Cream/Milk Soaps

[siberia]

I've read differing opinions on whether or not one wants to avoid gel with these types of soaps. Some say that they even put their fresh soaps in the fridge while it finishes off.

I'm curious as to what everyone here uses as their preferred method of processing milk/cream soaps. Also, do you replace the entire lye water with your cream/milk or do a half/half?

I don't go so far as to put in the fridge but it is the only soap I do that I do not wrap or cover.

[Sara]

Well, with CCM (coconut milk), I've added it to the lye (or actually the other way around ) just like water, but I've also used iced CCM (putting cubes in the CCM so it gets cold - don't forget to weigh all this) and then adding lye - helps cut down on the darkening a LOT.

With cream, I like to add 1 T pp at trace. Me thinks I picked up that tip from Queen Robin, actually. I lurve it.

[Maltesima]

Just made a batch tonite of Goat Milk and Honey. I used canned GM. I used half of my liquid amount of water and dissolved the lye into that. I poured the lye mixture into the oils then proceeded with making the soap until trace and poured the GM (which is the other half of my liquid amount), incorporated it into the soap mixture and poured into my mold.

I hope that made sense.

[ChrisR]

I use fresh goat's milk 100% for my liquid. I freeze it, keep it is an ice water bath while I add my lye. I also don't cover my mold and put it in the refrig. as I don't let it gel.

[siberia]

Thanks for the replies Maltesima and Sara. I've done milk soaps various ways and from my POV there are advantages and disadvantages within each method. I am a mad scientist at heart and am really interested in why one gravitates towards one method over another.

For me, I find that not letting my milk soaps gel really helps to maintain a silky/creamy feel to the end product. The soaps that I let gel come away with more of a greasy/creamy feel.

[Sara]

I'm glad you brought it up and now you have me curious. I'm going to try one w/o gel and see if I like that better!!

[RobinInOR]

I've never gotten a non gel bar to work - they always ash on me and crumble. I gotta have my gel So now I just do milks (heavy whipping cream/buttermilk) at trace. I find if I wait until my lye is completely cool, it keeps a light color.

[siberia]

Below is a coconut milk soap fresh out of the mold. The milk was counted as approximately 75% of the water. I did not let it gel. It's still rather soft but has a really nice feel to it. The brown specs are the result of a light swirl of rhassoul clay.

[cryptic]

I use fresh goat's milk 100% for my liquid. I freeze it, keep it is an ice water bath while I add my lye. I also don't cover my mold and put it in the refrig. as I don't let it gel.

What is meant by not "letting it gel"? With or without gel? Thanks

[elle110]

I have only added powdered goat milk at this point but am going to experiment with liquid the winter, my ??? is when you guys are adding cream, do you mean heavy cream? and what is the benefit? is it similar to goat milk?

Elle

[prairieannie]

Yup, heavy whipping cream here! I lurve it too! Luxurious Lather

[mountainmadness]

I am one that does not allow the soap to gel- I mainly use individual molds and have found that the soap is easier to remove from them. I also like the way that the soap feels when it does not gel. IMO- it has more of a creamy lather to it.

I think that you have the milk thing mastered- your bars are so white!!

[RobinInOR]

What is meant by not "letting it gel"? With or without gel? Thanks

It's most noticable in log molds, but soap will gel when it's temperature gets high enough - it will almost turn translucent. Just like a gel. You can see the dark middle in this picture, this is the gel stage that's almost made it to the edges http://watersgulch.com/images/gel.jpg Colors and textures are different if the soap's gone through gel - it's a personal preference kind of thing.

[singleyellowrose]

I gel all my milk soaps. 90% of my soaps are 100% farm fresh milk.

100% milk. Soaped cool. 90-100. 10% discount. Gelled in the mold in the oven.

Heat the oven to about 170. I turn it off prior to adding lye milk to oils. By the time I am ready to put it in, it's not so hot that it melts my mold. I use Kelsei's.

The reason it's not cleaned up is I just unmolded it. I prefer to wait about a week after unmolding so i get less dings in them that way.