As someone who makes goat milk soap and is admittedly, a little crazy-enthusiastic about it, I am constantly surprised how underestimated goat milk is in the skincare industry. As a still somewhat unknown product in the world of modern skincare, it is another one of those beauty secrets that have been used since ancient times, yet continues to surprise even dermatologists with how amazing it is as a natural face wash (or for eczema). It is a game-changer for people with sensitive skin.
Aside from how adorable our mini goats are – not to mention their impossibly cute babies – their goat’s milk is hands-down the main reason why I wanted to get into dairy goats. But it wasn’t probably for the reasons you’re thinking…. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE the goat milk products they make for dairy / food consumption, but my ultimate goal was to create an unscented goat milk-based soap bar, one of the most elegant yet simple beauty products that offers BIG benefits.
So why goat’s milk as a face wash? What about goat milk helps the skin?
Unscented goat milk soap can be used as a natural face wash and gentle cleanser because it’s packed with lactic acid and fatty acids protecting your skin barrier, along with Vitamin A & Vitamin E. These natural qualities make it so much more than just a regular bar of soap, to us, that simple addition of goats milk makes it a powerhouse facial cleanser, giving you a radiant complexion.
Lactic acid is the main ingredient you’ll find in high-quality cleansers on the market like Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta AHA Daily Cleansing Gel (Sephora $39) and LacticGlow Micropolish Resurface & Brighten Cleanser ($32). From the family of alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid gently exfoliates dead skin cells, smoothes out rough or bumpy skin texture, minimizes pores and fine lines, and brightens uneven skin tone. It is the main ingredient used by dermatologists for professional chemical peels, coming in different strengths and percentages. When found in goat milk bar soap, though, it is gentle enough to use for even dry skin.
Perfect for acne-prone skin, it is amazing to me that one experiences all these benefits when washing your face with the creamy lather of a simple goat milk soap bar, but again, it’s a little underestimated! It usually isn’t thought of as a, “facial cleanser”… even in the world of natural-based skincare, people don’t usually wash their face with goat soap, they use it as a hand-wash or a body wash or body soap. We are on a mission to change that!
Ingredients Matter
Not all face washes are created equal, and that goes the same for natural goat milk soaps and goat milk face wash.
While all goat milk soaps contain the main key ingredient – goat milk – giving you those amazing benefits for healthy skin, you want to make sure you stay clear of harsh chemicals being added if you’re extra sensitive. Fragrance oils, unfortunately, can be very irritating when used on the face or for people with sensitive skin. It’s the reason we developed the perfect facial cleansing bar + body wash, Pure $10, to have a gentle yet cleansing bar of soap, without any harsh chemicals; all natural and pure, and fragrance free. It’s been our best seller for a reason! People are tired of not being able to wash their face with something simply and purely good for you.
Added oils and luxury butters also make a big difference in not only how the soap feels on your skin, but what benefits stack up as an overall effect to your face wash. All our bars of soap contain Extra Virgin Olive oil, which deeply moisturizes and improves all skin types from dry to oily, and Castor oil, which is rich in ricin oleic acid, and is said to be able to reduce inflammation, fine lines and give your skin a plump, supple look. We also love using Shea butter, which is known to tighten skin and is great at soothing all kinds of skin conditions and for all skin types, and cocoa butter. We even go the extra mile to include a little Beeswax into every bar of soap, which has been shown to dramatically aid your skin in retaining moisture, making it softer and smoother almost instantly. You will notice the difference in how your face feels to the touch!
Many goat milk soaps out there have a variety of ingredients all with their own unique properties your skin ends up absorbing, so it is important to look at the ingredients and see if they align with your skincare goals. Olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, along with the natural ingredients in goat’s milk are like giving your face a pampered spa session.
Essential oils & Lye
We love the deliciously fragrant essential oils like lemongrass and lavender and eucalyptus or mint, and thankfully many of them don’t cause irritation for most people. Tea tree oil, however, falls into the category of one that might cause irritation. According to the National Rosacea Society, however (and many rosacea sufferers like my husband and our oldest!) Tea tree essential oil actually seems to work wonders. So as with most things, always do a patch test on your skin when trying out a new product, that way if something starts to burn or react badly, at least it won’t already be smeared all over your face (Ouch!).
And since we’re on the topic of what is or isn’t a harsh chemical, we need to talk about lye. All soap is made with sodium hydroxide (Lye), it is what takes your delicious luxury butters and oils from being just oils, and transforms them into actual soap through a chemical process called saponification. I know – I love to geek-out a bit over the chemistry behind it all, but the fact is, you don’t have to worry about lye being used in soap because it processes out through the saponification.
Brighten + Exfoliate + Nourish
Ultimately, it is mind-blowing how a simple bar of goat’s milk soap can offer us the same benefits as a $40 cleanser by – brightening our skin, exfoliating the dead skin cells (in the most gentle way possible that is!) and giving it nourishment in the form of Vitamin A & Vitamin E. This is why I set out to create these products, though, along with our other creams and elixirs, it fascinated me how much the natural and food-grade ingredients could improve overall skin tone, especially for the sensitive skin crowd. There’s no need for all the unnecessary additives, or even the higher price tag… with just one bar of soap we can get beautiful, glowing, healthy skin.
References
National Library of Medicine – Beeswax studied in skincare
National Rosacea Society – on the use of tea tree oil
Lactic Acid in Skincare Very Well Health – Scientific benefits and how it works
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