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Homemade Goat Milk Soap for Acne-Free and Supple Skin
October 24, 2016
The fact that beauty products are wreaking havoc on our skin and bodies is finally getting some attention. The things we put on our bodies are not unlike the things we put in our bodies.
First, anything you put on your body seeps right through your skin — so that’s why I believe in a natural skin care routine, as you really ARE putting it in your body. Second, just like processed foods, beauty products are made to last, often using the cheapest ingredients and chemicals to help them have a longer shelf life. So basically, whatever you rub onto your skin, your face, your hands … it goes right into the body where it can cause cancer and interrupt your endocrine system and more.
Though that may sound like doom and gloom (since we all use beauty products every single day from our shampoo to our lotions and makeup, to the hand and facial soap we have at our bathroom or kitchen sink), it doesn’t have to be so difficult.
Goat milk soap is a great alternative that can offer not only a chemical-free option, but generously provides a few more benefits, including anti-aging. Of course, consuming goat milk can certainly help too, but why not give your skin the thirst-quenching benefits of goat milk, from a well-made quality goat milk soap, right on the surface of the skin? (1)
4 Benefits of Goat Milk Soap
1. Helps You Look Younger
Goat milk has this amazing ability to help provide a youthful appearance and who doesn’t want that? It works because it contains a good amount of alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), such as lactic acid that help break down the dead skin cells. When you remove the dead skin, you immediately gain a glow to the surface of the skin because it smooths it out and that can offer a more youthful appearance.
My wife says this helps her makeup go on much more evenly. Alpha hydroxy acid is nothing new and can be found in tons of products such as body creams, sunscreens, acne products, shampoos and more, but again, it’s the natural chemical-free product that you want. Alpha hydroxy acids are really great at exfoliating and with that process, they increase blood flow to the skin, give your face and skin the much-needed rejuvenation it longs for, and ultimately help minimize fine lines and wrinkles. (2)
2. Is An Anti-inflammatory
Goat milk has the ability to reduce skin inflammation because it contains a fat molecule that not only moisturizes the skin, but possesses anti-inflammatory characteristics. A study was conducted regarding the use of goat milk, in particular because of the numerous reports of digestive issues and allergic reactions to cow milk. (3)
Even though the study focuses on the internal consumption, the external application can greatly benefit, too. The study points out that goat milk is able to provoke a release of anti-inflammatory cytokines, which help signal the cells by providing a stronger immune response. So, even though drinking or eating products that contain goat milk can have a direct effect, when you put it on your skin, the skin soaks up those benefits as well.
3. Can Help Treat Acne-Prone Skin
Goat milk unlike cow’s milk, may help treat acne-prone skin. It contains special properties that can offer a sort of exfoliation for the skin. The exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, that if not removed can cause your skin pores to clog, causing unwanted acne to surface.
Additionally, goat milk contains antibacterial properties that can eliminate and even prevent acne altogether, and it can even help reduce swelling and itching that acne can cause. (4)
4. Works for Dry Skin
Goat milk offers some hydrating benefits, especially for anyone with dry skin. Because the pH levels of goat milk are the same as the human epidermis, it can moisturize while cleansing and possibly eliminating any acne-causing bacteria. In addition, it contains some beneficial nutrients that offers a supple complexion. Vitamin A is famous for the help it provides to repair damaged skin tissue.
Of course, vitamin A reduces fine lines and wrinkles but can also provide relief to anyone suffering from psoriasis symptoms. A lot of other soaps are water-based and often do not contain the vitamins and natural hydration qualities required for healthy skin. But goat milk soap is chock-full of skin-nourishing goodness like vitamin D, C, B1, B6, B12 and E, all of which are absorbed into the body when applied without the harshness of detergents, alcohol, dyes, petroleum and other chemical-based ingredients. (5)
Now that we have learned why goat milk is so good for your skin, it’s time to give it a try. Soap making does not have to be hard, but it can take some practice, so be patient. Try this nourishing goat milk soap recipe right at home.
How to Make Goat Milk Soap
The easiest and safest way to make your own goat milk soap at home is using a goat milk melt and pour soap base. It can be hard to find a natural melt and pour soap base in stores, but it is easier online. Look for a base with the purest ingredients possible that fits your budget. If you’re unsure of one or more of the ingredients in a soap base, the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database offers helpful guidance and rates the safety of individual ingredients on a scale of 1 to 10.
If you find a soap base you like that doesn’t already contain goats milk, you can always add a tablespoon of powdered goat milk to the melted base when you add the essential oils. However, using a goat milk soap base definitely saves you money so don’t have to buy a goat milk powder separately.
On a clean cutting board, chop the goat milk soap base into small pieces (about an inch or so in size). Put the chunks into a double boiler on low heat until they are completely melted, but making sure not to overheat. While the base is melting, you can can very lightly grease the molds with coconut oil to make it easier for the soaps to come out.
Now, let’s add the oils. Let’s start with the coconut oil and olive oil. Coconut oil is an amazing antibacterial ingredient that also offers moisturizing benefits. Olive oil is no different in terms of moisturizing and softening the skin. It also provides vitamin E and other antioxidants that can help speed up the healing of the skin while fighting infection. Add and stir to blend.
