Soap making is a delightful hobby that lets you unleash your creativity while crafting unique and beneficial soaps for yourself and your loved ones. One of the exciting aspects of soap making is the array of ingredients you can experiment with, including various types of milk. Many hundreds of customers have taken our Beginner's Soap Making Workshop over the past twelve years, and many of those people have come back to enjoy our Goat Milk "Advanced Soap" workshop. Well, let's take things a step further and dive into the world of soap making with plant-based milk and discover the wonders they can bring to your soap creations. First of all, when making animal or plant-based milk soaps, it is very important to FREEZE THE MILK before combining it with your sodium hydroxide. This prevents scorching and helps preserve the milk's beneficial properties. We do this by pouring the milk into ice cube trays the night before our soap-making session, making it easy to measure and store excess milk for future use. If you decide to use colours for your milk-based soaps, anything goes, but many people will opt for "earthier" colours since there can be a tendency for the sodium hydroxide to slightly yellow the soap batter. Using yellow, orange and brown shades may offer a better result than more vibrant blues, pinks or purples which may clash with the natural colour of the soap batter. When it comes to scent, anything goes! Use your favourite essential oil or fragrance oil, or simply go without for a completely natural "soapy" scent. Here are a few of the readily available plant-based milks that can help take your soap to the next level:
Soy Milk: Creamy Goodness and Moisturizing Lather
Soy milk, a popular plant-based milk alternative, is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. When incorporated into soap making, soy milk provides a creamy and moisturizing lather.
Almond Milk: A Nourishing and Luxurious Experience
Almond milk is rich in vitamin E, almond milk offers a nourishing and moisturizing lather. Almond milk has a lower fat content compared to animal-based milk, which may affect the texture and lather of the soap.
Coconut Milk: A Tropical Treat for the Skin
For soap makers seeking skin-loving benefits, coconut milk is a fantastic plant-based milk choice. Coconut milk is abundant in lauric acid, renowned for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Oat Milk: Gentle Care for Sensitive Skin
If you have sensitive skin, oat milk is a remarkable plant-based milk alternative to consider. Rich in antioxidants, oat milk provides a gentle and moisturizing lather. When using oat milk in soap making, straining the milk through a cheesecloth or fine sieve may help to remove any oatmeal particles that might cause discolouration.
In Conclusion, we hope you will unleash your imagination and enjoy the creamy delights that plant-based milk brings to your soap creations! If you would like to practice the whole array of tips and tricks for making milk-based soaps, please sign up for a workshop - we would love to welcome you to a fun session at Starlite Soap Studio!