Teach Soap

Hi everyone. I just started making M&P soap with just the plain white base. I found all these great recipes with fresh goat's milk and lots of added oils and butters. I have been trying to understand whether a M&P recipe that includes fresh goat's milk and lots of added oils and butters needs a preservative. I've also seen great recipes using M&P base and sugars to make a sugar-type scrub. It seems the sugar would make bacteria grow like crazy.

I have germaben II E and have read I can use it in M&P soap. The problem is, I'm reading so much conflicting information about the need for preservatives. Everything from it's not needed at all because the ph of M&P soap, even with additives, doesn't encourage the growth of bacteria. I've also read I should add a preservative if I'm adding anything to a base other than dye and fragrance oil. I've talked to other M&P-ers who use LOTS of fresh goat's milk in their soaps with no preservatives, and they said they've never had a bar of soap go bad - ever. And they sell their soap to customers.

I'm so confused! I'm just making soaps for family but certainly don't want to get someone sick because there are little invisible nasties growing all over it!

Thanks so much for any help you can provide. I've tried searching through the forums but couldn't really get the info I need.

The high PH of MP soap discourages bacterial growth. With that said, I would not add fresh goat's milk soap. The milk will go bad and can make your soap smell sour. A small amount of butters or oils will be fine. Go with the goat's milk MP base if you want goat's milk soap. The milk in there has been saponified and will not go bad.

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