Special Goat milks soap for my GF!

[DeeAnna]

"...if we could up the bubbles, hardness, and cleansing some i think we have a winner! ..."

I'm gonna rain on your parade ... gently I hope ... but rain nonetheless.

If the Soapcalc "numbers" for hardness, etc. are driving your comment (above), please don't get too hung up on tweaking them to be "perfect" based on your current level of understanding. As others already know, I'm all for understanding and explaining the chemistry behind the "numbers", but I'm not an advocate for obsessing about them. And I really take issue with the names given to the "numbers" (hardness, bubbly, etc.). They are NOT helpful at all and mislead people greatly.

Honestly, Obsidian has done you a huge favor in coming up with this recipe. In particular, if you want a soap that will be especially nice for use in winter, leave the cleansing value alone. It's fine at 11%. Really it is. This recipe will make a gentle, pleasant soap with a good amount of bubble-age. It should also saponify easily for you, which is a good idea for a first recipe.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...but one of my favorite recipes just has tallow, olive, and coconut with castor. Lard also makes a great bar. ..."

I agree with you. My soapmaking ingredients list is pretty simple too, with lard high on the list. But I remember the first couple of recipes I made where I just had to try several of the more exotic fats ... just cuz!That phase wore off really quick, thankfully. I made an "odds and ends" batch with the last of my fancy butters and oils and never bought more. I have truly enjoyed learning how to make quality soap with the more traditional soap-making fats. But I know many soap makers feel differently about this than I do .... so YMMV and all that.

 

[jd_198818]

"...but one of my favorite recipes just has tallow, olive, and coconut with castor. Lard also makes a great bar. ..."

I agree with you. My soapmaking ingredients list is pretty simple too, with lard high on the list. But I remember the first couple of recipes I made where I just had to try several of the more exotic fats ... just cuz!That phase wore off really quick, thankfully. I made an "odds and ends" batch with the last of my fancy butters and oils and never bought more. I have truly enjoyed learning how to make quality soap with the more traditional soap-making fats. But I know many soap makers feel differently about this than I do .... so YMMV and all that.

fair enough, i appreciate you telling me that those number do not necessarily mean what i think they do. will the bar at least harden some? it isnt going to be a bar i can only take 3 showers with right? lol

i will make this recipe on tuesday, and gladly tell everyone how i did! with pictures!

 

[shunt2011]

That bar once cured 4-6 weeks should be nice and hard. It should be a lovely bar for your girlfriend. Pictures are required ....good luck!

 

[jd_198818]

That bar once cured 4-6 weeks should be nice and hard. It should be a lovely bar for your girlfriend. Pictures are required ....good luck!

great! thank you!

 

[squyars]

I have a suggestion for the goats milk. Why don't you try powdered? I incorporated 1 TBSP per pound of oils, mixing it (thoroughly) into the oils before adding the lye water. I found it incredibly easy to work with, and didn't have to worry about freezing the milk first or anything like that.

Can't wait to hear how it all goes. Post pics!

 

[jd_198818]

I have a suggestion for the goats milk. Why don't you try powdered? I incorporated 1 TBSP per pound of oils, mixing it (thoroughly) into the oils before adding the lye water. I found it incredibly easy to work with, and didn't have to worry about freezing the milk first or anything like that.

Can't wait to hear how it all goes. Post pics!

that is a good idea for a first time but i bought some milk. it is nice having so many local farmers happy to help me with a fresh supply

it is in the freezer in a ziplock ready for use.

 

[Obsidian]

Learning to use the numbers as a guideline only was one of the harder thing for me to learn. The first 2 batches I did are hard as a rock, very bubble and will strip you clean and leave you crispy dry lol.
I personally have to keep the cleansing number around 10 or so, I have dry skin and anything more dries me out badly. As far as harness goes, I generally try to get at least 35 but my shampoo bars are 20 and they last me roughly 2 weeks and thats with daily hair washing.
The only other numbers I pay much attention to is conditioning, I like it at least 60. The other numbers I mostly ignore. I figure if it makes some bubbles and doesn't dry me out, I'm happy.

 

[Obsidian]

I don't freeze my milk first, I just make sure its really cold and add the lye slow. My first batch ever was with milk and I spent 20 minutes adding the lye to keep the temps down and the milk from scorching.

 

[jd_198818]

i am not certain how i overlooked this, but i was looking at all of my oils again and realized that i had bought red palm oil.. i took it back as i was not looking for this, and did not want my soap red.. at all. I could have purchased it online but no longer have the time to do so seeing as we will be making this batch tuesday.. i have found something, just not certain that it will work. Spectrum all vegetable organic shortening, lists one ingredient....MECHANICALLY PRESSED ORGANIC PALM OIL. i bought it. will this work?

 

[Obsidian]

Yep, that will work. Good find, I've not been able to locate pure palm shortening.

 

[jd_198818]

if you have a whole foods in the area $5.99. They also had it at Fred Meyer/Kroger for $6.99

thank you! i wasnt too sure.

 

[squyars]

i am not certain how i overlooked this, but i was looking at all of my oils again and realized that i had bought red palm oil.. i took it back as i was not looking for this, and did not want my soap red.. at all. I could have purchased it online but no longer have the time to do so seeing as we will be making this batch tuesday.. i have found something, just not certain that it will work. Spectrum all vegetable organic shortening, lists one ingredient....MECHANICALLY PRESSED ORGANIC PALM OIL. i bought it. will this work?

I used this on a few of my soaps. It melted differently than the palm I had from BB, but it seemed to work fine. Appeared a little grainy, but don't think it affected anything.

 

[jd_198818]

while reading the recipe again, i realized that the fragrance oil is not factored in on soap calc. i tried to go to soap calc and add the 3.5oz of Brambleberry "sensuous sandalwood" fragrance oil but i cannot get it to work. will this change the soap any? do you think that it will cause the soap to seize if i add it at trace?

 

[Obsidian]

You don't calculate scent in with the oils, thats why it wasn't on soapcalc. Generally people use 1/2oz of FO per found of oil, thats by weight not volume. Weigh the scent in a glass container, it can eat through some plastics.
I've not used that particular scent so I don't know if it causes any issues.

 

[jd_198818]

You don't calculate scent in with the oils, thats why it wasn't on soapcalc. Generally people use 1/2oz of FO per found of oil, thats by weight not volume. Weigh the scent in a glass container, it can eat through some plastics.
I've not used that particular scent so I don't know if it causes any issues.

ok. thank you. tomorrow is not coming fast enough!

 

[jd_198818]

Alright guys! today was the day! i made my Sandalwood oatmeal goat milk soap. no complications that i could see
tell me what you think!

 

[jd_198818]

here is some.. not all in order..

 

[jd_198818]

here is the rest i took today! going to slice them in a day or two and give you a look as to if the "in the pot swirl" i attempted took or not. i added a couple of teaspooons of cocoa powder to about a 3rd of the soap at trace and added it at 12, 3, 6, 9 o clock. gave the pot once clockwise stir and poured into the mold. it is now in the freezer with some oats atop

 

[Obsidian]

Looks really good, can't wait to see cut pics.