Powdered Milk Soap Benefits

Milk soap is beneficial to the skin.

Many people are turning to natural milk soap for its many benefits to the skin. This soap can be made at home using powdered cow's or goat's milk which is readily available in any health food store. Direct benefits can be derived from powdered milk soap; users avoid the hazards of commercial, mass-produced soaps.

Missing Chemicals

Natural milk soap does not contain the many extraneous ingredients added in the manufacturing process that can dry out and irritate the skin. These ingredients include fillers, stabilizers, preservatives and fragrances. Together, these ingredients create a distinctive soap "brand" that can be manufactured by the ton yet also has a consistent look, smell and texture for consumers around the world.

Glycerin and Lactic Acid

Milk soap also contains glycerin, an ingredient that is created during the manufacturing process and that is normally removed from commercial soaps and reserved for use in more profitable products. Glycerin helps to moisturize and lubricate the skin. Lactic acid, another natural ingredient in milk soap, helps to exfoliate the skin, which removes dead skin cells and helps to smooth and rejuvenate the skin.

Goat's vs. Cow's

Soap made from powdered milk contains capric/capryllic triglyceride, an effective moisturizer that is favored for sensitive skin and that relieves painful, itchy symptoms of eczema and other skin conditions. Many home soapmakers prefer goat's milk to cow's milk, however, because the pH, or relative acidity, of goat's milk matches that of human skin. Many people also prefer goat's milk to cow's milk as a beverage, finding goat's milk easier to digest.

Lanolin

Some powdered milk soaps sold over the counter also contain lanolin, also known as wool fat, which is a waxy natural substance secreted by sheep and separated from sheep's wool after shearing. (For this reason, sheep shearers are known the world over as having soft hands.) Lanolin is found in many commercial products and is resistant to bacteria and allergens. It is one of the most effective natural skin moisturizers known.

Making Soap

Although soap was traditionally made with lye, a caustic and dangerous substance, soap can also be made in the home using glycerin, water, oils and food coloring for scent and color, all of which are combined into pre-formed soap molds. Powdered or whole cow's or goat's milk can be added to the base ingredients. If you do not have milk soap available, or do not want to make soap at home, remember that milk powder can also be applied in the form of a "milk bath," in which you add 2 cups of milk powder to the hot water.

References

• NewEnglandGrown.com: Why Goat Milk Soap?
• FreeBeautyTips.org: Beauty Benefits of Goat's Milk Based Soap and Skin Care Products
• KitchenDoctor.com: History of Soap and Soapmaking