Unscented and like satin, this cold process homemade soap recipe for goat’s milk soap is one you’ll absolutely love. If you can get your hands on fresh goat’s milk, this is the recipe for you, soap maker, to try.
Important Recipe Notes:
- this is a recipe for the use of FRESH goat’s milk; not melt and pour or powdered goat’s milk.
- recipe uses the cold-process soap making method.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Soap Making Precautions:
It’s always important to review the precautions and to take soap making seriously as you are working with chemicals reactions.
Lye is needed in soap making because it converts the oils and fats in a soap recipe into actual soap through a process called saponification. Lye should be handled with respect and carefully.
When handling lye, always remember:
- wear long sleeves
- don safety glasses (not your regular eye glasses or sunglasses)
- long kitchen gloves or short latex/vinyl examination gloves making sure long sleeves are covering wrist and arm.
- a mask such as an N95
- LYE TO WATER! Or in this case, slowly adding a little lye at a time to the frozen milk cubes and carefully stirring. NEVER add water to lye!
- Be in a ventilated area, preferably outside, when mixing the lye onto the frozen ice cubes of milk.
- Let your family and children know what you are doing and that you need a few minutes without them near it
- NO distractions! If you have little ones, consider doing this at nap time or bed time or when someone else is supervising the children. Soaping needs your undivided attention.
Prepare the goat’s milk first
Before diving straight into making this goat’s milk soap, it’s important to freeze the goat’s milk.
Using ice cube trays work well for this project.
The reason the milk needs to be frozen first is because it is replacing the water in this soap recipe. Because the lye heats up so quickly and high when in contact with the liquid (the water content in the milk), the milk can scorch and become discolored.
Using frozen milk allows the lye not to get too hot too fast.
The freezing milk process needs 8-10 hours before it’s ready to be used to make goat’s milk soap.
Goat’s Milk Soap with ground oatmeal and honey
Cold process soap making with fresh goat’s milk, oatmeal, and honey:
This goat’s milk soap recipe is a delightful full body cleansing soap. It’s mild enough to clean well and gently exfoliate both face and body. Even can be used as a shampoo if you prefer.
No essential oils are added to this recipe but you can if you’d like to. I have added 15 ml lavender and 15 ml lemon to this recipe that yielded a wonderfully scent soap product perfect for spring feels.
This recipe will use a 42 ounce capacity soap mold. It will not fill completely to the tip top but still produces about 8 nice 4-4.5 oz cut bars of soap with an end cap or two left over for sampling.
Ingredients
22.50 oz olive oil
9 oz frozen goat’s milk
7.50 oz coconut oil
4.2 oz sodium hydroxide lye
1 tsp honey
1 tsp warm water
2 tsp ground oatmeal
1/2 tbsp olive or jojoba oil
Prepare the “At Trace” add-ins and set aside
When the soap comes to trace, there are a few add-ins. Prepare them now and set aside until they are needed much later.
- in a small bowl or ramekin dish, add 1 tsp of warm filtered water and 1 tsp of honey (preferably raw, local honey) and mix or stir as well as you can.
- using a small blender, grind the oatmeal in to a powder and set aside.
- in another small bowl or dish, add the jojoba or olive oil and set aside.
Measuring all ingredients first!
Take time to be somewhat organized in soap making. It’s helpful!
Now is a good time to bring out the frozen goat’s milk ice cubes to sit and thaw slightly while you prepare other ingredients.
First, measure out every single one of the ingredients needed for this recipe using a kitchen scale in separate bowls.
After all ingredients are measured out, add the 22.50 oz of olive oil and the coconut oil measurement into a stainless steel stock or soup pot on medium low heat. Allow the coconut oil to fully melt. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the eye to rest while you move on to the next step.
Again, reference how to handle lye and use all safely precautions for this part.
Frozen goat’s milk and lye
Using all lye safety precautions:
To allow the lye to heat up slowly and not scorch the milk, slowly add a little bit of lye at a time to the frozen goat’s milk. Perhaps eyeball about 3 tablespoons worth at a time.
Stir often to allow the lye to incorporate with the frozen milk. As you notice liquid forming in the bowl, add a bit more lye and continue to stir. Do this on repeat until all lye is in with the milk.
Oils and Lye Temperatures
Using a thermometer, measure the temperature of both the oils and lye, making sure to wipe the stick between bowls if using that type of candy thermometer like I do.
When the temperatures are between 95 and 85 degrees for both or either oils pot and goat’s milk lye, you can add the lye/milk mixture to the oils and begin blending with an immersion blender.
