What are the benefits of Goat's Milk?

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SoapyGal

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Hello my soapy pals.

If you wouldn't mind helping out this newbie with an inquiring mind....

Would those of you who sing the praises of using goat's milk in your soap please tell me why you think it's so great?

In spite of the trouble it can cause, I'm finding that people persist in trying to find ways to get it into soap.

Is it just about label appeal?

Or does it have some real beneficial contribution to the soap?

I've never used soap with goat's milk in it, by the way, so any info you can supply will help alot.

Thank you! :D
 
It makes a creamier bar. The antioxidants, vitamins, nutrients, and cream that are found in goat's milk can't exctly be reproduced in a plant. I use fresh or frozen milk as the sole liquid. I make a very solid, creamy bar.

There are two soap vendors at my farmers' market. One makes regular CP soap. I make GM HP soap. I have very seldom seen her sell more than 3 bars and mine costs .50 cents more than hers.
 
The biggest benefit is that you get to deprive baby goats of a nourishing, well balanced diet! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Seriously, like La O' says, it's the creamy lather and the feel of the lather that I notice. There could also be more complex effects (emollience, humectance) but I'm just a dog and how would I know? ;) I just washed my hands... er... washed my paws with GM soap and they feel really nice so I think there is some sort of moisturizing and softening effects. :)
 
Goats milk PH level is also closer to our own PH level than other types of milk will be.
 
I just made an interesting test. I purchased some pH testing tape a few days ago and hadn't used any yet, so I worked up a lather with the GM bar and also (separately) with another ordinary CP bar, then dropped pH strips on each and let them moisten fully, then compared the colors with the chart. Actually both bars came out the came color and pH: about 8, just slightly alkaline. Actually I think pH 8 is quite a good level. There's a lot more difference between 13 and 14 than there is between 7 (neutral) and 8, so my soap is virtually neutral.

So my conclusion is that the pH of the goat's milk does not have any significant effect on the pH of the bar.
 
Lovehound said:
The biggest benefit is that you get to deprive baby goats of a nourishing, well balanced diet! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

:lol: Not necessarily. Dairy goat are bred to produce at least 40 oz per kid (for two 20oz feedings per day) and an excess of a gallon per day for 180 days or more. They're busy gals!
 
Oh La O', you... you... you goat expert!!! :D

I know that goats have sufficient milk to provide not only for their kids but enough excess for human use, just like cows, but I've got to ignore that as the cost of having my joke make sense. :)

I'm baaaaaddd! :p
 
Lovehound said:
I just made an interesting test. I purchased some pH testing tape a few days ago and hadn't used any yet, so I worked up a lather with the GM bar and also (separately) with another ordinary CP bar, then dropped pH strips on each and let them moisten fully, then compared the colors with the chart. Actually both bars came out the came color and pH: about 8, just slightly alkaline. Actually I think pH 8 is quite a good level. There's a lot more difference between 13 and 14 than there is between 7 (neutral) and 8, so my soap is virtually neutral.

So my conclusion is that the pH of the goat's milk does not have any significant effect on the pH of the bar.

Most of those tapes are worth a hoot but even if it were correct it would depend on the recipe.
 
Interesting replies. Thanks. So it sounds like it makes a richer, creamier lather for sure... possibly some nutrients in there also that would feed our skin (but who knows for sure without a laboratory to test this theory).... sounds like it might be more moisturizing.... I guess the only way to know for sure if it's better for the skin would be to wash one half of your body with regular soap, and the other half with GM soap, do that for a while, and then see if there's any difference.

Curious....

But thanks for your answers! Just always wondered what the hoopla is all about over those soaps :lol:
 
I have been making only GM soap now for 3years. It is the reason I developed the RTCP version most use here on this forum. I don't freeze my GM, and I actually keep it in a glass 1/2 gallon jug that sits on my soap table 24/7. I actually wish it would sour a bit more than it does. :wink: I like soured GM in my soaps...makes a harder bar! I even make my best selling salt bars using goats milk!

Paul
 
Soapmaker Man said:
I have been making only GM soap now for 3years. It is the reason I developed the RTCP version most use here on this forum. I don't freeze my GM, and I actually keep it in a glass 1/2 gallon jug that sits on my soap table 24/7. I actually wish it would sour a bit more than it does. :wink: I like soured GM in my soaps...makes a harder bar! I even make my best selling salt bars using goats milk!

Paul

Wow, really? It makes them harder? I wonder how that works? hhmmm... that's a neat trick... must try must try must try :lol:

I'll have to do a search for your posts & see if I can find your methods described.

Can you tell me why you choose to make ONLY GM soap?

