Olive Oil & Goat Milk

Chryssa's delicious Greek made olive oil suds

I remember how my grandmother was making soap kneeling down in the bathroom with bucket full of melting lard. She would then cook slowly the grease with lye in big enamel kettle and later we would have large loafs of greenish strong scented soaps. Back in the day, olive soap was considered to be the most luxury item in the countryside. Olive oil was expensive and was imported from Greece. It was traditionally used since ninetieth century in every household for cleaning, beauty and  laundry. One of my strongest childhood memories was from the aroma released by the drying clothes in my great grandmother's garden. They were all washed with home made soap. After the socialistic system fall, we could buy creamy Palmolive soaps with different aromas. These were for me luxury products, just like bubble gums that had different flavors, because we had no variety, we had to color them with pencil ourselves.

Soaps are personal hygiene stock, which manifests private preferences of certain conduct. I would buy soaps from the places I visit and remember those travel destinations while washing my hands. African black soap, Aleppo soap, Indian neem soap, Marseille soap bar, all this beauties make great gifts for the family and friends. Except that in some countries giving soap is considered as not a friendly gesture. Soaps are beauties from around the world that speak of herbal and cultural heritage and have important place in every household. The process of making soaps has been honored in the Le Musée du Savon in Beirut. The history of soap making belongs perhaps to far back Babylonian times. The oldest concrete evidence of soap like substances dates back to 2800 BC.

Ready to work with lye

Some years back a friend set about to create magic soaps. She used secret technique to make "love soap", "abundance soap", "prosperity soaps" and such. Sarah was extremely gifted alchemist and I was inspired by her ideas and soap production. After my first Cream Bar Circle event, we conducted experiment with the making of Hair Soap. After few hours mixing of expensive ingredients including buffalo tallow, the result was unsuccessful. Apparently I forgot that most important ingredient, which was the lye. Recently dear friend from Greece were on visit and brought me their hand made olive oil soap offering. My friend explained that she cooked them fast and simple, without much extra ingredients. Chryssa's olive oil soap was very delicate and I fell in love with the simple look and feel. But I was on a mission to create soap that embodies goat milk and olive oil and has some extra flavor and so I found the Chocolate and Mint recipe from the book I have by Nerdy Farm Wife.

For the first time I was able to make cold processed soap with lye and olive oil alone. The process was not difficult and it did not take as many hours. I decided to use goat milk instead of making fully vegan soaps. Olive oil soaps in general are hardening faster, but after the aging, they become very soft for the skin. Olive oil is known for being perfect moisturizer, antioxidant which repairs the skin from free radicals. My mother was using olive oil instead of after sun lotion in hot summer. The low cleansing properties of olive oil make it very mild and nourishing. Soap for sensitive skin, elder skin or baby skin should include high amounts of olive (60%). Castile soap is made with 100% olive oil. It is classified as a soft/hard oil because it makes a very soft bar of soap initially upon unmolding but cures into a rock hard bar. Soaps high (50%+) in olive oil need longer to cure and unmold.

Measuring frozen milk

Why goat milk? Well, I have great love for everything goat. My grandma use to raise goats and I learned much about them and their behavior. They are extremely clean and funny animals. Goat milk is considered to be the closest milk to mother's milk, because it has a more similar makeup (percentage of fats, etc.) to human milk than cows milk. The goat milk is naturally homogenized since it lacks the protein agglutinate. The curd is much smaller. In soaps the use of goat milk is perfect for the rejuvenation of the skin, because of the alpha-hydroxy radicals, which help to remove the dead skin. In soap making, it is used for super-fating soap which creates a more emollient bar and creamy lather. Sugars in milk put Goat Milk at the lower end. Sugar in milk tend to caramelize somewhat during the soap making process, giving the bar an off white, sometimes golden light brown color. Goat milk is rich on Vitamin A, which studies show that reduce wrinkles and is psoriasis relief. Also rich on minerals such as Selenium, which plays important role in the cancer prevention.

In conclusion both olive oil and goat milk have been known since ancient days for their beneficial properties in the making of soap and other cosmetic products. Using them both together makes a perfect combo, firstly because the goat milk acids rejuvenate from old dry skin and the olive oil moisturizes and softens the hands.

I am also aware of the opposition to the use of goat milk in soap making and their statements that there is no clear scientific evidence that concludes that goat milk is truly beneficial. Goat milk for sure can cause rashes to people who have some sensitives and allergies. One has to test and educate himself before any further conclusions.

Olive oil

Before starting to make soap with lye, is important to decide about the cold or hot method. There are two main methods with heat or without heating the mixture. Both methods work fine, but have some differences. Main one is that the soap after heating process can be used almost right after. The cold process requires that the soap ages at least 4-6 weeks. Of course the ingredients have implications as well. So I would recommend reading more about the different soap making methods, considering your own time and needs and of course the need of each soap recipe and its ingredients.

How to make soaps with milk is not a complicated thing, but one has to prepare a little, for example to have preferably the milk already frozen and of course all needed substances and kitchen wear for the process. I follow the nerdy farm wife book for the milk soap cold process, which is found here. She also has version with grocery store products, so one can easily obtain them and make first test batch. Here is the list of supplies needed for the cold process:

Some Soap-making Supplies:

Lye crystals

Lye (Caustic Soda)
Ventilated space
Rubber gloves, goggles, mask
Stainless steel pot
Stainless steel saucepan
Heat-safe glass containers
Stainless steel measuring spoons
Digital scale
Thermometer/s
Silicone spatulas
Electric stick blender
Rubbing alcohol or vinegar
Soap mold
Pipettes (optional)

Milk Chocolate Mint Soap Recipe:

I used this recipe to make my first goat milk cold process soap. 