*Note: once while making a batch, the lye-milk mixture’s temperature was 73 degrees. That seemed quite low to me so I used a double broiler method to sit the lye-milk mixture in to reheat to about 84 degrees then mixed the lye-milk with the oils. While I reheated the mixture, I made sure to continue to stir it in hopes the milk would not scorch and it did not.
Bringing soap to trace
Use an immersion blender to incorporate the lye-milk and oils for saponification to occur for a series of 5 sets of 1 minute of blending, 2 minutes of rest or until the soap reaches light trace.
You will know the soap is at light trace when you drizzle the soap mixture over the surface of the soap in the pot and it leaves behind a trail or a trace that doesn’t easily go away. It sits right on top.
At light trace, add in all of the “At-trace” ingredients: oatmeal, honey/water mixture, and oil then blend very well.
Pour and sit
Once all ingredients are well incorporated, carefully pour the soap into the soap loaf.
Allow the soap to sit uncovered for about 30 minutes. Sometimes when adding honey to soap, the sugars can begin to heat up the soap mixture again. This can cause a ballooning or volcano of the soap in the mold.
Letting the soap sit out to cool for about half an hour before covering it to sit overnight will reduce the chances of an unsightly, cracked soap.
After about 30 minutes, cover the soap loaf with parchment paper then a towel and allow it to rest in a safe place for 18-24 hours.
Cut and cure
The next day or about 18-24 hours later, it is now safe to cut the soap into bars to sit and cure for about 4 weeks, perhaps a little more if the soap bars still feel soft.
I choose to cut my soap bars at a 2.5 on the cutter that came with my soap loaf kit. This yields about a 4.5 oz bar of soap.
Curing may take 4-6 weeks when soap bars are allowed to sit in a ventilated basket or on shelving. If ventilated options are not available, be sure to flip the soap bars every other day to allow full and complete curing and proper air flow.
Final Goat’s Milk, Honey, and Oatmeal Soap Product
The final product with this goat’s milk soap recipe yields a light brown, creamy, sudsy bar of soap.
The oatmeal adds a delightful natural oatmeal scent you’ll adore.
Why use goat’s milk in cold process soap making?
Goat’s milk adds a naturally creamy and gentle effect to this mild cleansing soap.
It is also full of lactic acid which gently exfoliates dead skin.
Goat’s milk is very similar to human skin pH which helps maintain natural skin oils instead of stripping them off.
This milk is also full of many vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.
There’s so much more to be said about the benefits of goat’s milk in soaping that I highly encourage you to do your research to see what you are comfortable with.
Please see my Disclosure Statement.
Why add oatmeal to goat’s milk soap?
Ground organic oatmeal adds a gentle exfoliator, additional cleansing, and moisturizing benefits.
Oatmeal contains saponins which means it is a natural cleanser with a foamy, almost soap like quality when added to water and rubbed together between your wash clothed hands.
Due to its emollient properties, oatmeal also helps soothe irritated skin from conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and dry itching skin. This is because it protects the outer layer of skin by reducing water loss. Our skin NEEDS water. By keeping water on the epidermis, skin can be hydrated which moisturizes and softens the skin.
Soaps containing oatmeal have also been known to help with sunburn and even insect bites.
Why add honey to goat’s milk soap?
Since honey is a natural humectant, it draws moisture to the skin which helps keep the skin hydrated.
Additionally, honey is full of antibacterial properties and antioxidants keeping skin healthy and protected.
Natural soap wins!
Isn’t it lovely to discover that super simple and natural food products that God gave us can help keep us clean and protect our skin at the same time?
Ditch those laundry list of ingredients in detergent “soaps” like the brand names with commercials on tv. Full of chemicals I can’t pronounce, how can they be good for the largest organ on my body to absorb?
Natural soaps are not difficult to make for yourself and your family. Who knows, maybe you’re the next big homemade soap business owner!
SHOP THIS POST FOR SUPPLIES
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Lye (the best deal I’ve found on lye yet!)
If you liked this goat’s milk soap recipe, try these:
The very first recipe I used to learn soap making is cold-process Castile Soap.
Also try Castile Soap with Castor Oil for a beautifully cleansing lather!
For more Natural Body and Home Care recipes:
Natural Cleaning can and should be effective without being harmful to YOU!
Check out all the recipes I use on a regular basis here at our Johnson Home.
