How to Make Goat Milk Soap with Oatmeal - Homeschool Blogger

More on essential oils

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 14:38:00 -0500

You can read more info on essential oils on my new blog.

Please take a minute to sign up for email updates there and join our Milksuds Yahoo group.

Enjoy your day!

Essential Oils and Soap

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:28:00 -0600

If you haven't switched over to receiving my blog updates at blogger then you are missing new posts. You can read the lastest article on Essential Oils and Soap.

Also please sign up for the Milksuds yahoo group. This is a community of Milksuds soap makers and a place to ask questions and share ideas.

Yeah....spring is almost here and soon I'll have baby goats!

How to Make Goat Milk Soap

New Posts

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:04:00 -0600

Please be sure to check out the new blog where I am posting new articles. You can find it at

http://milksuds.blogspot.com

That site is much easier to navigate.

We also have a new yahoo group for you to find answers to your questions from everyone who has started making soap from my video.

Cheers!

New Milksuds Blog and Yahoo Group

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 22:02:00 -0600

Hi All,

I am happy to announce that I have finally moved all my blog information over to blogger. What does that mean?

It means I would like you to please visit the new blog at

http://milksuds.blogspot.com/

and subscribe by email, so you will stay up to date with any new postings (that is if you want to read my blog posts). Otherwise please at least bookmark the new blog and visit it occassionally or if you have questions.

I moved to blogger for several reasons. The biggest reason is that blogger is easier for me to use. I don't have to deal with lots of html coding like I do with this site. That means I can put more information on the site because I know how to do it! That is good.

Also I have set up a milksuds yahoo group that you can participate in if you choose. It is only available to individuals who have purchased the video or the soon to be released e-book. This is to keep the numbers manageable. I thought it would be cool for many of you who are starting and running new soap businesses to be able to communicate together and get each other's input in addition to my own.

Please subscribe at the group home page:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/milksuds

If you have any other questions, please post a comment on my new blog:

http://milksuds.blogspot.com/

Thanks!!!

Cherie

New Soap Making Book Coming Soon

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:21:00 -0600

I don't really consider myself a procrastinator....only a person who sometimes takes on too many things. I am my happiest when I am busy so taking on many things is a joy to me. The only problem is that sometimes completion can take a long time. And thus is the story on the well intentioned soap making ebook.

I spent a lot of time in December working on this project because I felt I really needed to get it completed before I embarked on another project. I have recenlty been asked to write a few chapters for another book as well, so I really can't dilly around any longer. But.....I have to say another part of my lollygagging was the fact that I didn't really think this book was needed. Boy am I wrong. I spent an hour on the phone yesterday with one of my soap dvd purchasers trying to help her navigate through the world of colorants.

So now I am more convinced than ever that soap makers are a creative lot, but they are also smart and would appreciate a short cut to getting a successful business up and running. This one particular soap maker called me when she encountered another failed batch of soap (out of many in a row). The recipe was awesome, but the color was hideous. So she felt as though she couldn't sell it and make money....thus more wasted money on trial and error. So far she has invested about $1000 and would like to start recouping that investment and make real money.

So with new determination, I am working on finishing up the ebook that gives you an outline on how to shortcut setting up a profitable business. This book is a guide and you can certainly use your own creativity, but when you know for sure you would like to have a profitable business, following my suggestions will at least get you going with sellable products. Then use your creativity for extra soaps or seasonal soaps. So watch for a nearing completion date and special introductory pricing.

Enjoy your day!

Organic Goatmilk Soap

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:30:00 -0600

A number of people have asked me about using organic oils to make organic goatmilk soap. When I first began making soap about 10 years ago, using organic oils was just too expensive. However, today there are more organics being produced and the cost isn't as high as it once was.

If you are interested in making organic goatmilk soap, then check out Columbus Foods for your bulk soap oils. They now carry a large variety of organic oils that are not priced too much more than conventional oils. I do wonder if it really makes a big difference in the end product of your bar of soap as the lye destroys so much in the process of making soap, but the flip side is supporting farmers who choose not to use poison on their crops and land. This is very very good. So if you are wondering about making organic goatmilk soap, look at Columbus Foods for your oils and support a cleaner. healthier planet!

