milk comparisons
- Thread starter ToniD
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Good question! I'm interested in learning more, too. I've only used coconut milk in soaps.
These are just some of my own obseravtions.......
I've used goat milk, coconut milk, buttermilk, whole cow milk and heavy cream, and on the whole, I've found them all to contribute a beautiful, dense creaminess to my lather. Also- I should mention that I've found no difference in the creamy factor of my lather whether I used powdered, canned or fresh.
The only differences I have noticed are these:
-Whole cow's milk and heavy cream gave a sour off-smell to my batches, so I quit using them as a milk source for my soap. Other soapers seem to be able to use cow milk and cream just fine without any off-smells, so don't let that put y'all off on trying them out- it just may well be a case of my smeller being extra sensitive to some component in the cow milk or something. Either that, or I happened to have used FOs in my cow milk/cream batches that clashed with the milk/cream in some way. In any case, I've never noticed that sour in any of the other milks I've used, including buttermilk- just whole milk and cream. Go figure.
-Canned goat milk turns my soaps darker in color than when I use the powdered or fresh versions. Also- my resulting soap emits a temporary ammonia smell for the first few days after unmolding. It completely goes away as it cures, though. I don't get the ammonia smell with the fresh or powdered GM.
-Decreased bubbly lather when higher concentrations of milks are added. I've worked my way around this problem by adjusting my superfat level. For instance, if I'm using 30% of my liquid amount as milk, I leave my normal 5% superfat alone because the addition of the extra milk fat doesn't affect my bubbly lather all that much. If I'm using 50% milk, I drop my SF down a notch to 3.8% or 4%. This seems to do the trick of keeping the amount of my bubbly lather intact. If I'm using 100% of my liquid amount as milk, I knock my SF level further down to 3% to maintain my bubble factor. When I don't do this, I find my bubbly lather just goes 'poof'- it deflates to near nothingness.
-It might totally be my imagination, but it seems like my goatmilk soaps come out feeling slightly harder than my coconut milk soaps. The difference isn't huge or anything, and like I said, I might be totally imagining it, but I just thought I'd mention it.
IrishLass
I've used goat milk, coconut milk, buttermilk, whole cow milk and heavy cream, and on the whole, I've found them all to contribute a beautiful, dense creaminess to my lather. Also- I should mention that I've found no difference in the creamy factor of my lather whether I used powdered, canned or fresh.
The only differences I have noticed are these:
-Whole cow's milk and heavy cream gave a sour off-smell to my batches, so I quit using them as a milk source for my soap. Other soapers seem to be able to use cow milk and cream just fine without any off-smells, so don't let that put y'all off on trying them out- it just may well be a case of my smeller being extra sensitive to some component in the cow milk or something. Either that, or I happened to have used FOs in my cow milk/cream batches that clashed with the milk/cream in some way. In any case, I've never noticed that sour in any of the other milks I've used, including buttermilk- just whole milk and cream. Go figure.
-Canned goat milk turns my soaps darker in color than when I use the powdered or fresh versions. Also- my resulting soap emits a temporary ammonia smell for the first few days after unmolding. It completely goes away as it cures, though. I don't get the ammonia smell with the fresh or powdered GM.
-Decreased bubbly lather when higher concentrations of milks are added. I've worked my way around this problem by adjusting my superfat level. For instance, if I'm using 30% of my liquid amount as milk, I leave my normal 5% superfat alone because the addition of the extra milk fat doesn't affect my bubbly lather all that much. If I'm using 50% milk, I drop my SF down a notch to 3.8% or 4%. This seems to do the trick of keeping the amount of my bubbly lather intact. If I'm using 100% of my liquid amount as milk, I knock my SF level further down to 3% to maintain my bubble factor. When I don't do this, I find my bubbly lather just goes 'poof'- it deflates to near nothingness.
-It might totally be my imagination, but it seems like my goatmilk soaps come out feeling slightly harder than my coconut milk soaps. The difference isn't huge or anything, and like I said, I might be totally imagining it, but I just thought I'd mention it.
IrishLass
Nope, I never have.
IrishLass
IrishLass
IrishLass,
Thanks for taking the time to post. It's good to know that coconut milk is a little softer. I was thinking that my coconut milk batchs seemed softer and I thought I had done something wrong. But I figured a longer cure would take care of the softness.
But it's really, really hard to wait 6 to 8 weeks.
Thanks for taking the time to post. It's good to know that coconut milk is a little softer. I was thinking that my coconut milk batchs seemed softer and I thought I had done something wrong. But I figured a longer cure would take care of the softness.
But it's really, really hard to wait 6 to 8 weeks.
Thanks Irish Lass for your observations. Have you tried Soy Milk yet? I've been playing with it for some vegan soaps but giving them the same creamy lather.
The reason you use milk in soap is for the fat. So the higher the fat content the more lucious the soap. Goat's milk has more fat than cow's milk and there are certian Goats that produce more fat than others.
IMO skim milk is useless for soap as it has no fat. The best cow's milk to use is Heavy cream. i mean if you are going to go to all the trouble to make milk soap get the most fat you can! Right?
Now I do not know what the fat content od Soy, almond, coconut, etc has. But I can't believe it has more fat than an animal product!
I love m
IMO skim milk is useless for soap as it has no fat. The best cow's milk to use is Heavy cream. i mean if you are going to go to all the trouble to make milk soap get the most fat you can! Right?
Now I do not know what the fat content od Soy, almond, coconut, etc has. But I can't believe it has more fat than an animal product!
I love m
The reason you use milk in soap is for the fat. So the higher the fat content the more lucious the soap. Goat's milk has more fat than cow's milk and there are certian Goats that produce more fat than others.
IMO skim milk is useless for soap as it has no fat. The best cow's milk to use is Heavy cream. i mean if you are going to go to all the trouble to make milk soap get the most fat you can! Right?
Now I do not know what the fat content od Soy, almond, coconut, etc has. But I can't believe it has more fat than an animal product!
I love milk soaps(I do goat and cream). I use them to shave my legs with. Fantastic!
IMO skim milk is useless for soap as it has no fat. The best cow's milk to use is Heavy cream. i mean if you are going to go to all the trouble to make milk soap get the most fat you can! Right?
Now I do not know what the fat content od Soy, almond, coconut, etc has. But I can't believe it has more fat than an animal product!
I love milk soaps(I do goat and cream). I use them to shave my legs with. Fantastic!
Thanks for the observations. Wow, Irish Lass, you write such wonderfully detailed posts! They are wonderful.
I would think that your imagination is not playing tricks on you about the coconut milk being softer. I made my first batch with it recently, using the recipe I usually use with cream and it came out of the mold a little softer and stickier.
I would think that your imagination is not playing tricks on you about the coconut milk being softer. I made my first batch with it recently, using the recipe I usually use with cream and it came out of the mold a little softer and stickier.