Then add the remaining oils: almond and avocado. Almond oil is also rich in vitamin E. Avocado oil is excellent for dry skin and can improve psoriasis. Stir the mixture and remove from heat.
Last but not least, add the essential oils and stir until well-blended. Frankincense oil and lavender oil are two of my favorites for amazing skin, but you can also use tea tree oil, especially if you are acne-prone. If you are adding powdered goat milk, also add that at this point. Once the essential oils are mixed in well, it’s time to pour the mixture into your soap mold. Be very careful since the mixture is very hot. Hot soap can hurt if dripped or splashed on skin. Also, make sure not to let children handle the hot mixture.
Now, you will need to wait so that it has time to harden. It typically won’t take longer than 24 hours before your bars of homemade soap will be ready for use. To remove the soap from the mold(s), gently pull the mold’s edges away from the soap, turn upside-down and pop the soap out of the mold. Depending on the mold you chose, you can cut the soap into smaller pieces if you like. You can also find soap molds that are already in round or rectangular bar shapes.
[webinarCta web=”eot”]
Homemade Goat Milk Soap for Acne-Free and Supple Skin
Ingredients:
- 1 pound goat milk soap base or 1 pound soap base + 1 tablespoon powdered goat milk
- 1 teaspoon organic unrefined coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon almond oil
- 1/4 teaspoon avocado oil
- 25 drops frankincense essential oil
- 25 drops lavender essential oil
- soap mold
Directions:
- Cut soap base into 1-inch chunks using a clean, sharp knife and a clean cutting board.
- Using a double-boiler, slowly melt the pieces of soap base. Meanwhile, lightly grease soap mold with coconut oil.
- Once the soap base is fully melted, add the coconut, olive, almond and avocado oils and stir well.
- Remove from heat and add the essential oils. Also, add goat milk powder at this point if not using goat milk soap base.
- Pour into soap mold.
- Allow it to cool and set for 24 hours.
- Take soaps out of the mold and cut into smaller pieces if desired.
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Could I use saponified coconut oil soap? I also have frozen goat milk. How could I use these instead of getting a soap base and what would be the measurements?
Coconut oil is a 4 out of five on the comedogenic scale & avocado oil is a 3 out of five. Both of these oils break out my otherwise clear skin. It’s not a good idea to recommend known comedogenic ingredients as helping to clear acne. These ingredients cause acne.
The oils are no longer comedogenic when combined with a soap base. The soap base contains lye aka sodium hydroxide. When oils and lye are combined the chemical composition of the two changes. This process is called saponification. The final soap product is not comodogenic. Also the lye chemical composition is changed. Lye by itself is caustic but saponification changes its chemical structure.
Thank you for explaining the saponification process changing the lye to non caustic and the comedogenic oils to noncomedogenic!This is useful information.
Do you have a list of what is the best goat milk soap to use for certain things. (ie: tea tree for acne prone) If there is a list of all the different kinds and uses could you please email me. THANK YOU so much!
I want to use real goats milk from goat not powder or can
The soap base refered to is a melt and pour soap base. The base is already saponified soap with no superfatting done to it. You can melt it and add the ingredients suggested as a superfat at 5% and it will harden back up but can be slightly softer than the original base had been. I would add the extras for 2 lbs of soap base instead of 1 lb though and start off with a goat milk base instead of adding the goat milk powder to a base. I hope that helps.
Dr. Axe,
There was an original recipe that showed how to cure goat milk that you could add to this soap along with the goat milk soap base. Could you post another recipe that includes those directions??
Thank you
Thank for good knowledge sharing. I have tried goat milk soap and like it very much therefore seek to see its benefit. Greatful and enjoy to learn.
I make my own goat milk soap and body butters ..Just a good tip…freeze your goat milk in ice cubes before adding to hot ingredients.
great post. i noted this soap base and can be great for the soap. http://amzn.to/2GJKEdq
I tried this recipe a couple of times. Both times it took 8+ weeks and it didn’t completely cure. Only about 50% of each soap bar cured and I didn’t make thick soap. I used 1 lb of soap base as the recipe didn’t say how much to use. If anyone was able to make this successfully I’d love to hear what you did to make it work.
This sounds great, to make your own soap !!
! Thank you!!!
Dr. Axe, I am looking for a good soap base to make this recipe. Yes, I thought about making my own, then I looked at the ingredients of making my own soap base. I don’t have that kind of time. I have looked on Amazon for SLS free soap bases and there are several. Do you have a recommendation? I will be hosting an EO class centered around make your own soap this spring and I need to do a trial run to make sure I can direct the class. Some how I have become the DIY leader in my community… Please help… Thank you in advance! Merry Christmas!!!
Curious what the estimated cost to make is? (For all supplies, to make the 3-4 bars)
They would last quite awhile, I’m sure, but I think it’s a fairly expensive project.
Ya it can be expensive but let us just gain the knowledge
I made this goat milk soap and I would not recommend it until Dr. Axe can clarify how much soap base to put in. I guessed and it came out terrible. Its unfortunate because now I’m going to have to re-melt it and try something else and of course …hope it works. I’m curious as to why there are no replies to all the questions about this recipe?
