Lemongrass Soap Recipe With Goat Milk

This small batch of cold process lemongrass soap made with goat milk is perfect for your spring cleaning!

I started making soap about ten years ago just because I wanted to try it. 

What I didn’t know was – I’d never go back. 

Homemade soap is so moisturizing and nourishes your skin while cleaning it rather than drying it out the way commercial bars of detergent do. Not to mention, it smells amazing! 

I kind of feel like every batch of soap is my favorite, and I add to my list of best essential oil blends for soap making every time I make a new batch, but lemongrass has a special place in my heart, because – don’t laugh – it reminds me of the Pez candy we used to get when we were kids. 

Is that just me? Is that weird? 

Probably, but there it is. 

Regardless, I really like making soap scents based on the season – such as fall spice soap for Fall, and I feel like this lemongrass soap has a nice bright aroma that’s perfect for spring. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with the classic floral tones of lavender soap, and there’s always a place for coffee scrub soap (specifically for invigorating morning showers).

Why use goat milk? 

• Goat milk contains alpha-hydroxy acids which help remove dead skin cells for your skin. This leaves new cells on the surface of your skin which are smoother and younger looking. 
• Goat’s milk is also high in vitamin A, which is important for repairing damaged tissue, and maintaining healthy skin.
• The fat molecules in goat milk helps boost the moisturizing quality of soaps made with it – this is especially helpful for those of us with dry skin. 
• Another big benefit to using goat milk is that it is high in selenium which is believed by scientists to have an important role in preventing skin cancer, and helping prevent sun damage. 

That’s a lot of really good reasons! 

But where do you buy goats milk? 

• Canned or powdered goat milk can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
• I’ve noticed refrigerated goat milk at grocery stores such as Walmart, right next to the other milk.
• Local farms are often happy to sell you goat milk for non-dietary purposes. 

What about essential Oils? 

I highly recommend springing for Young Living essential oils for anything you’re going to ingest or put directly on your skin. 

However, the curing process of soap makes Young Living’s quality slightly less important, so in the interest of keeping costs down, I often buy Now essential oils from Walmart for soap making. 

Fortunately, lemongrass essential oil is very affordable no matter where you source it. 

Let’s talk about lye. 

I used to be super scared of lye – probably unreasonably scared – stemming from an accident that happened in our community which severally harmed a child who accidentally ingested lye. 

It’s one of the reasons it took me so many years to start making soap. 

However, today, I almost always have lye on hand – sealed in childproof containers, kept in a childproof case, in an area that kids can’t get to. 

Excessive precautions? Maybe, but like I said, I’ve seen bad things happen, so I suppose I’m overcautious. 

The reality is, while lye isn’t something you see in most homes nowadays, it used to be, and it’s still very easy to get. 

I usually order mine from amazon, but I believe you can also get it at Lowe’s or Home Depot in the section with drain cleaners. 

Soap molds

You can use anything leak-proof and non-reactive. I like silicon loaf molds, but like I said in the video below, I can’t find mine since we moved (so weird!), so I used a combination of an old Hobby Lobby mold, and silicon muffin pan for this batch. 

I’ve seen a lot of people use milk cartons, which can make a nice, oblong bar similar to a loaf mold that you can later slice. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your soap molds!

Lemongrass Soap Recipe with Goat Milk

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. lye
• 6 oz. ice cold goat milk
• 4 oz. coconut oil
• 4 oz. olive oil
• 8 oz. vegetable or canola oil
• 5-15 ML lemongrass essential oil

Instructions:

1. Measure out your ingredients carefully. I highly recommend not opening your lye until you’re ready to measure, and immediately mix it in with your goat milk – especially if you live in a humid area where your lye will absorb moisture and stick to, or lump up in your measuring device.
2. In a well ventilated place – preferably outside, pour goat milk into a large, non-reactive bowl – either glass or high-quality stainless steel.
3. sprinkle lye granules on top of milk, and stir with a non-reactive spoon or spatula until lye is dissolved.
4. Let mixture site and cool until it reaches about 100 degrees.
5. In the mean time, melt oil, and cool to 100 degrees. I like to use an instant infrared thermometer, but a candy thermometer will work as well.
6. When the temperatures match, gently pour the milk/lye mixture into the oil mixture
7. Mix with an immersion blender for 5-15 minutes until your soap mixture reaches a trace. If you’re not sure what a trace is, read this article with descriptive pictures.
8. Stir in essential oil and mix well.
9. Pour soap mixture into a prepared mold.
10. Carefully move your full mold to a place where it can sit undisturbed for at least 24 hours.
11. Cover with a cardboard or plastic box, and then with a towel or blanket to insulate.
12. After 24-48 hours, you can remove your soap from the molds
13. Place soap back in a place where it won’t be disturbed, and let cure for at least three weeks before using to complete the saponification process, sweat, and become harder.