Homemade Soap is quite literally one of the easiest things to make.
ONE BATCH lasts our family of four an entire year. Now, that is just plain awesome! We love to use our goat’s milk when we make soap.
Why use goat’s milk?
Goat’s milk contains Vitamin A, which helps repair damaged skin and control acne. The high amounts of selenium help protect against skin cancer. The cream in goat’s milk helps to moisturize and is especially helpful during the winter months. It also contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which aids in sloughing off dead skin cells. This makes your face smooth as a baby’s bottom. A human baby, not a goat baby.
Don’t worry, if you can’t get your hand’s on a goat’s teat, you can still make soap! You can either buy goat’s milk at the store (I’ve even seen it at Walmart), or just use coconut milk.
When I added fragrance to my first batch (a year ago) I used eucalyptus essential oil as a fragrance. Not a winner, that one! Kevin said it smelled like a dog but I thought it smelled more like wet dog. So, yeah, I definitely DON’T recommend eucalyptus!
This time I used grapefruit essential oil and my heavenly it is gorgeous! Mmmmm grapefruit! When shopping for fragrance, you definitely don’t want to head to a craft store. They only sell artificial fragrance and if you’re going to use that stuff, you might as well just buy soap. Not all essential oils are expensive. I found grapefruit essential oil at my local health food store and it was only $3.50 for a 5 oz. bottle.
The only bad thing about making soap is that this is NOT a kid friendly project. Because you’ll be working with lye, an exothermic agent, there is a possibility of chemical burn if it gets on your skin. Don’t worry about it being in your soap though, because lye will dissolve when exposed to air. The process in which the lye leaves the soap is call saponification. But I would strongly recommend NOT including children during the process of making soap. Even though making soap only takes 15 minutes, I block off my kitchen to make sure no wandering little people sneak in.
So, let’s get to the recipe, shall we?
Ingredients
- Food Thermometer
- Digital Scale
- Electric hand blender
- Molds
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- 12 oz partially frozen goat's milk or canned coconut milk (measure into ziploc bags and freeze until you're ready to use)
- 3 oz lye
- 10 oz coconut oil
- 12 oz lard (preferably from a pastured pig)
- 0.5 oz of essential oil
Instructions
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(BE SURE TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION & GLOVES)
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1) In a bowl, mix together partially frozen milk and lye with a wooden spoon.
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2) In a saucepan over medium heat, melt coconut oil, lard and essential oil to 115 degrees.
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3) Slowly add oil mixture to lye mixture and blend with hand blender for FULL 10 minutes so it is well incorporated and thickened.
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4) Pour the mixture into your molds. Let dry 24 hours.
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5) Remove, slice into bars and place on drying racks for 3 weeks to allow for saponification.
That’s it! What a cheap, easy way to make soap that will actually be GOOD for your skin! These are great for gifts as well!
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This recipe results in soap but it wasn’t the best soap. I do have a couple things to recommend though… I followed the amounts listed but when I imputed them into Soap Calc. later on, it was a bit off. I would recommend using Soap Calc. to check the amounts of your oils and liquids before beginning. The ingredients were amazing and my soap turned out good but Soap Calc. is a great way to double check. Also measuring in grams ensures more exact measurements. Another thing was the goats milk. It says partially frozen, but I would recommend completely frozen goats milk to prevent it from scorching. I made my first batch with this recipe and used the partially frozen milk and it scorched and turned a dark orange. The lye heated to milk up to almost 130 degrees!! The oils and the milk should also be within 10 degrees of each other before combining! Altogether this was a great recipe after the changes and the soap turned out to be very bubbly. Thank you!! : )
Here is the link to soapCalc. : http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp
Hello! Thank you so much for all if your YouTube videos! We love them! I am about to make my first soap after just starting to milk our goats. I was wondering if Palm oil can be used in place of lard? And if Beef tallow would also work instead of the lard? Thanks again!!!
Hi Shelli-
Haven’t used tallow or palm oil for this soap recipe, but yes you can make soap using them. Just try to find a sustainably cultivated palm oil.
