Teach Soap

Okay...so let me say first I KNOW that "experimenting" is expensive...BUT...I LIKE to experiment...HOWEVER....Could someone spell out some basics for me? Because I am getting what I feel to be some conflicting info from people around me.....

I want to make lotion, incorporating of course my goats milk...I am GUESSING that to do this I would want to replace some of the water in the recipes I have found with goats milk...is that right?

1) When using GOATS MILK...would you pasteurize it first? Or leave it raw? We DRINK it raw...my goats are VERY healthy, disease free etc....so if that has any bearing IDK...

2) Would you use stearic acid AND another preservative? Because one lady told me JUST the stearic acid would be enough...so the next question is...

3) WHAT preservative should I be ordering? What would one want for a goats milk type lotion? (DID I even mention I am wanting to make just a basic lotion at this time?)

Other than that, I get the VERY VERY VERY MINIMAL BASICS...formulas, percents, weights, etc....I just want to start experimenting with lotions because, well, there isn't any lye involved...I'm a wussy....staying away from the soap for a while (until I catch the mad scientist bug I guess LOL)...anyways...any help is appreciated. I have made a few VERY small batches, but they had to be kept in the fridge and used pretty quickly....so I want to start making it last longer and such....someone toss a bright idea my way and I will love you FOREVER!

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

I will find a couple of youtube videos from credible sources for you!

You will need an actual preservative, whoever told you that staeric acid is a preservative is completely wrong! I use "phenonip" in my lotions.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

makes goat's milk lotion! This is a GREAT video, covers all of the basics. Hope this helps! I would use a stick blender rather than a regular blender; I think she uses the regular blender because she makes such a huge batch. The recipe in the introduction is for a small batch, not the size she makes!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Oh yes, you need to use pasteurized goats milk. And microbes in the milk can spoil the lotion, even with the preservative!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Most home crafters should not use more then 10% milk. Milk has natural proteins which are much harder to preserve. I would use a paraben based preservative as it works better for mold yeast and bacteria. I would also get your lotion tested to make sure it's safe to use. Cindy at The Sage Script Institute does lotion testing at a reasonable price.

Stearic acid helps emulsification. It will do nothing as a preservative and neither will Vit E or Grapefruit Seed extract.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks ya'll! I kinda figured that....about the stearic acid....but I wanted to check with SOMEONE SOMEWHERE before I called bull pucky on that tidbit of advice. AND...the video is freaking AWESOME to have thank youthankyouthankyou for the link! I don't know why I can't ever come across helpful stuff like that with google...I don't think I am a very good googler...

Yes, I am up for testing LOL and shall probably include that once I get more confident that what I have here is actually lotion and not questionable glop... first I want to see if I can even get it to turn out appearing to be lotion and then I will have it checked out...I figure I do so much testing anyways with these goats, what's one more test right?

Now...to watch the video again and then maybe in the next few days order some more stuff for my mad little experiments HEHEHEHEHE....I LOVE this stuff already! It's like crafting with THINKING involved and I LOVE that part!

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

Why would you want to use any kind of milk? What benefits do you expect to get?

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

I can understand it being good for you internally, but the benefits you describe for the skin might be just due to the fats in the milk. The question is, are those fats as good as fats that are usually used in skin treatment? I decided to investigate and found this site:

If you scroll down you will find a table that lists the lipids in goat milk.
C8 and C10 (number of molecules in the carbon chain) correspond to caprylic and capric acids. These are often found in 'light' creams i.e. face creams, I use them myself in the form of a commercial complex, Myritol 318. They are listed at 0.19% so it's pretty low, I use for instance 4% of those two.
Possibly more interesting is the large selection of amino acids. For instance arginine is a growth factor and is listed as 0.12%
The preservation problem would put me off, though. I don't want to be in the yoghurt business! If you can get past that problem, fine.

Ah but see....there are SOME benefits both internal AND external which was my first point, I just really figured it out by accident more than anything and, however small compared to ingredients one can BUY...see the caps on BUY...I "ain't gotta buy it" (as we say here in TX ) Think of it this way, lotion and cream you make may have more power as it were in a sense behind it because you are using stronger stuff, but I get the same "umph" just less punch FOR FREE with my milk...well...not really free because the goats have to eat and all...but they aren't going anywhere anytime soon...which is another story right?

So...for whatever reason it is that it works, it works....sure, learning to make it LAST more than a week or 2 may be tough, but heck, why not? Like i said, several TONS of milk EVERY year go through my kitchen...I have milk and time to spend and lord knows the goats are ALWAYS teaching me something new, so why not something FUN instead of a medical emergency this time right? (Trust me, just when you think you have them figured otu SOMEONE in the herd does SOMETHING that needs the vet ....they are rotten plotting things, but goat kisses are PRICELESS!)

Plus to be honest I would LOVE to try my hand at soaps...with milk in them...but I figured lotions are gonna be safer for me for NOW...it's too hot outside and I don't wanta be using lye inside...soap will have to wait just like cheddar cheeses until winter time...

And the yogurt thing made me laugh, I still attempt things that should NOT be yogurt and yet somehow manage to become just that...hey, it happens Just have to tweak things and try again I figure

On the bright side I ordered a TON of "stuff" today...now I await it's arrival to begin my adventures in creation...ought to be a hot mess but a fun one to make

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

At the end of the day, the main reason for doing anything is because you want to. So long as you're enjoying it, there are no rules as to what you can or can't attempt. (Within the obvious scope of things because I just know there will be someone that has to make a pointless point by listing something)

With regards to milk in lotions specifically. The only lotion I use is made with goat's milk. Nothing else even comes close.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I LOVE goat's milk lotion, its so luxurious! I want to make some but finding goat's milk here is a nightmare! Have to make the 45 min drive to whole foods if I want some. Even the Amish market doesn't have any! Yet another reason why I need goats!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I want goat's! But that could be because of how squishy ishy cute they are babies!

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist