Goat Milk Swirly Man Soap

This is today's adventure with soap making! I decided to be brave and add two scents AND a color swirl! Very bold for a beginner. I'm still using this lip balm holder until I get a good mold, but that's alright :)

This is a goat milk soap with some manly scents added. The color is actually cocoa powder mixed with the soap and then drizzled on top and then swirled with a bamboo skewer stick. I think it came out very nicely!

I read somewhere that when using goat milk (or any milk, I suppose) it is best if it is frozen or a slushy consistency since lye heats up liquids rather quickly and you don't want your milk to scorch. So, that's what I did. I poured my raw goat milk into an ice cube tray and let it freeze. The only problem (if you can really call it that) is that my lye and milk mixture doesn't reach 100+ degrees on it's own lol. I had to put it in a hot water bath to reach 100 degrees. But doing it this way keeps the temperature in check and doesn't burn my milk or turn it a terrible orange color as it has been known to do when heated to fast/burned.

I'm also trying a non gel with this soap. I've been READING, READING, READING lately on soaping and I've read that milk soaps are best not gelled.

On my previous blog, I did let that one gel, but I didn't know any better. So far though, it looks like it's going to be fine. I made it Sunday night.

I can't wait to unmold this swirly soap though!

I've been reading up on hot process soap. It seems that this type of soap doesn't have to wait the 4-6 weeks to cure before it can be used. I've made 3 batches already that are cold process and I'm very anxious to try them out. I'd hate to find out that these batches are failures in a month. Although hot process seems like it takes a little more time up front. Between working and sleeping, I don't know if I'll have enough time for hot process. Maybe I'll just stick with cold process for now :)