Soapmaking

[Rebbetzin]

I too love making goat milk soap. I freeze any miilk that goes "goaty." I freeze 12 oz in a ziplock bag. Just enough for one batch of soap

Does anyone have a recipe for goat soap ????

Here is the recipe I use.

http://www.marthastewart.com/265890/dr-brent-ridges-goat-milk-soap

Here are some photos from the last time I made soap.

In the course of three days I made over 100 bars of soap!
I gave most of it away for the Holidays

Here is my Lavendar Oatmeal soap.

Here is a close up of some of the different types of molds

Here are some fun bug soaps I made for kids.

I used clear "stamps" found at Michael's or any other craft store,
the type you put ink on to make cards etc.
There are many that fit inside the soap molds.

Here is the label I use for most of my soaps.

Then when I have small amts of soap left that don't make an entire bar,
I put the soap in candy molds and make small soaps.

This year my daughter gave me an idea. To make a "Travel Pack"
of my small soaps, in a tiny ziplock bag with a label. So they can be
put in carry on luggage without a problem.

Here is the label I made for those soaps.

 

[SmallFarmGirl]

Thanks and AWESOME SOAPS !!!

 

[CocoNUT]

I LOVE making soap and lotions - as does my daughter (not the soap part though...too young still). I only WISH I could get my colors to show as "true" as those swirly ones! I don't know what I do wrong but I ALWAYS screw them up!

My goat milk soaps aren't pretty...but they sure are NICE! (I have to work on my 'presentation' a bit though.

I've found 100% lye at Lowe's as well - in the plumbing section. I've also bought it online...no hazmat fees for me - i think that depends on the state you live in. (Then again...that was a few years ago!)

 

[Sinistershelly]

I love soap.. I am new at it and became an addict very quickly. The first batch I made, well a friend mostly made while teaching me, its a cold process soap. Next pay day I am gonna get a few batches of melt and pour. I cant wait.

On the left the 2 square ones are made with animal fat, it was a very basic recipe, forgot what else we added
The other 4 were made with goats milk, beeswax, oatmeal, grapefruit oil, avacado oil, and a yummy scent called Rise and Shine. I made this one to be used on the face

 

[Rebbetzin]

Oh that square mold is very pretty!!

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Ah, this is exactly the kind of thread I was looking for.

I "inherited" my pre-teen's small goat herd, as he is moving on to other things (mainly a larger homework load + Boy Scouts), so I'm looking for ways to use the 1.5 gallons/day we're getting. Drinking milk, fresh goat cheese, and ice cream is all I've made so far. However, in the past, I bought some goat milk soap (a major luxury considering our budget and it's big price of $6/bar) and we LOVED that it lathered up so nicely and lasted much longer than store bought soap that practically melts in the tub/shower. So, my husband suggested I make goat milk soap w/the milk.

So, now that I have his encouragement, I'm trying to get myself psyched up for my first try. I might even try it out tomorrow. But, I have questions about molds. I have some melt and pour molds laying around somewhere so I'll likely use those for my first batch but I think I'd much prefer cut bars from loaves. I know I could use a shoebox for my loaf mold but what do I line it with? Is waxed butcher paper the standard? Where does one get it from? Are there other good options for lining molds? And, if I find a sturdy, plastic rectangular container, do I need to line it, too? Or will the loaf pop out okay and not stick to the plastic sides or bottom?

Thank you all so very much for sharing your expertise, links, and recipes. I look forward to reading your answers.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

P.S. I'm going to be using the Dr. Brent Ridges recipe you provided a link to, Rebbetzin. Thanks!

 

[GLENMAR]

I just started making soap with my goats milk. I am having a hard time waiting to use it.

 

[Rebbetzin]

I just started making soap with my goats milk. I am having a hard time waiting to use it.

Be patient, it is not worth burning your skin! I remember one year my daughter gave everyone some nice homemade soap. But, didn't let it cure first! I made the mistake of using it on some "delicate parts" and... I will never use "uncured" soap again for sure!

My soap is way to caustic when it is new, burns my fingers if I don't use gloves when I unmold it.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Rebbetzin, are you using a recipe that went through a lye calculator? The only reason I ask, is that most of the reason to "cure" soap is actually to dry out the moisture and harden it. Most soaps (for body use) are superfatted to 5% so the lye is already used up by the time you unmold it. I can unmold mine and not wear gloves and not have a single problem with it. Maybe yours is not superfatted? Just curious.