The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

User avatar
Brebis
Chatty Hen
Posts: 739
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:38 am
Location: Kingston
x 1286

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by Brebis » Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:49 pm

Any milk soap has some milk in it but it doesn't go bad or sour because during the saponification process it gets really hot ie pasteurization temps and is pretty darn toxic with the lye and chemical reaction taking place. Once it's soap though it's not very nutritious for anything that might still be in it!
0
Former dairy shepherd and owner of a menagerie of chickens and Pencilled Turkeys, now owned by three cats and a border collie x Australian shepherd pup.

User avatar
WLLady
Stringy Old Soup Pot Hen of a Moderator
Posts: 5613
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm
Answers: 5
Location: Rural near West Lorne and Glencoe
x 8527

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by WLLady » Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:16 pm

goats milk has fat in it that are shorter but more complex chains than other fats. goats milk also has to be made at much much lower temps, or it will "burn" - and that doesn't smell good at all!!! the process of soap making is called saponification....it uses up the lye so that there isn't any left in the soap if it is made correctly. most people making soap will use a certain amount LESS of lye than would convert ALL the fat to soap-this is called superfatting. I make my soap to have about 6% superfat, meaning about 6% of the fat is not turned into soap, and ALL 100% of the lye is used up.
Fats also have a pH. Lye is a base-meaning a very harsh high pH of about 12. Fats can be basic or acidic, depending on the fat source. fat from milk tends to be a more neutral (close to 7) pH. so IF all the lye is used in the saponification, and the remaining superfatting content is pH close to 7, your final soap will rest at about pH 7. if your fats are higher, about 8 or so, the final soap will be about pH 8. if you over-lye the soap, the pH will be 11 or higher. The higher the pH the more harsh, and the more drying it is on the skin. BUT it's a balancing act too. Skin likes pH about 7.8-8.2. 7.5 is also drying. as is 7 or below (more acid). 8 is nice....and if you have a superfatting content the extra fat will help to prevent drying. some fats dry more than others. milk fat, palm oil and coconut oils are less drying than oils like corn oil or canola oil or lard. So if you want a soap that is less drying, and can actually moisturize you go for something in the pH range of 7.8-8.2, with less drying oil as the source. aka milk fat. goats milk is slightly higher in fat than cow, so it's easier to make soap out of it, because of the fat content. higher fat = more saponification. but any milk (except non fat or skim) will work just fine.

hope this helps....
i made a really nice soap-it's lavender scented, and is 55% corn oil, 20% coconut oil, 15% lard and 10% palm oil. this is the first year i have not had dry skin and cracked bleeding hands-and it's the first year i have made my own (i'll never buy bars again!). it's superfatted to 7%. and pH reads 8. i love it.
1
:giraffe: Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars

User avatar
WLLady
Stringy Old Soup Pot Hen of a Moderator
Posts: 5613
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm
Answers: 5
Location: Rural near West Lorne and Glencoe
x 8527

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by WLLady » Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:33 pm

oh, and stuff that has milk in it DOES keep for a time. we actually make the soap using frozen milk-so that it doesn't heat up that much and go rancid or curdle. the lye goes directly into the frozen milk, because of the heat that is made from the lye reacting with water it melts the milk and then causes saponification reaction to happen. the lye actually also kills anything that may be living-because of the high pH until it's used up in the saponification reaction.
0
:giraffe: Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars

User avatar
Brebis
Chatty Hen
Posts: 739
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:38 am
Location: Kingston
x 1286

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by Brebis » Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:52 pm

Nice explanation WLL!
It's been a while since I did any with sheep milk but it does make an excellent soap because like the goat milk it has mainly short and medium chain fatty acids and it can be anywhere from 5 - 12% fat (ave. 6.5-7) depending on the stage of lactation so quite a bit more then other milks.
I analyse a lot of milk and the pH of fresh raw milk is about 6.6 - 6.8. The fat on the cows milk we've been getting lately is about 4.1% vs the goat milk which is about 3.6%. Just goes to show how well cow farmers have managed to get the overall fat up whereas the goat farmers are still focusing on volume.
1
Former dairy shepherd and owner of a menagerie of chickens and Pencilled Turkeys, now owned by three cats and a border collie x Australian shepherd pup.

JP*
On the Roost
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2015 12:24 pm
Location: Ottawa Valley
x 189

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by JP* » Wed Apr 13, 2016 4:38 pm

Not to derail the thread.....I have been using Dr.Mist...an overpriced salt water spray, as an underarm deodorant for several years now. I am sure it could be made easily at home. No complaints from spouse or colleagues on BO levels. I do bathe...most of the time.... unless it is swimming season and I count the morning dip in the river as a bath.
0

User avatar
SandyM
x 4839

The Dirty Hippie & Goats Milk

Post by SandyM » Wed Apr 13, 2016 8:18 pm

I have a salt stick and salt spray too. Wait for it. Salt spray goes on my feet for the summer. Over share? Hahahahahah! Salt stick works sometimes.

I'm going to check out Dr.Mist. Thanks JP
0

Post Reply

Return to “Misc Educational Resources and Topics”