Donna submitted her milk soaps for our Milk Soap Challenge. Here is her perspective on the process of making milk soap.
Enjoy!
| First, here’s the recipe I used — it’s a little varied from my usual mix, because I wanted to use the last of my cocoa butter & shea butter, hence the odd numbers:
400g Coconut Oil |
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| I’m well known to be a Coffee Butter junkie, but I haven’t shared my other major junkie affliction. Yes, I am a chocoholic. Doesn’t that sound like an anonymous group of sorts? “Hello. My name is Andee and I’m a chocoholic.” Whoops! I think I got off topic! Anyway, I love to curl up with a book, a cup of coffee and some type of chocolate, whether it is a brownie, chocolate bar, Andes Mints, or chocolate cookies. Today, I thought it would be fun to make a cold process soap that could find its way into any chocoholics heart and the best thing about this soap is that it is calorie free! (Mostly because soap wouldn’t taste good to eat and who would want to eat soap anyway?)
Collect needed items:
Weigh the baking chocolate, chop into small chunks and set aside. Measure oils on your scale. Warm on the stove or in the microwave. Once the oils are melted, add the baking chocolate and stir until completely melted. Bring temperature to near 120 °F. Exact temperature is not critical. Add sodium hydroxide to the water. Mix well. Allow to cool to near 120 °F. Once again, exact temperature is not critical. Combine oils and lye solution. Stir until thin trace. Add fragrance if you desire. Stir well. Pour soap into molds. Allow to sit until soap is firm. Cut into bars. Stack to allow good air circulation. Allow to cure for several days before using. Longer curing will result in a harder bar. This soap smells like Devil’s Food Cake and allows any chocoholic to enjoy their addiction even while bathing! Notes: We only recommend 1/8 to 1/4 to ounce of baking chocolate per pound of fats in a batch. We are primarily using the baking chocolate for scent and color, so a little will go a long way! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February. Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
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 Oils ready for the microwave.  Adding lye to the water.  Mixing the lye solution.  Melted oils.  Adding baking chocolate to the melted oils. |
| Yippee! I was able to correct all of the lighting problems with our photo shoot and I now have a excellent comparison photograph to share with you. You can click on the photo to enlarge it.
Top row of soaps, starting at the top left of the picture: Don’t forget about the 5 Milks Soap Set Special! If you would like to receive all 5 soaps and test them on your own, you can order them for $18 including shipping! Each bar weighs between 4.5 oz and 5 oz and has measurements of 2 1/2″ X 2 1/2″ X 1″. They have not been scented at all, so you will only have the soaps as made on their respective posts. I will only send the set of 5 soaps, no single soap requests please. |
 Click on photo to enlarge. |
How do I order the 5 Milks Soap Set?
1) Go to the Gift Certificate Form on our website.
2) Fill out all required fields for shipping and billing information as well as the credit card field for payment.
3) Give a Gift Certificate Value of $18.00. Type it into the “Other Amount” box as 18.00 (no dollar sign) to prevent problems.
4) In the “Gift Message” box, type the following message “Please send me the 5 Milks Soap Set!”
5) Submit your order request!
What do I get for $18?
1) 1 Cows Milk Soap
2) 1 Goats Milk Soap
3) 1 Buttermilk Soap
4) 1 Soy Milk Soap
5) 1 Almond Milk Soap
6) Shipping is INCLUDED in this total!
Kim & Margaret: Your soap sets left today!
Can I place this through the MMS Catalog Online Ordering?
No. At this time, our MMS Catalog Online Ordering will add a shipping calculation to all orders processed through the system. Our Gift Certificate System will not add any additional shipping charges to your order.
Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.
Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
| Ready for final part of milk cold process soap? We are going to follow the same recipe and steps as the posts before, but we are going to use Almond Milk instead. I made fresh Almond Milk using the SoyaPower Plus Soy Milk Maker and pressed the “Beans +” button.
Again, here are the directions that we will follow in a step by step format. 1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use. 2) Measure all of the oils and set aside to heat gently. 3) Measure the lye and set aside. 4) Measure HALF of the needed liquid as water and set aside. Measure HALF of the needed liquid as milk and set aside. Milk should be room temperature, not frozen or heated. 5) Add ALL of the lye to the water. Stir well. No crystals should remain on the bottom of your mixing vessel. When the temperature of this lye solution is within 110° F to 130° F, (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cooler for large batches and warmer for small batches), add it to the oil mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until you estimate you are halfway through the mixing process. This will happen with most oils in about 1 minute. The mixture should NOT be thick or viscous. The mixture should be very fluid, like water. 6) Now steadily pour the milk into the batch. Use the immersion blender to finish the blending so there is no chance of separation. 7) Add fragrance. Pour into prepared SHALLOW molds (1 inch deep or so). Milk soaps can get very hot and shallow molds help the excess heat dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction. This is called the Half and Half Method, because you use half water, half milk, and add the milk half way through the blending of the batch. Collect needed items:
Notes: I will also show you a picture of the Almond Meal leftover from making the Almond Milk. I showed you some of the almonds with their skins still on so they could still be easily recognized, but the Almond Milk is best if you take the time to slip the skins off the hydrated almonds. Don’t forget to give me your guesses on the final colors of the soaps! We will see a cut soap comparison on Monday! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February. Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
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 Hydrated Almonds.  Almonds in water to make almond milk.  Fresh Almond Milk.  Oils ready to be melted.  Adding lye to the water. |
| Ready for part 4 of milk cold process soap? We are going to follow the same recipe and steps as the posts before, but we are going to use Soy Milk instead. I made fresh Soy Milk using the SoyaPower Plus Soy Milk Maker.
