We milk our own goats here on the farm, and that milk goes straight into our soap. So I've spent a lot of time thinking about what it actually does, and I'd rather give you a straight answer than a sales pitch.

How goat milk soap is made

All real soap starts the same way: oils and butters are mixed with lye. They react and turn into soap and glycerin. In most soap, the lye is dissolved in water first. In goat milk soap, some or all of that water is replaced with milk.

That swap changes the bar. The milk's fats and sugars end up in the finished soap, which is why goat milk bars tend to feel creamier and lather differently than plain soap.

What goat milk brings to the bar

• Natural fats. Goat milk is rich in fat. Some of it stays in the bar and leaves a soft, conditioned feel on your skin.
• A creamier lather. The milk sugars help the soap foam into a dense, lotion-like lather.
• A little lactic acid. Milk naturally contains lactic acid, the same family of ingredient used in many gentle exfoliating creams. The amount in soap is small, but it's part of why the milk is there.
• Glycerin. This one comes from the soap-making process itself. Handmade bars keep it in, and it helps pull moisture into your skin.

What goat milk soap won't do

I'll be honest with you, because you'll trust everything else I say more if I am.

• It won't replace your moisturizer if your skin is very dry. It just takes away less while you wash.
• It isn't a medicine. If you're dealing with a skin condition, a good soap can be part of a gentle routine, but your dermatologist should guide the treatment.
• Not every bar labeled "goat milk" has much milk in it. Check where milk shows up on the ingredient list.

Who notices the biggest difference

In our experience, it's people coming from a strong, foamy body wash. If your skin feels tight, itchy or dry after showering, switching to a gentle goat milk bar is often the change people notice first. We hear it all the time from families, especially ones with kids who have dry skin.

How to choose a good goat milk soap

• Real goat milk listed near the top of the ingredients.
• Plant oils and butters, like olive oil, coconut oil or shea butter.
• No sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or other harsh detergents added.
• A bar that leaves your skin feeling soft afterward, not squeaky.

And one tip from the soap room: keep your bar on a dish that drains. A dry bar lasts a lot longer.

What we use in our house

The Routine

Goat’s-milk body bars with no SLS, plus a face bar and a shampoo bar. Handmade on our farm in small batches.

See the Routine →

Lauren Stewart makes Tyme Soap by hand on our family farm in Idaho, with milk from our own goats.