Unnatural fear of making GM soap...

[Luckyone80]

So I have put off making goats milk soap despite wanting to so badly b/c I fear I will screw it up. Seems like there is so much that can go wrong. I want to make the traditional Oatmeal and Honey GM soap, I have had the FO oil for months now and I keep putting it off b/c I'm scared, stuipd I know.

I can't put it off any longer, I think I will make some this weekend, any tips anyone can offer?

-I was going to try the method of freezing the GM in ice cube trays and slowly adding the lye to the frozen GM, stirring, adding more lye, stirring, etc.
-I usually like my soaps to gel, should I not let GM soap gel?

-Any oils I should or shouldn't use?

 

[shunt2011]

Don't be afraid. It's really not that scary. Just add your lye slowly and stir stir stir. I gel all my soaps (all made with milks) and you will find they tend to be a light beige not white. I mostly mix my lye 50/50 with water and then add the difference in GM or other milk to my oils and blend well. I don't notice much difference in the feel when I do that. I will also add milk powder with my milk to equal full water and add that to my oils. I can't think of any oils to avoid. You can use your regular recipe or the one you use most. Good Luck! I'm sure it will be awesome.

 

[Luckyone80]

Soapqueen says to measure the milk by volume, not weight. So use a measuring cup instead of a scale, is that right or would there be a huge difference if I used the scale instead?

 

[Luckyone80]

Does this recipe look like it would work?

 

[Obsidian]

Looks like a nice enough recipe though I would swap the palm and OO amounts. My very first soap was made with 100% goats milk and it turned out fine. I added the lye very slowly while keeping the container in a bowl of ice.

Now when I use milks, I use just enough water to dissolve the lye, the rest of the liquid is made up of milk and I blend it into the oild before adding the lye solution. I don't generally do anything special to my soaps as far as gel/don't gel but I keep a close eye on my milk soaps just in case they start to warm up too much. One thing I don't do is add extra sugar to my milk soaps, don't see any reason too.

 

[dillsandwitch]

Thats almost the same as the recipe I use so it should be fine. All my soaps are made with GM. I freeze them in ice cube trays and then sit my container in an ice bath so I dont burn the milk with the lye. Measure by weight not volume same as you would for water

 

[IrishLass]

Hmmm. I wonder why Soapqueen would say to do that? That doesn't make any sense to me, and is something I personally would never do, especially seeing as how measuring cups in the US (where I live) are not standardized and can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I have several sets of volumetric measuring cups (both dry and wet) that I have tested with water and other things against my scale, and are they all off, some even by as much as a half cup amount! :crazy: I would trust my scale any day over a volume measurement. My advice? Use the scale instead, most definitely.

Your recipe looks completely fine to me.

I like to make goat milk soap the way Shari does, i.e., I mix my lye with water 50/50 and add the remaining water amount as goat milk directly to my oils . If I want to make a 100% goat milk soap, I just fortify my 50% amount of goat milk with enough goat milk powder to increase the total milk concentration in my batch to 100%, and just add it all to my oils. This is called the 'split method' and is the only way I like making goat milk (or coconut milk) soap. It's less fussy for me this way.

IrishLass

 

[jules92207]

I have always done 100% milk frozen in cubes. I just have to watch for little undissolved lye crystals but if you stir long enough you should be fine. Just like soapqueen says, listen for the little click at the bottom and you know there still a few undissolved. Others have mentioned using a very fine strainer to be sure they don't make it in your soap.

Milk soaps are what converted me from a HP soaper to CP so I hope you love it too!

 

[Jstar]

Measure by weight not volume same as you would for water

^^^^^ This. I also don't know why soapqueen would say by volume instead of by weight..we measure 'everything' {well I dont measure my powdered colorants per say but that's a bit different} by weight using a scale..

I had a bad experience using animal milks with a baby spit up smell left on my hands after touching the dry bars, so now I use coconut milk in all my soaps {no spit up smell YAY!} but I don't gel mine, {right into the fridge after pouring}and I use 100% milk for my liquid and do not do any kind of discount.

I also add a bit of kaolin clay {1tsp ppo} and a touch of TD just for giggles, and my coconut milk soaps all are a bright white.

Dont be scared, just freeze the milk, put your mixing container in a ice water bath, and add lye slowly while stirring...the only thing I do different with the milk soaps is I 'listen' for the faint tinkling sounds of the lye and stir it alot longer than I would for water because you can't 'see' when the lye is dissolved. Then add it to your oils as normal.

You will do fine

 

[ariella42]

I'm a total newbie and the only batches I've made so far have been GM (I own dairy goats, which is why I started making soap). I have no advice that hasn't been given, but seriously, if I can do it with NO experience with making soap at all, then you can definitely do it.

 

[Luckyone80]

If I use the recipe above, would anyone change the SF or water %?

 

[OliveOil2]

I add goat milk or buttermilk to almost every recipe, and gel. I also prefer the 50% split method. For me it is just easier, and there isn't that ammonia smell that you can get with the frozen goat milk. Either way you will be fine, I can remember being afraid of wasting materials on my first salt bar. It will be a great learning experience.

 

[IrishLass]

If I use the recipe above, would anyone change the SF or water %?

With this being your first goat milk soap, if it were me, I wouldn't change the superfat or water %. I would just soap it 'as-is'.


IrishLass

 

[Luckyone80]

So I can either freeze the milk and slowly add my lye to it with the bowl sitting in ice.
OR
I can mix the lye with the same amount of water until the lye dissolves. Use the rest of the water amount as milk and add the milk to the oils before adding the lye and then add the lye to the oils as usual and SB.

Did I get that 2nd part right?

 

[Jstar]

Since I dont do the split method, I can't say anything about that..dont want to say the wrong thing..Im sure one of the members who do the split method will come along soon tho..we are all night owls as well I think

 

[IrishLass]

Yes- you got it right, Luckyone!


IrishLass

 

[navigator9]

I'm another one who uses the 50/50 method. Less problems and better results for me. Yes, you had it right, use the full amount of lye with half the amount of water, and the goat's milk to replace the other half of the water amount, and then add the milk to the oils, followed by the lye solution. This method makes it all so much easier. When I used the frozen GM, it made a nasty, lumpy, stinky slurry and I was always worried if all the lye had dissolved, since it's not like dissolving the lye in water, where you see the water go clear when the lye dissolves. I think you'll like this method.

 

[Luckyone80]

I totally forgot to ask about the honey, how much and when should I add it?

 

[Susie]

If I were you, and making milk soap for the first time, I would use the split method. Much less to go wrong, and no freaking out when the milk/lye solution turns odd colors and stinks. Once you get one successful batch under your belt, then you can try the other method.

I would NOT add honey to that. GM already contains some sugars(lactose) that are going to heat the soap. Your FO is already going to smell like honey has been added.

 

[seven]

if you want to add honey, i would do 1 tsp. mix it with warm distilled water first and add it to your oils, or at trace. you can also mix the honey to the lye water. don't be surprised if the lye water turn bright orange. it won't affect the color of the soap.