Again, here are the directions that we will follow in a step by step format. 1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use. 2) Measure all of the oils and set aside to heat gently. 3) Measure the lye and set aside. 4) Measure HALF of the needed liquid as water and set aside. Measure HALF of the needed liquid as milk and set aside. Milk should be room temperature, not frozen or heated. 5) Add ALL of the lye to the water. Stir well. No crystals should remain on the bottom of your mixing vessel. When the temperature of this lye solution is within 110° F to 130° F, (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cooler for large batches and warmer for small batches), add it to the oil mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until you estimate you are halfway through the mixing process. This will happen with most oils in about 1 minute. The mixture should NOT be thick or viscous. The mixture should be very fluid, like water. 6) Now steadily pour the milk into the batch. Use the immersion blender to finish the blending so there is no chance of separation. 7) Add fragrance. Pour into prepared SHALLOW molds (1 inch deep or so). Milk soaps can get very hot and shallow molds help the excess heat dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction. This is called the Half and Half Method, because you use half water, half milk, and add the milk half way through the blending of the batch. Collect needed items:
We only have Almond Milk left! Don’t forget to give me your guesses on the final colors of the soaps! We will see a cut soap comparison on Monday! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February. Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
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 Hydrated soybeans on top and dehydrated soybeans on the bottom.  Oils ready for to be melted.  Adding lye to the water.  Mixing the lye solution.  Adding the lye solution to the melted oils. |
| Ready for part 3 of milk cold process soap? We are going to follow the same recipe and steps as the posts before, but we are going to use buttermilk instead.
Again, here are the directions that we will follow in a step by step format. 1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use. 2) Measure all of the oils and set aside to heat gently. 3) Measure the lye and set aside. 4) Measure HALF of the needed liquid as water and set aside. Measure HALF of the needed liquid as milk and set aside. Milk should be room temperature, not frozen or heated. 5) Add ALL of the lye to the water. Stir well. No crystals should remain on the bottom of your mixing vessel. When the temperature of this lye solution is within 110° F to 130° F, (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cooler for large batches and warmer for small batches), add it to the oil mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until you estimate you are halfway through the mixing process. This will happen with most oils in about 1 minute. The mixture should NOT be thick or viscous. The mixture should be very fluid, like water. 6) Now steadily pour the milk into the batch. Use the immersion blender to finish the blending so there is no chance of separation. 7) Add fragrance. Pour into prepared SHALLOW molds (1 inch deep or so). Milk soaps can get very hot and shallow molds help the excess heat dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction. This is called the Half and Half Method, because you use half water, half milk, and add the milk half way through the blending of the batch. Collect needed items:
Tomorrow we will make a Soy Milk Soap. We only have Almond Milk left! AND THEN (drum roll, please). I will show you the pictures of ALL the soaps! Which is the whitest? Which turned peach-colored? Which is tan? Go ahead and give me your guesses! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February. Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
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 Oils ready for the microwave.  Adding lye to the water.  Mixing the lye solution.  Adding the lye solution to the melted oils.  Mixing the batch to halfway to trace. |
| Ready for part 2 of milk cold process soap? We are going to follow the same recipe and steps as the post yesterday, but we are going to use goats milk instead.
What is the advantage to using the Half and Half Method rather than adding the milk to the lye solution? The advantage is that we allow the normal saponification to happen, without stalling using cold temperatures, we get firm soap quickly, AND we don’t have any separation in the mold. We feel that our best batch of soap is the first batch and by following the Half and Half Method, we reduce the chances of our soaps failing and increase our chances of getting that perfect batch of soap the first time around. The Half and Half Method is actually very easy to follow. Here are the directions that we will follow in a step by step format. 1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use. 2) Measure all of the oils and set aside to heat gently. 3) Measure the lye and set aside. 4) Measure HALF of the needed liquid as water and set aside. Measure HALF of the needed liquid as milk and set aside. Milk should be room temperature, not frozen or heated. 5) Add ALL of the lye to the water. Stir well. No crystals should remain on the bottom of your mixing vessel. When the temperature of this lye solution is within 110° F to 130° F, (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cooler for large batches and warmer for small batches), add it to the oil mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until you estimate you are halfway through the mixing process. This will happen with most oils in about 1 minute. The mixture should NOT be thick or viscous. The mixture should be very fluid, like water. 6) Now steadily pour the milk into the batch. Use the immersion blender to finish the blending so there is no chance of separation. 7) Add fragrance. Pour into prepared SHALLOW molds (1 inch deep or so). Milk soaps can get very hot and shallow molds help the excess heat dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction. This is called the Half and Half Method, because you use half water, half milk, and add the milk half way through the blending of the batch. Collect needed items:
Tomorrow we will make a Buttermilk Soap. We only have Soy Milk and Almond Milk left after buttermilk! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February. Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!
