It seemed only fitting to bring out a post on Soapmaking With Milk on International Milk Day - June 1st. So here it is!
Incorporating milk into your soap recipes is the easiest way to take your soapmaking skills to the next level. Not only can milk add a creamy texture to your bars, but it can also provide additional skin benefits compared to other additives in soapmaking.
In this guide, we'll understand the benefits of soapmaking with milk, explore the different types of milk you can use, understand the 3 ways you can successfully incorporate milk in soaps & a simple recipes to get you started.
Benefits of Soapmaking with Milk
Milk has an abundance of vitamins like Vitamin D, A, B6 that are helpful for repairing damaged skin cells, that may smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and promotes healthy skin cell growth
Minerals such as Calcium & Selenium helps to strengthen cell membranes making it a great choice for damaged & mature skin types.
The lactic acid in milk acts as a natural exfoliant by removing dead cells from the skin
Milk proteins can act as film formers that keep the skin hydrated and supple. It also helps with moisture retention
The inherent sugars in milk boost the bubbles & contribute to a creamy, luscious lather
Types of Milks You Can Use in Soap
Animal milks such as cow’s milk, goat’s milk are the most commonly used types in soapmaking. Non-dairy substitutes such as vegan milks are also gaining popularity. They provide great benefits to the skin and are widely used by soapmakers to honor different animal friendly values. Examples include coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk.
Each type of milk brings its own unique properties to your soap, such as extra lather or a gentle, moisturizing effect.
It's important to note that using milk in soapmaking does require some extra steps to prevent scorching, overheating & discoloration but the results are well worth it in the end.
3 ways you can use milk in soap
Powdered Milk: One of the easiest ways to incorporate milk in soaps is to add it in the powdered form to the oils. You can use anywhere from 1/4 to 1 tsp per 100g of oil used in the recipe.
Milk in Oil Method: Another way you can add milk is to blend the liquid fresh milk with your oils before adding the lye solution. This method is less time consuming and hassle free. However, this method uses only 50% of liquid as milk as opposed to the freeze method that allows you to use 100% milk in a soap recipe.
Frozen Milk Method: Milk can be frozen beforehand & be used to replace 100% of the liquid in the recipe. This method requires prior planning & can be time consuming. But it also allows for a more creamier & lighter color in the final soap owing to the lower temperatures.
Milk Soap Recipes
Here are a couple of simple soap recipes to help you get started:
Goatmilk & Honey Soap - 35% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, 20% palm oil, 10% sweet almond oil, 5% castor oil, 100% goat milk for the liquid, with a 5% superfat and honey added at trace.
Coconut Milk Soap: 30% coconut oil, 40% olive oil, 10% shea butter, 5% cocoa butter, 10% sunflower oil, 5% castor oil, 50% distilled water for lye solution, 50% coconut milk added to oils, with a 7% superfat
Make sure you run it through a lye calculator to find the precise amounts of ingredients for your batch size.
Soapmaking with milk can take some extra effort, but the results are well worth it. Not only will your bars be luxurious and creamy, but they'll also provide added benefits for your skin. Experiment with different types of milk and recipes to find your perfect combination, and enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own handmade, natural milk soaps.
Happy soapmaking!
Let me know if you have any additional questions in the comments below! Happy to help!