Good luck on your soap making!
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hello Danelle! I love your blog and so excited to try your recipe for goat milk soap! I wanted to know how many bars this recipe makes? Does it depend on the size of the bar molds? Thanks!
Hi April-
It does depend on the size of the mold. The recipe makes 4.5 cups if that helps you.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
We made this soap but after 48hours, the top part was hard, but the bottom of the mold was still moist so we couldn’t take it out. The bottom of our molds had a design. Is there any recommendations or thoughts on what we might had done wrong?
Hi Leslie-
Sometimes soap can have issues of not setting if the incorrect amount of lye or water was used. Hardening or cracking of soaps can come from heating the soap too high. Be sure to use the correct amount of all ingredients and heat to the appropriate temperatures. Another thing you can try, if your soap doesn’t seem to firm up, is to add sodium lactate to your next batch and this may help.
I hope that helps and good luck with your next batch of soap.
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I can’t see the type of Coconut oil you used…I thought I clicked on everything and purchased from your post. Did you use the Spectrum..organic virgin coconut oil? Unrefined medium heat!!?? Sorry just getting ready to give it a try today!!!! #homeschoolinggoatsoap
Hi Lori, here is the coconut oil I use.
Hi! Any chance we can mix and match oils here if the weight is the same?
Hi Sunny-
If you trade out oils it can change the properties of the soap. This article can help you with some of that: https://www.lovinsoap.com/2016/12/coconut-oil-soap-making-properties-recipes/
Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I love this recipe DaNelle! It was a lovely white and very creamy! Did you burn yours or why was it so orange?
Hi Alyssa! I used Wild Orange essential oil and I think that changed the color:)
Sorry didn’t check off the Notify me of followup comments via email. Thank you.
Hi, Like other replies I am inspired to make this soap from your recipe. Afraid of the Lye. I watched a video and they poured liquid lye. Really dumb question I know, but is the Lye liquid or powder, and what are drying racks and where do you put it to dry.
Hi Josie,
You can purchase lye in liquid or powder. I purchased it in powder form. It felt a little safer:)
This is probably a stupid question, BUT are the measurements (oz) in this article liquid amounts or weights?
It’s weight:)
As a crafter extrodinnare I MUST try soapmaking!! I am curious to know about whether I can add dried herbs? And if so at what point would I add them?
Lavendar, mint, lemon rind?
Hi Jen, I would add the dried herbs the same time as the essential oils:)
I hear of people making blueberry soap with dried blueberries. How would one do that? I find that a great idea. Everybody seems to use fragrance oils instead of dried fruit. Does the lye dissolve the dried blueberries or do you grind it up in the soap making process? I have been looking for blueberry soap recipes where they use real blueberries or dried blueberries so I can experiment myself because that just sounds divine, and no not as an exfolliant as a scent, I’ve used it before and it smelled fantastic. This lady sold them at the farmers markets along with other dried fruit strawberries, grapefruit etc. No seeds were in them, it was just creamy and wonderful smelling with no artificial scent. I’ve been searching the web for something like that and I haven’t found anything like that. I am making massage bars and that’s fun but I’d like to graduate to fun, pretty soap that smels divine that’s pretty much all natural, or as natural as can be. Do any of you have any answers for me as far as my questions go using the dried fruit used in the soap? I’d really love to try it, just like I’d love to try to start making my own soap. I’ve always had the passion, I’ve just never done it. I don’t want to do the cheat way the melt and pour I’d like to start from scratch so I know everything there is to know about soap-making. I admire you all very much for your craft and your passion. I hope I learn very much fro you all, my eyes and ears as well as much interest is peaked thanks to you guys and I could use as many tips as possible! I want creamy milky soap, I have mostly, shea, mango, hemp, cocoa butter, and almond. I am trying to find some Brazil Nut Butter. I’d love to use that as a base because that smells glorious. Thanks in advance to you all and good look with your new projects to come and the ones you have that are on-going! -B
How do I know what size molds to buy? How much does it make?