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 Oils ready for the microwave.  Adding lye to the water.  Mixing the lye solution.  Adding the lye solution to the melted oils.  Mixing the batch to halfway to trace.  Almost ready for milk to be added.  Adding the milk to the batch. |
| I’ve had many questions pop up in the last few weeks about making milk soaps, so today we are going to start a 5 post series for milk soaps using the Half and Half Method.
The Half and Half Method is actually very easy to follow. Here are the directions that we will follow in a step by step format. 1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use. 2) Measure all of the oils and set aside to heat gently. 3) Measure the lye and set aside. 4) Measure HALF of the needed liquid as water and set aside. Measure HALF of the needed liquid as milk and set aside. Milk should be room temperature, not frozen or heated. 5) Add ALL of the lye to the water. Stir well. No crystals should remain on the bottom of your mixing vessel. When the temperature of this lye solution is within 110° F to 130° F, (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cooler for large batches and warmer for small batches), add it to the oil mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until you estimate you are halfway through the mixing process. This will happen with most oils in about 1 minute. The mixture should NOT be thick or viscous. The mixture should be very fluid, like water. 6) Now steadily pour the milk into the batch. Use the immersion blender to finish the blending so there is no chance of separation. 7) Add fragrance. Pour into prepared SHALLOW molds (1 inch deep or so). Milk soaps can get very hot and shallow molds help the excess heat dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction. This is called the Half and Half Method, because you use half water, half milk, and add the milk half way through the blending of the batch. Collect needed items:
Tomorrow we will make a Goats Milk Soap. Later this week, we will make milk soaps with Buttermilk, Soy Milk, and Almond Milk. Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.
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 Preparing to add lye to water.  Adding lye to the water.  Almost completely melted oils.  Adding the lye solution to melted oils. |
| When you live in a climate like ours, winter always seems cold, long and dreary. During the worst of the winter months, we keep our spirits uplifted with various products designed to transport our minds to warmer climates. Not only does the bright yellow color of the Winter Sunshine Soap help boost our spirits, but the fresh scent of this soap works wonders as well. This is the perfect unisex bar of soap, even though you will not find me sharing my bar with anybody!
Collect needed items:
Weigh your fragrance oils and set aside. Measure oils on your scale. Warm on the stove or in the microwave. Bring temperature to near 120 °F. Exact temperature is not critical. Add sodium hydroxide to the water. Mix well. Allow to cool to near 120 °F. Once again, exact temperature is not critical. Combine oils and lye solution. Stir until thin trace. Upon trace add the fragrance oil blend and color. Stir well. Pour soap into molds. Allow to sit until soap is firm. Cut into bars. Stack to allow good air circulation. Allow to cure for several days before using. Longer curing will result in a harder bar. Notes: I haven’t cut this soap yet. I expect to release pictures of this soap once it has been cut this afternoon. I love how yummy this soap is smelling right now! Most of the staff have found various reasons to wander by the test kitchen and tell me that this smells just like a bar of soap! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by February 1st for posts during January.
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 Measured oils before melting.  Adding the lye to the water.  Mixing the lye solution.  Melted oils. |
| Earlier this year we made the Oatmeal & Honey Almond Soap. Once again, we are going to make soap with oatmeal. Today’s batch of soap will be similar to the Oatmeal Cinnamon Soap Recipe, but I’ve made several changes to suit the ingredients I have on hand, as well as make this batch easier to make. I used the Lye Calculator to recalculate the lye necessary for this recipe.
Collect needed items:
Grind oatmeal to a fine flour. Measure 4 ounces. Set aside. Measure oils on your scale. Warm on the stove or in the microwave. Bring temperature to near 120 °F. Exact temperature is not critical. Add sodium hydroxide to the water. Mix well. Allow to cool to near 120 °F. Once again, exact temperature is not critical. It is a good idea to record your temperatures so refinements can be made. Since this particular batch of soap was poured into one deep mold, the temperatures do not have to be as high as when pouring the same batch size into a shallow mold. Combine oils and lye solution. Stir until thin trace. Add finely ground oatmeal and ground cinnamon. Adding the oatmeal slowly while continuously stirring will help prevent lumping. Stir out any lumps. Upon trace add the Gingerbread & Spice Fragrance Oil. Stir well. Pour soap into molds. Allow to sit until soap is firm. Cut into bars. Stack to allow good air circulation. Allow to cure for several days before using. Longer curing will result in a harder bar. Notes & Comments: Ground cinnamon will accelerate the trace, so be prepared to see your soap turn from very fluid to mashed potatoes in 2 minutes flat! You may add the cinnamon to the soap when you add your fragrance to minimize the acceleration. Before adding make sure your molds are ready for the soap! Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by February 1st for posts during January.
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 Measured oils before melting.  Stirring the lye solution.  Almost completely melted oils.  Adding the lye solution to the melted oils.  Starting to mix the oils and lye solution together. |
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