It is my favourite soap to use and make.
I just love the transformation from liquid oils, through an apple sauce phase, a mashed potato phase, a caramel sauce phase then finally a glossy paste stage which is then used to make a clear amber liquid.
It is like a traditional "Castille" soap and can be used for hands, face and body as well as all cleaning around the house including the dishes.
Click through to watch the video of it being used to clean the top of the stainless steel range hood.
In addition to coconut and olive oils, I also add sunflower oil which makes the soap slightly richer which means no hand cream is required, even after washing hands multiple times a day.
Liquid goats milk soap is different to the bar soaps in that the oils are saponified with a potassium hydroxide solution made with distilled water before the chilled milk is added.
When I make solid shampoo and body bars, I add sodium hydroxide to frozen milk to create the alkali/lye solution to saponify the oils.
The paste can be diluted to your personal preference or it can be used neat, it is especially good as for shaving and great to take on when travelling.
The foaming bottle mechanism requires a more dilute solution, so a little goes a long way.
The paste will make 8 refills of the foamer bottle which works out at only $3 per refill.
If the foamer pump is not working properly, try:
- Dilute the soap with a bit more water, if the liquid is too concentrated it will be hard to pump
- Make sure the nozzle is clear.
- Unscrew top and make sure air chamber is not filled with water - which can happen in the shower. If it is, just pull it out of bottle and pump air through to clear the tube and let it dry.
How do I make refills from the paste?
Because goats milk varies throughout the year, depending on season and diet, the paste may vary so measurements are not exact. If it is too thick, add more water, if it is too thin add more paste :-)
For best results use rainwater, filtered water or distilled water, not chlorinated water.
For liquid soap or shampoo in a normal pump bottle use approximately 1 part paste to 1.5 water e.g. take 80g or paste and 120g of hot water.
For a foamer bottle use aproximately 1 part paste to 3.5 parts water e.g. 30g paste to ~110g hot water.
The paste doesn't just dissolve like instant coffee, it will take up to 3 days to "sequester" so mix in a glass jug or pan. Using boiling water to start will help kick off the process and, if you can remember, stir it every day.