Hi Susan,
My recipe makes about 4.5 cups of soap. I hope that helps!
I remember when I was a little girl, that was a long time ago since I just turned 72. I would help my Dad make lye soap. We would make
it outside in a big iron kettle. He would leave it outside to harden. We used it for everything even washing clothes. We would make enough to last all year long.
Is there something other than lard that can be used? I live kosher so I can’t even touch swine products.
Absolutely! You can use tallow or even coconut oil:)
Thank you 🙂 Just to make sure, it would still be 12 oz? thanks again!
Yes:)
I am in love with homemade natural soaps. They not only have unique shapes and intricate designs with exquisite swirls and colors, but are also healthy for skin. 🙂
This might be a silly question- but do you have pans that are specifically “soap” pans, or can you use your regular every day pans? Looking forward to trying this!
Thanks!
I made this 3 -4 weeks ago… and I appreciate it. I wrote a small blog about following your recipe, and linked your page to it. I “Pinned” across it when I was researching possible soap recipes to try.
https://kaoskrafts.blogspot.com/2013/08/is-it-soap-yet.html
I’m glad it worked out! Thanks!
Great recipe – thanks for sharing. Just a question – I had heard that Vitamin A was something to avoid in sunscreens, as a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate or retinol, is linked to skin cancer. Do you know if the Vitamin A in goat’s milk would be the same form?
As a soap maker by trade, I’d like to add a few things, even though this is an older post. Wood spoons will splinter when used with lye, nylon spoons work much better, I haven’t used waxed paper, I opt for the sturdier freezer paper, I use a stailess steel “meat thermometer” that starts at 80 degrees, your lye solution and warm oils must be within 20 degrees of each other when combined, anything used in soap making should be kept for that use and not returned for food use. Plastic, glass and stainless steel are safe to use when making soap NEVER aluminum, you must add the lye slowly to the milk, always use a digital scale to get measurements exact and ALWAYS run the recipe through a lye calculator like the one at http://www.thesage.com, keep vinegar on hand to stop a burn/reaction from lye.
Wendy – thanks for the safety tips, because when I read the directions my jaw hit my laptop. I have read many recipes and methods, but they all make it perfectly clear that you add the lye to the liquid, be it water, or milk. I think the partially FROZEN goat milk is supposed to help reduce the explosive amount of heat generated when adding the lye to the milk – that should be STRESSED – – lye mixed with liquid = A LOT of heat! That’s why you must slowly add the lye to the milk, NOT the milk to the lye. Making soap is not for the haphazard hobbyist; I’m still working up the courage to make it. = S
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Hey! Totally excited to try this! Have u heard anything about the lye destroying some of the vitamins in the goat milk? I read hand-milling and adding goat milk after curing (during hand-milling) is gentler on the goat milk. But I’m new to this so I don’t really know! I do have pork fat from my local pasture-raised pig farmer and I’m rendering it tomorrow thanks to your other post! I need some goat mik and I’m good to go!
I’m loving it! definitely want to try this! I’m wondering, could you use this as laundry soap/laundry bar?
I think that would work well! I’ve even grated it and used it for liquid hand soap too!
To make Liquid hand soaps Grate it and add to water in a Bottle ? Using Milks to make lotions for skin and Healing Lotions ? Milks like Goat,Cow, Camel.? 🙂
I tried your soap recipe and it worked beautifully. Today was the 3rd day since I made the soap so I cut it into bars. I’m assuming after 3 weeks, the soap will not leave any residue on my finger when I touch it like it did today. It was already starting to saponificate because I got suds from the little piece that broke off. Can’t wait to use it. I told all my friends I was going to share a bar with them.
Awesome! Yes, it will be a little soft when you cut into bars, but as it sits out it will harden and shrink a little. Congrats!
You can do it without a hand blender. I have tried it with a wire whisk, but you have to stir for quite a bit longer. It’s definitely easier if you have a hand blender, we found one at a thrift shop!