Ingredients:

22 ounces Olive oil (71%)

8 ounces Coconut oil (26%)  (if allergic to coconut oil, see substitution note below)

1 ounce Castor oil (3%)

10 ounces Milk (cow, goat, almond, coconut, etc) (use 9 oz if using a silicone mold)

4.3 ounces of Lye (6% superfat)

2 to 3 tablespoons Peppermint essential oil

2 teaspoons Cocoa powder

When making soap it is important to measure everything precisely and use clean utensils. I cover my work area with clean foil and keep the cats out of the kitchen, since I do not have special room for such experiments. Working with lye is dangerous and could be hazard for the health, so well ventilated and well sterilized spoons and mixer utensils are important. The whole process takes not more than 45 minutes. Learning and preparing on how to work with lye makes the process easy. The main thing is to always add the lye to the water base. Never add the water to the lye! By having apple cider vinegar near one can use this acid to neutralize lye in case of spill. I wore full mask on to protect eyes and nose from fumes and burns.

This soap recipe is taken from the The Nerdy Farm Wife book and it builds upon my milk soap making tutorial, which you can find HERE. With a few simple tweaks, you can turn a plain, unscented bar into a deliciously scented milk chocolate mint soap!

Sprinkle of dried orange peel for extra sweetness

Tip: To keep the cocoa powder from clumping or streaking in the soap batter, mix it very well with a couple teaspoons of oil until smooth. Just use some of the olive oil that you weighed out for the recipe above, so your measurements stay accurate. Set the cocoa mixture aside until trace is reached.

Happy with my first cold process soap

Note: High olive oil soaps like this one take a little longer to set up and cure. Olive oil is a soft/hard oil. It starts off causing the soap to be on the softer side, but once it cures for an extended time, the bar will grow very hard, yet extremely gentle on your skin. You can reduce the amount of milk by an ounce or two, if you’d like to speed up the process. Reducing liquid is also helpful when using silicone molds.

Substitution: If you’re allergic to coconut oil, you may be able to handle babassu oil instead. Although it’s a relative of palm, according to the rainforest group I contacted, there aren’t any known sustainability issues with it. (Yet.) It makes a great substitute for coconut oil in most applications! If you use babassu oil in this recipe instead, the lye amount will barely change, from 4.3 ounces down to 4.25 ounces, if using a 6% superfat.

Remember, in order to keep the sugars in milk from scorching, it needs to be icy cold or even frozen, before adding the lye. I did weigh out the amount of milk needed into a heat proof plastic pitcher and pop it in the freezer the day before I plan to make soap. You can also freeze your milk in ice cube trays or put it in the freezer until slushy.

Follow the steps and recipe just as the Milk Soap Making tutorial says, until you get to step 9. At that point, as soon as you reach trace, stir in the cocoa powder and peppermint essential oil before pouring into a mold.

I used double the amount of cocoa powder, so the bar is darker milk chocolate color. You can add more, but it could leave unattractive marks on a soap dish or in your tub. Also I decided to sprinkle some dried orange peels on top, which I felt that would made extra delicious end effect. Enjoy your soap making and create personalized beauty bars for soap lovers.

For the new readers, I want to add that this is my self made beauty and home essentials lab diary. I test alone and together in gathering of friends, ways to create self sustainable,  eco-friendly and delicious for the senses cosmetic products. On the path of finding my own recipes, we learn from established makers. This is an open platform to exchange ideas and knowledge. I learn best from trial and error and my aim is also to inspire people to be more active in the creation of these daily used products. They bring much joy, promote good health and could be made for less expense. This act makes difference to the waste bin, by reducing all plastic and has of course shorter life spam, but promotes changes to way of thinking and habbits.

Delicious chocolate & min soap with some orange peel on top

Reading:
https://theolivetree-organic.com/blogs/news/67832965-7-great-things-about-olive-oil-soap

https://blog.queencreekolivemill.com/blog/olive-oil-soap-vs-commercial-soap

https://www.sabor-artesano.com/gb/artisan-oil-soap.htm

https://goatmilkstuff.com/pages/goat-milk-soap-benefits
https://mtcapra.com/2019/01/09/benefits-of-goat-milk-soap-for-skin/

https://iloorganics.com/blogs/news/why-we-don-t-make-goat-s-milk-soap

https://goatmilkstuff.com/blogs/goat-milk-soap/is-goat-milk-soap-hypoallergenic

Making soap:
https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/how-to-make-goats-milk-soap-from-grocery-store-items/

https://homesteading.com/goat-milk-soap/

https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/how-to-make-soap-with-milk/

http://www.thecuriouslycreative.com/soap-making-guide-cold-process-method/

https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/milk-chocolate-mint-soap-recipe/

http://www.venusianglow.com/2015/09/seven-traditional-soaps-from-around.html

http://www.soapmuseumsaida.com/audi-foundation/accueil#22016

https://www.lovinsoap.com/oils-chart/