How to Make Goat Milk & Honey Soap {No Lye}
If the idea of using lye to make soap worries you – never fear. You can make your own goat milk and honey soap at home without using lye. Enjoy the moisturizing qualities of a milk soap with includes a bit of honey. Its a great first soap making project that will introduce you to soapmaking without the concern of lye safety issues.
Soap helps get us clean but it can do other things – it can moisturize. What about honey? In addition to being a sweet, nutritious food product, there are many other ways to use honey including skin care. Paired with luxurious oils and creamy goat milk – you have a skin care bonanza.
DIY Goat Milk & Honey Soap Without Lye
These natural soaps look so pretty and you can make a lot of them in one afternoon. This is an advantage over traditional lye soap which requires curing time.
There are so many different ways to create beautiful handmade soaps. Some of the recipes can get rather involved. And a few people may “poo poo” this idea of melt and pour soap-as if it is not as good as traditional methods.
Don’t let them – its a great first step into the craft. Melting soap base in the microwave is really easy and doesn’t make a big mess. It is real soap and will produce a bar you can be proud of.
Soap Making Processes
There are several ways to create soap. Each type of soap making process is interesting. Some methods involve cooking the mixture for a while and others use a cold process.
But, melt and pour is known for having great versatility. So, this easy DIY goat milk and honey soap is a good place to start.
Later, you can experiment with cold or hot process soap making. Those methods produce some beautiful soaps but they can be a mess too.
Minor mistakes in the weighing of materials or steps of instructions can result in a humpy bumpy mess. ( I know – it has happened to me.)
Materials
These are the basic materials that you need. Of course, you can substitute other items if you wish because the standard process is the same.
- soap base
- honey
- mold
You will need a way to warm the soap base (stove top or microwave), a small pot and something to stir with.
Soap Base
There are many types of soap bases available to purchase. The one I use features goat milk in a vegetable glycerin base. If you want goat milk soap – buy a goat milk base.
Honey: Why Add Honey to Soap?
Honey is made by honey bees. In addition to eating it, we use honey in baking and many other recipes. So why would you not want to add a little honey to your soap recipe.
Raw honey (or regular honey) is extremely moisturizing. It is also full of anti-oxidants and has anti-bacterial properties. All of these qualities are important to healthy skin. This makes adding honey to your goat milk soap recipe a great practice.
But, it must be done in moderation – don’t go over-board or you may end up with gooey pockets of honey in your soap bar – not cool.
Molds
You can use any type of mold you wish for your melt and pour goat milk and honey soap. Even plastic cups will work. Being a beekeeper, I chose a cute bee themed mold.
Making Soap without Using Lye
In soap making, combining the right portion of lye with oils results in a chemical reaction called saponification.
We all know that lye is a harsh substance. How on earth can it be used to make a product for our skin? During saponification, the lye added to your soap recipe is used up.
This results in a homemade soap that is gentle to the skin. However, using lye calls for precise measurements to make sure you have the right balance of oil and lye.
In melt and pour soapmaking, the base you are using has already gone through the saponification process.
This saves you the trouble and having to be so precise with your measurements. So you are actually using lye – but the work has already been done for you.
Success is almost guaranteed in melt and pour soap recipes. So, this is why they are a good, safe option for beginners.
Instructions
1. Cut apart soap base cubes and place in a (pot for stovetop) or microwave safe container. I used the microwave to gently warm the cubes to liquid form. Heat for a few seconds – stir, repeat.
2. Use a wooden skewer to stir – then add the measured amount of honey and stir until well incorporated.
3. Pour the warm mixture into the sections of your mold.
4. Let cool for the required amount of time (a couple of hours or more). Then your soap should pop out of the mold (if you used silicone).
Storing Homemade Soap
After removing the bars from the mold, store them in an airtight container. This is to keep the glycerin in the soap from attracting moisture.
If they feel a bit wet – gently wipe with a paper towel before sealing. You can seal the in shrink wrap bands, wrap in clear plastic or simply zip them up in a plastic bag. Your soap will last for months if not a year. But, plan to use it up well before that time.
More Ideas
Enjoy this project with family, kids, friends, it is a great introduction to make soap with honey – and don’t forget to try other honey project ideas.
A great idea for your natural skin care cabinet – try some honey burn salve and to pamper your skin this recipe for sea salt & honey scrub is great.
Of course, if the weather is cold and dry – I would opt for a luxurious homemade body butter or even these cute bee lotion bars.
And, when cold weather and snow arrive – don’t forget your furry friends – this natural dog paw balm is awesome.
Final Thoughts
Don’t forget to have fun with this soap making project. That is the beauty of homemade soap. Making it should be fun and with melt and pour bases – success is almost guaranteed. Don’t forget to try other products from the hive such as beeswax in your beauty endeavors. You will find recipes for beeswax hair products or even homemade bug bite relief sticks to help you through every season.
Goat Milk Soap without Lye Tutorial
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read my Disclosure.Tools
- 4 cup measuring cup
- kitchen knife
- wooden stir stick
Supplies
- 1 lb Goat Milk Soap Base
- 3 tbs Honey
- 1 piece silicon honeycomb mold
Instructions
- Cut the cubes of your soap base with a kitchen knife. And place them in your large measuring cup or melting container (microwave safe). The number of cubes needed will depend on the size of your mold. Don’t worry you can melt more if you need to.My mold with 6 cavities required about 1 pound of soap base. Your mold may need more or less.
- Melting the soap base. Place in the microwave and melt for short bursts of 30 seconds. Stir well and repeat until all of the mixture is melted.
- Add honey: Stir 3 tablespoons of raw honey into the soap mixture (less if making a smaller amount of soap). This would also be the time to add a fragrance if you desire.
- Let the soap sit and cool. It will become firm when completely cool. This may take a couple of hours if the weather is humid.Once, the bars are solid, gently remove them from the silicone mold. Wipe off any excess moisture and store the bars in a sealed bag. Wasn’t that easy?
Notes
- to avoid having air bubbles on the surface of the soap – you may gently mist it with isophyl alcohol just after pouring into the mold.
- measure your honey carefully – do not add too much or you will have pockets of honey in the soap…. not a bad thing.. but a bit sticky!
- The time required for your soap to firm up will depend on the humidity and temperature. The directions on the package said at least an hour.
- Here in humid SC – even 2 hours was not enough and I was concerned. But, I placed the mold in the refrigerator for a hour and everything turned out well.