I know a lady that did not have a stick blender and she placed hers in a blender- worked GREAT!!
If you don’t have a hand blender, will stirring well work? I have been dying to make soap but so intimidated!
Awesome post, great instructions. We are new “homesteaders” who also milk goats and (thanks to zany, project-obsessed visionary hubby) raise a pastured pig or two. Soap making has been on my “to do” list for TEN years! Hey, life gets in the way sometimes. 🙂 I’m giving this a whirl b/c you inspired me. Thanks!
Oh I’m so jealous about your pastured pig! {Never thought I’d hear myself say that} I want a pig, but I’ve got to convince my husband first!
Soup is something I’ve wanted to try and even have a book on it but I’ve yet to make the leap. But one batch lasting a year is making me rethink my hesitation.
Possible stupid question, why can’t you use another type of thermometer? Like the one I’m going to use in my turkey? Everyone says a candy thermometer but I guess I don’t know the difference.
You really only need to get the temperature up to 115, so any thermometer will be fine 🙂
So, do you use this soap for washing your face? When I’m not on birth control, my face flares up like a teenager. 🙁 So I was intrigued about what you mentioned about the goat’s milk and acne prevention.
Thanks for posting all this!
Yes totally! I forgot to mention that. My skin is always clear when I use this soap!
Yeah! Hers isn’t the glycerine kind. It has lye and everything….I think it’s called hot process and makes saponification happen immediately. When I read These is My Words, it made me want to make my own soap like she did. When you start using your own ash, I’m going to start idolizing you! You do everything I’ve been wanting to do, but lacked resources. I seriously read your blog and I’m 5% jealous, 95% inspired/happy for you!
I think I would become officially crazy if I burn wood and take the ash to make soap. Okay, now that I said it, it doesn’t seem THAT crazy. Just think, when you start homesteading like me you can learn from all my mistakes!
p.s. I love that book!
Wood ash? https://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html#potash-lye
I LOVE this guy’s websites. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to make soap for a few years. I bought a few books on it several years ago, but the list of stuff was a mile long for tools. I may have to try this one! One of my friends makes soap in her crockpot and she only has to wait for 24hrs to use it. Something about the recipe makes it so she doesn’t have to wait. She had a group of us over to make it one night and I think I lost the recipe…dang it!
Crockpot? How fun! I know you can make glycerin soap, which is basically buying a bar of glycerin, melting it down, then adding moisturizing and fragrant oils to it. People with super sensitive skin like to make soap without lye, but I don’t mind it. It’s been used for thousands of years so I’m okay with it, although it probably would be good to find a more natural lye made with wood ash.
Does it lather? My mother in law bought me some blueberry goats milk soap home from her last cruise and I love it.
It depends on the kinds of oils you use. Here’s a guide:
Hardness, stability – palm, beef tallow, lard
Lather – coconut, castor, palm kernel
Moisturizing, conditioning – olive,cocoa butter, shea butter, almond, hemp, jojoba
Mine lathers up fine, but not as good as commercial soaps. That’s the fun thing about soap, you can adjust the oils as you wish!
Thank you DaNelle!
I have been wanting to make my own soap. Where do you get your lard? Where is a good place to get goats milk?
It’s hard to find lard that isn’t hydrogenated. At first I thought it would be OK, but knowing the skin can absorb anything, I decided against it. I found lard at The Meat Shop in Phoenix, but I’m sure there’s a more local source. You can get goat’s milk at Walmart right there in the milk isle. It’s in a purple quart carton.
Hi DaNelle! I got a bunch of lamb and beef “lard” or fat and wondered if that would work instead of pig lard? I got mine from a farmer at my local farmer’s market. Her beef lard is really affordable…I also render my own to use in cooking! Awesome stuff!
Any type of animal fat will work, but always run it through a lye calculator because some fats take different amounts of lye. Soapcalc is pretty comphrehensive. https://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp
I love homemade soap. When I go to craft fairs, I gravitate to that first. But, making it myself, scary!
You can do it!