If you would like more help in making organic goatmilk soap please check out my website at Organic Goatmilk Soap

Breeding my alpine goat

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:15:00 -0600

Well, I am excited. My alpine goat, Mary, is off to my friend's house where she is being bred for the first time. I can hardly wait for the arrival of a new baby goat (or two--hopefully does) and the great goat milk that accompanies having babies. I had the awesome opportunity to hand milk another friend's milking goat, Amelie, several times this past year and I enjoyed the interaction with her goat very much. I know I will enjoy milking my own Mary even more. It does seem weird not having Mary here and I know little Maggie misses her friend, but at least she has the sheep for the time being. Maggie is about 7 months and is a cross bred 1/2 Dwarf Nigerian goat.

I still have some goat milk (from Amelie and also from Mary's mom Wendy) in the freezer for soap making over the winter when my schedule is much less hectic, but I can't wait to make the soap from my own Mary!

What am I doing with my pig lard?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:46:00 -0500

I know....I know.....I told you all that I was going to use my rendered lard in some soap. But I don't think it is going to get that far. The other day I had my little kids clean out a few pumpkins. We roasted the seeds and also cooked the pumpkin for a real honest to goodness from scratch pumpkin pie. Guess what went into the pie crust? Yep......lard. And it was the best tasting pie crust I have ever made (and I take great pride in my pie crusts!) So I think my soap making creations are going to take a back seat to pie crust and I'll have to wait and render the fat from the two Scottish Highland Beef that are going to market mid November. Tallow makes a harder bar of soap than lard anyway!

What's your newest soap creation?

Lard Lye Soap Making

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:13:00 -0500

Today I am rendering lard from a pig we had butchered this summer. I plan to create a new soap recipe to use this lard. Lard lye soap making isn't any different than using vegetable oils in your soap. One of my first successful batches of soap used lard. I chose not to use lard in my soap (that I was selling) at that time, not because I didn't like the soap, but because there seemed to be such an emphasis (demand) for vegetable oil only soaps. So I ditched the lard and chose vegetable oils.

Today, I think sustainable agriculture is important and I am going more with my beliefs than following the current trend (although the current trend in this area is that more and more people are desiring to buy more and more products locally from small producers). This entire past has been a year of growth and learning. I brought home 14 chickens last October. I already knew we were going to pursue getting sheep and goats, but we spent the winter learning all we could. By spring, we purchased a small flock of sheep, 2 goats, and 3 turkeys. Then we hatched out two batches of chickens from our own chickens' eggs and raised more layers and meat birds we purchased from a hatchery. In August we got three baby feeder pigs. We acquired three horses that are being boarded at a neighbor's place. We added a puppy in February and so.......... our little farm is growing. So you might be wondering how all of this ties in with sustainable agriculture. Well.....doing as much as you can for yourself and making the most of everything you have is an important aspect. This winter, I will be rendering more lard from the three pigs we have raised and making more soap. Doesn't it make sense to use everything we have rather than going out and buying a lot of other supplies?

So....if you raise your own pigs....use that extra fat for soap. If you don't raise pigs.....why not work with a farmer in your area who does raise pigs. Most of the time people who have pigs butchered do not want the extra fat......maybe you could get and use it? Why not try asking a few meat processors what they do with the fat that no one requests? You might be pleasantly suprised. You may be able to get it for nothing or barter a trade for some fat. This is better than allowing the fat to go to waste.

I found my first batch of lard lye soap to be a very hard, long-lasting, mild bar of soap. I can't wait to see how this recipe will turn out. I'll post the recipe once I have iti figured out.

If you would like more information on How to Make Soap please check out my website.

My friend is making soap

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:26:00 -0500

Hi all!

My good friend, Jodi, is making soap from her own goat milk. I gave her one of my videos last year. I'm not sure if she watched it or not. She doesn't use my recipe for goat milk soap and was concerned that her bars of soap are not very hard. She said she uses olive oil, vegetable (soy) oil, and coconut oil in her recipe. I have also had various other individuals ask me about using other oils, like sweet almond oil, castor oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, and more.

It is always a good idea to start with one good recipe and then to modify off that recipe than to just make a totally new recipe. Why? Because with soap, so many things can go wrong and it is difficult to determine exactly what the problem with a soap was, if everything was different. It is a good idea to educate yourself on the properties of the different oils and know what they do for your soap. If you want a hard bar of soap, it is not a great idea to use much castor or sweet almond oil as they make the bar soft. But castor oil can contribute to lather, so use sparingly.

I'm happy my little effort in putting together this video has helped a lot of people get started making soap. Please feel free to leave a comment on your soap making progress!

Enjoy the day!

Cherie