Health food stores and organic markets often carry goat's milk soap, which they may market as more moisturizing than standard soaps. