Milk differences

[Candybee]

A question to those of you that use cream, do you use it as part of your lye/water or do you add it to your oils?

I prefer adding to my oils. I split my liquids but use the minimal amount of liquid for my lye.

Eg.; if my liquids call for 16 oz and my lye is 7oz, I use 7oz liquid for my lye solution and 9oz for my milk.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...to those of you that use cream, do you use it as part of your lye/water or do you add it to your oils...."

I do both. The butterfat in the cream adds to the the oils in a soap. The whey (the rest of what's in the cream) should be included as part of the water phase. Read the nutrition label on the cream -- it will tell you how much fat is in the cream so you can figure the fat and whey portions.

edit: If you include all of the cream all to your water phase, you are going to get an unknown higher superfat in your soap. This could lead to a soap that is softer than you prefer and possibly make the soap more prone to DOS, especially if you use a high-fat cream. If you add it all to your oil phase, you will get an unknown reduction in your superfat and could possibly end up with a lye-heavy soap.

 

[kazmi]

Thanks everyone! I've been wanting to try cream and wanted to be sure I understood the best way.

 

[Soapman Ryan]

I've used goat milk, dairy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk. I've used them fresh, canned, evaporated, condensed, powdered, etc. I prefer fresh milk whether goat, dairy or vegetable. But I can't tell the difference of the fresh or canned. I can sort of tell the difference when I use powdered and don't like it. The only 'milk' product I didn't care for was greek style yogurt. Made my soap cakey. I prefer regular plain yogurt instead, its creamy like milk and makes a creamy soap.

Goat milk is popular with my customers and some specifically ask for goat. I make more coconut milk as thats my staple milk soap so I sell more coconut. But I like to have a variety as my customers like that they can pick different milks. They always ask the difference and I tell them I can't tell the difference but that one is animal and the other is vegetable/fruit/nut.

I've used goat milk as 100% water for my lye using the frozen milk method by adding lye to the frozen milk to melt it while de-solving the lye. These soap bars are non-jelled, by putting in the fridge for 24hrs.
My standard superfat is 10%, but since I've started using goat milk my bar seams softer and breaks in half when they're still 1/4" thick.
Candybee, what superfat do you use with goat milk? By adjusting my superfat, will these bars stay in one piece the entire time until they are finished?

 

[shunt2011]

I've used buttermilk, cream, goat's milk, coconut milk, half & half and like them all.

 

[Cadienne]

goat milk

Cadienne is that your cutie

Yes, that was my wether, Nehemiah. Here is our yearling doe, Mary, winning at District with my younger daughter, Renee.

 

[lsg]

Beautiful girl and goat!:-D

 

[MKRainville]

In terms of consumption goats is gentler on the system and breaks down better (I always transitioned my kids to goats after their year or two of nursing). Causes the least digestive problems and not as harsh on tummy as cows can be.
Possibly this is the same for the skin also? Gentler I imagine.

It is closer to the pH of our skin/blood (7.4). The goats milk range should be just over 7 (7.1/7.2) And that helps in digestion and for bathing. Adding Goats milk to the tub is always nice for a milk bath. Great for the skin and super moisturizing too!

 

[roseb]

Oh, Cadienne, how lucky you are to be able to have your own goats! She is a looker and your daughter is so proud!

 

[kazmi]

Cadienne you are lucky! The colors of your yearling doe are beautiful too