Have you every wondered why milk has been used in soap making for centuries, and what the traditional cold pressed soap making process involves? Even Cleopatra bathed in donkey milk! Read on to find out more...
Why Raw Milk Soap?
Raw milk is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Raw milk is known as a ‘whole food’ making it an excellent choice as one of the main ingredients in soap. Skin is our biggest organ so it is much kinder to your body to use raw milk soap made only with nourishing ingredients to cleanse, soothe and condition your skin, than to rub chemical-laden washes into it.
Generally, raw milk soap does not have an adverse effect on those who are lactose intolerant as it does not pass through the digestive tract. However, there are a few people who have a true milk allergy or intolerance and these people should avoid using milk soap. If you are in any doubt, check with your doctor before using.
Main Ingredients in Raw Milk Soap
The main ingredients in raw milk soap are raw milk, whey, lye, a blend of nutrient-rich fats, oils and butters, each chosen for their specific qualities and optional ingredients such as essential oils, oats, honey and botanicals.
Essential Equipment
Lye is a caustic substance which disappears during the saponification process - it is not present in the finished bar of soap. However, it is essential to wear the correct PPE, including a face mask, safety goggles and gloves during the soap-making process.
The Raw Milk Soap-Making Process
Preparation of Lye Solution
Lye is slowly added to frozen milk in a well-ventilated area. (When lye is added to a solution, a strong chemical heat reaction occurs. It is therefore necessary to use frozen milk to keep temperatures low and prevent the sugars and proteins in the milk from scorching). The lye solution is stirred continuously until all the lye has dissolved and the frozen milk has melted. This lye solution is then left to cool.
Preparation of Oils, Fats and Butters
The hard fats and butters are gently melted together. The liquid oils are combined with the melted fats and left to cool.
Combination of Lye Solution and Blended Fats
Once the lye solution and the blended fats are both around 38 degrees centigrade, the lye solution is poured into the fats and stick blended until the mixture reaches a state called ‘Trace.’ This is when the lye solution and fats emulsify and the mixture thickens.
Additional Ingredients
Any other additions to the soap such as essential oils, honey, oats, nettles etc are added at this stage. Some additions can cause the soap batter to seize so it is important to work quickly and with care.
Pour into Molds
The soap batter is poured into molds, tapping to release air bubbles. The soap is refrigerated within a minute of being poured. A chemical process called saponification is now occurring, causing the soap batter to continue to heat/cook. When soap is made without milk, the ‘cooking’ is encouraged as it helps to enhance the colour of the soap and indeed this soap is left in a warm place for 24-48 hours.
However, we do not want to enhance the colour of milk soap, or to cook the batter, so we cool it down as quickly as possible. A ‘circle’ can often be seen in the middle of handcrafted milk soaps as the centre cools down more slowly than the outside. This does not detract from the quality of the soap and many people particularly like this quirky aesthetic look.
The Cure
The soap is left refrigerated for at least 24 hours and then is brought to room temperature. It is cut after 48 hours and is then weighed daily. When the weight stops decreasing (due to evaporation), the bars are cured and ready to use - usually between 4-6 weeks.
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