This is very interesting I have lent a lot so I will come up with the best soap today.
Hi l just wanted to now the best goats milk soap which l can buy to prevent fine lines and wrinkles also mild acne. Am very keen to try the soap l am just looking for a good brand soup with good anti ageing ingredients
I’m an experienced soap maker and that formula looks really good except it doesn’t tel the amount of,lye to use, but millers soap page has a wonderful calculater that will give you the exact amount.
This is not a complete soap recipe. You need lye to turn the oils into soap.
Even if you added all this oil to melt and poor soap it would get rancid. The three to four week cure time is necessary for curing soap made with lye and oil.
Can I buy this soap and where?
Instead of making it , can the goat milk soap bars be purchased? If so which do you recommend?
Jst to give an idea of what a soap base is, This is one of many soap bases for sale online.
Soap Base Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Sorbitol, Sodium Laurate, Goats Milk, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Titanium Dioxide, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Pentasodium Pentetate, Tetrasodium Etidronate. It’s A Melt and Pour Soap Base.
My ex-husband and I used to make handmade soap from scatch, I hate melt and pour because they are full of things I don’t want in my soaps, the whole idea is to get away from the unwanted chemicals, do yourselves a favor and learn to make real soap the proper old fashion way, google handmade soap recipes for real soap.
This is the list of ingredients in the soap base made my SFIC which is the best I have found. Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin, Goat’s Milk, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent, Sorbitol (moisturizer), Propylene Glycol (made from vegetable glycerine), Sorbitan oleate (emulsifer) and Oat protein (conditioner).
When I say, it’s the best I have found, I mean other than making your own soap or buying soap from another soaper that makes it from scratch as well. I used the SFIC when I first became interested in making soap. I used additives like honey, colorant and essential oils as well as giving some interesting shapes and uniqueness to the end product. I did this for a while until I knew for sure that it was something I wanted to continue with, so then, I began making hot and cold process soap from scratch.
Hello, In this soap recipe, what is the “soap base” material made of?
This recipe seems incomplete. There is no mention of lye and I do not know what is meant by soap base.
Glad to see I’m not the only one confused about the base. I assume the base is all the ingredients mixed together. I don’t think I will try it until we get clarification.
“soap base” appears to refer to melt and pour soap. It is basically pre-made meltable soap that you purchase, so you can add things to “make” your own.
I make soap from scratch, with lye (if lye isn’t involved in the process it isn’t soap)… but that’s not for the faint hearted.
Unless you’re crafty and think making your own soap sounds like a good use of several hours, I suggest buying a natural goat milk bar soap. You should be able to find it at any local health food store.
Hi, do you have any experience adding natural ingredients to the glycerin melt and pour soap, like stephenson base without losing consistence? Thanks in advance.
What is ‘soap base’ and why is it listed in the ingredients but never mentioned in the directions? Id love to try this recipe but im confused by this.
Can you order goat milk soap already made?
Hello Sheila, We do offer goat milk soaps at https://GorgeousSoap.com with over 1000 testimonials from our customers.
Yes – there are several companies that sell Goat Milk Soap. We offer goat milk soap as well – you can review our Goat Milk Soap here http://honeysweetieacres.com/product-category/goat-milk-soap/
Hi Sheila,
This is quite a while after your question, but we too, make and sell goat milk skin care products!
https://www.harvesthillskincare.com/
Need more information about “soap base” How much and where to buy it. Thank you.
The recipe starts out with 1 Pound of base and is a complete recipe. Just make sure you go down to page 8 and 9.
Recipe does not seem complete. You have “soap base” listed in the recipe ingredients, but no mention is made of how much to add to the other ingredients, or when. I have “organic liquid castile soap” (bought a gallon), but it seems using this would not allow the goat milk soap to harden. Please clarify. One of the other comments asks how long before it goes “off” (spoils). I, too, wonder if you might have to refrigerate this soap.
How Can I Order This Bar Soap
Hello Dora, We do offer goat milk soaps at GorgeousSoap.com with over 1000 testimonials from our customers.
Why freeze the milk? Doesn’t it loose nutrients and quality? How do you make the soap base, or where do you get it?
I have never made soap before. How much soap base do I need for this recipe?
We’re do you get the soap base? And it what kind?
What is “soap base”?
Dr. AXE;
How much soap base to be balanced with the other ingredients pkease?
What do you use for the soap base? Can I order it?
hello, on the ingredients list there is “soap base” ( i was hoping for this to be a soap without chemicals) since is not mention on the directions, did you mean different types of molds or soap base as in goat milk soap base?
thank you
Hi, since we are using goat milk, how long will the soap last before it goes off?
I’ve been milking my own goats and making goat milk soap for a few years. It doesn’t,t “go off”. I don’t see any mention of lye so that may be included in soap base.
soap base is all the ingredients . goolgle it..
Soap base refers to Melt & pour as this recipe does not call for lye. Either way this recipe is suspect as you can’t add all of the mentioned items and get Melt & pour to thicken. Won’t work.