etc. -- so it seems confusing. But if like the types of milk -- I guess it becomes more of a "try it and see for yourself" kind of thing.
But I probably shouldn't use the blueberry or strawberry ones! 🤪
 
I've both purchased and made my own coconut milk yogurt.

My version is made with coconut cream, probiotics, gelatin, and some form of sugar (I prefer maple syrup or agave syrup).

The store-bought versions have very similar ingredient lists, usually with the addition of a stabilizing gum (guar, xanthan) and sometimes a preservative.

Both versions work perfectly well in soap. I couldn't tell any difference between them and the cow-milk yogurts.
 

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