Goat’s Milk Soap
Materials
- 22.50 oz olive oil
- 9 oz frozen goat’s milk
- 7.50 oz coconut oil
- 4.2 oz sodium hydroxide lye
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp warm water
- 2 tsp ground oatmeal
- 1/2 tbsp olive or jojoba oil
Instructions
- Prepare the “At Trace” add-ins and set aside
- When the soap comes to trace, there are a few add-ins. Prepare them now and set aside until they are needed much later.
- in a small bowl or ramekin dish, add 1 tsp of warm filtered water and 1 tsp of honey (preferably raw, local honey) and mix or stir as well as you can.
- using a small blender, grind the oatmeal in to a powder and set aside.
- in another small bowl or dish, add the jojoba or olive oil and set aside.
- Measuring all ingredients first!
- Take time to be somewhat organized in soap making.
- Now is a good time to bring out the frozen goat’s milk ice cubes to sit and thaw slightly while you prepare other ingredients.
- First, measure every single one of the ingredients needed for this recipe in separate bowls.
- After all ingredients are measured out, add the 22.50 oz of olive oil and the coconut oil measurement into a stainless steel stock or soup pot and add to the stove on medium low heat. Allow the coconut oil to fully melt. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the eye to rest while you move on to the next step.
- Again, reference how to handle lye and use all safely precautions for this part.
- Frozen goat’s milk and lye
- To allow the lye to heat up slowly and not scorch the milk, slowly add a little bit of lye at a time to the frozen goat’s milk. Perhaps eyeball about 3 tablespoons worth at a time.
- Stir often to allow the lye to incorporate with the frozen milk. As you notice liquid forming in the bowl, add a bit more lye and continue to stir. Do this on repeat until all lye is in with the milk.
- Oils and Lye Temperatures
- Using a thermometer, measure the temperature of both the oils and lye, making sure to wipe the stick between bowls if using that type of candy thermometer like I do.
- When the temperatures are between 95 and 85 degrees, you can add the lye and milk mixture to the oils and begin blending with an immersion blender.
- *Note: once while making a batch, the lye-milk mixture’s temperature was 73 degrees. That seemed quite low to me so I used a double broiler method to sit the lye-milk mixture in to reheat to about 84 degrees then mixed the lye-milk with the oils. While I reheated the mixture, I made sure to continue to stir it in hopes the milk would not scorch and it did not.
- Bringing soap to trace
- Use the immersion blender to incorporate the lye-milk and oils for saponification to occur for a series of 5 sets of 1 minute of blending, 2 minutes of rest or until the soap reaches light trace.
- You will know the soap is at light trace when you drizzle the soap mixture over the surface of the soap in the pot and it leaves behind a trail or a trace that doesn’t easily go away. It sits right on top.
- At light trace, add in all of the “At-trace” ingredients: oatmeal and honey/water mixture, then blend very well.
- Pour and sit
- Once all ingredients are well incorporated, carefully pour the soap into the soap loaf.
- Allow the soap to sit uncovered for about 30 minutes. Sometimes when adding honey to soap, the sugars can begin to heat up the soap mixture again. This can cause a ballooning or volcano of the soap in the mold.
- Letting the soap sit out to cool for about half an hour before covering it to sit overnight will reduce the chances of an unsightly soap.
- After about 30 minutes, cover the soap loaf with parchment paper then a towel and allow it to rest in a safe place for 18-24 hours.
- Cut and cure
- The next day or about 18-24 hours later, it is now safe to cut the soap into bars to sit and cure for about 4 weeks, perhaps a little more if the soap bars still feel soft.
- I choose to cut my soap bars at a 2.5 on the cutter that came with my soap loaf kit. This yields about a 4.5 oz bar of soap.
- Curing may take 4-6 weeks when soap bars are allowed to sit in a ventilated basket or on shelving. If ventilated options are not available, be sure to flip the soap bars every other day to allow full and complete curing and proper air flow.
Notes
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Hi there,
I just wanted to say I’m truly impressed with your website and products. The design is clean, the content is informative, and it’s clear you really care about using natural, high-quality ingredients.
Your focus on handmade soap and natural skincare is refreshing in today’s market. I love how you explain everything in a simple, helpful way — it really builds trust.
Looking forward to trying your products and sharing them with others!
Warm regards,
Aruru Naturals
Newbie here! Is it 4.2 ounces or grams of lye??? Thank you!
Oh thank you for this comment! I hadn’t realized that I forgot that measurement. I do all my soaping in ounces. I will get it fixed ASAP!