Just trying to understand.

thanks! :D
 
SoapyGal said:
Soapmaker Man said:
I have been making only GM soap now for 3years. It is the reason I developed the RTCP version most use here on this forum. I don't freeze my GM, and I actually keep it in a glass 1/2 gallon jug that sits on my soap table 24/7. I actually wish it would sour a bit more than it does. :wink: I like soured GM in my soaps...makes a harder bar! I even make my best selling salt bars using goats milk!

Paul

Wow, really? It makes them harder? I wonder how that works? hhmmm... that's a neat trick... must try must try must try :lol:

I'll have to do a search for your posts & see if I can find your methods described.

Can you tell me why you choose to make ONLY GM soap?

Just trying to understand.

thanks! :D

All milk has lactic acid. When milk starts to sour, the lactic acid levels increase, making a harder bar of soap without having to add Sodium Lactate as a hardener.

I just started 3 years ago wanting to make GM soap for the reasons mentioned here, and the fact that it sold well in the area. I trade my soap to a local farmer for his week old GM. He is tickled to get my soaps in exchange for his older farm fresh GM. He was throwing some away every once in a while....we put a stop to that fast! :lol:

The GM, stored in a glass "milk" jug with a screw on cap never ever curdles and hardly smells at all. I have left unrefrigerated GM on my table, at room temperature, for up to 5 weeks before adding more to the jug. :lol: I have 2 glass jugs of slightly soured GM always sitting on my soap table.

I just love what GM does to a bar of soap! 8)

Paul
 
Soapmaker Man said:
All milk has lactic acid. When milk starts to sour, the lactic acid levels increase, making a harder bar of soap without having to add Sodium Lactate as a hardener.
Bingo!!! :)

Soapmaker Man said:
The GM, stored in a glass "milk" jug with a screw on cap never ever curdles and hardly smells at all. I have left unrefrigerated GM on my table, at room temperature, for up to 5 weeks before adding more to the jug. :lol: I have 2 glass jugs of slightly soured GM always sitting on my soap table.

I just love what GM does to a bar of soap! 8)
Paul I wouldn't have known what you were talking about a few days ago. I just made my first GM with great success, and I just can't quit going and washing my hands every few hours just because I like the soap. I can't even figure it out, can't describe it. All I know is that I really like this soap.

I'm going to make more goat very soon. You can read my post to see my own method for making GM and avoiding the burning and ammonia. Not that it's my original idea...
 
Soapmaker Man said:
All milk has lactic acid. When milk starts to sour, the lactic acid levels increase, making a harder bar of soap without having to add Sodium Lactate as a hardener.

That is SO cool.... wow.... I just told that little science gem to my 14-yr old daughter, and even she was delighted by how cool that is!!! :lol:

Thanks for sharing that!! I love that!!!

Sounds like you have a great deal worked out with that farmer!! :lol:

Soapmaker Man said:
The GM, stored in a glass "milk" jug with a screw on cap never ever curdles and hardly smells at all. I have left unrefrigerated GM on my table, at room temperature, for up to 5 weeks before adding more to the jug. :lol: I have 2 glass jugs of slightly soured GM always sitting on my soap table.

I just love what GM does to a bar of soap! 8)

Paul

Well, when I try my goat milk soap eventually, I will remember this. How long do you recommend it sit out & "sour" before it's good to use?
 
Do you think buttermilk or yogurt would work too? Could you leave the milk out for a few days and then freeze it? You might have said, but are you using raw milk for this? This sounds like a great idea and I've wanted to try it for a while, but I've been slow about making buttermilk. Sounds like if I do it this way, I won't have to!
 
I let the milk set in the glass milk jug for at least 2 weeks before I soap it. I never refrigerate it. You have to use glass to store, as plastic will not work, and the milk will curdle and spoil. For some reason, GM in glass won't! :? I just add more milk to the rest when I pick up from my farmer friend.

There are a lot of people who make yogurt and buttermilk soap. I personally have never used or tried anything except goats milk. I have been using this method of "soured" goats milk for a year now. The soap, even unscented, never smells and lathers, with my recipe, perfectly.

I LOVE GM SOAP! 8)

Paul
 
That's simply amazing Paul! If anybody else told me that I wouldn't believe it. But I believe you even though I've only recently met you because I haven't once seen you exaggerate or embellish one single thing, nor even make a misstatement. I've done all of that at least a few dozen times in the same period. :)
 
Thanks Greg, just been doing it for a year this way, so I know what works and what doesn't. :wink: I put a quart of fresh GM in a 1/2 gallon plastic jug when I first started getting farm fresh, raw milk, and it curdled and seperated. The quart in the glass milk jug, did just perfect! The farmer told me that is why he always uses glass, it keeps raw milk fresher, longer.....he didn't fib one bit! :D

Paul
 
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