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.
Oils ready for the microwave.
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.
Oils ready for the microwave.
1) Calculate the amount of lye and liquid needed for the oils you plan to use.
Adding lye to the water.
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.
Mixing the lye solution.
Adding the lye solution to the melted oils.
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.
Mixing the batch to halfway to trace.
Collect needed items:
| Ingredients Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Coconut Oil Olive Oil Sodium Hydroxide Goats Milk Water |
Equipment Scale Soap Spoon Gloves Extra Large Square Tray Mold Square Tray Mold Immersion Blender |
| Time spent: Weighing time: 8 minutes Adding lye to water: 15 seconds, followed by 60 seconds of stirring Heating of oils time: 3 minutes Pouring lye solution into the fat mixture: 10 seconds Using immersion blender to mix soap solution: 90 seconds Adding milk to the batch: 20 seconds Using immersion blender to completely mix milk into soap: 40 seconds Pour into molds: 60 seconds Allow soap to rest: 24 hours |
| Recipe in ounces: 40 ounces weight Hydrogenated Soybean Oil 20 ounces weight Coconut Oil 20 ounces weight Olive Oil 11.1 ounces Sodium Hydroxide |
Almost ready for milk to be added.
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Adding the milk to the batch.
 Batch at complete trace.  Filling the second mold. |
 Pouring the batch into the mold.  Filled molds resting. |
Thank you for sharing this “half and half” method. I like this!
Thanks, Andee. I have tried several methods for making ‘milk’ type soaps. As an experienced soap maker, this is the only type of soap where I lost an entire 5 pound batch…but only once. The ‘half-n-half’ method has been my most relied upon method for perfect soap.
Yes I definitely love using the “half and half” method too. It’s worked well for me… milk, goats, coconut milk… I’ve tried the full milk way, but it smells terrible at first and although it did turn out good for me I think if it had gotten any hotter it would have been a terrible nightmare.
Thanks for sharing this with us! I’m excited to try almond milk when you share it! I made a batch with almond milk and chocolate once. It smelled fantastic but when I cut it open it was a gooey caustic nightmare!
Hello! Will the shelf life of the soap be shortened with the half and half method? Thanks!
Nope. I like the half and half method far more than rebatching. Super technique!