So what’s the big deal with goats milk soap?!
There are plenty of websites that talk about this. But in a nutshell, you are adding all the goodness of the goats milk to your skin.
For example, did you know that goats milk is naturally homogenized? That means that the cream does NOT float to the top like cow’s milk. It remains throughout. So basically, you get added fat and protein in goats milk compared to it's bovine counterpart. And when any milk is used to make soap, the added fats make for a creamier, slightly more moisturizing bar of soap(we call that superfatting in soap language). That is part of why it is so gentle.
The type of fats are important, too. Goats milk is high in a fatty acid called caprylic acid. Ironically, this acid is often produced synthetically to help smooth skin and act as an antioxidant. It is naturally occurring in goats milk. Any fat rich substance will help the moisture barrier on your skin along with replenishing it if need be. The goal with any soap is to gently cleanse, while not disrupting the skin's natural biome.
There are plenty of vitamins and minerals- in fact, goats milk tends to be higher than cow’s milk in Vitamin A (Super important for cell regeneration and anti-aging) as well as some B Vitamins.
So what is another reason for goats milk's gentleness? It is actually close to human milk in make-up. Yep. When you think about it, it makes sense. Large goats, like the Saanens that we raise, are supposed to be between 100 to 180 lbs. -about the size of a grown up human. It would make sense that milk that was meant to grow a similar size animal would be similar in composition. And cows, well, cows are often 1000lbs +. No thanks, I’d rather my children be less than 200 lbs. Thank you very much!
So then what is the best goats milk soap to buy? Ideally, the one with the most milk in it. Some people will add an ounce of goat milk and call it goat milk soap. Most of the liquid in the recipe is water. While technically true, to get the maximum benefits, more really is more in this case. So either ask your friendly neighborhood soap maker how much milk is in their bar or read the label carefully.
Most soap makers, while not required to, list their ingredients in descending order- just like food packages. So the first ingredient is the most plentiful, down to the last one which is usually minute. So if goats milk is closer to the top of the list, then most likely, there is a substantial amount of it in the soap.
Our everyday bar contains over 1 ounce of goat milk IN EACH BAR ( not 1 ounce in the whole recipe). They will be cleansing while not stripping your skin of its natural oils- super important as we head into winter.
If you’d like to look at some other sources of information on this, check out these websites(note that these websites are “unbiased opinions” as they do not sell soap):
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-the-benefit-of-go_b_9286700
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/goat-milk-soap-benefits
https://nimedhealth.com.ng/2020/07/21/natural-skin-care-product-review-amazing-health-benefits-of-goat-milk-soap-for-skin/?amp
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-goat-milk-soap/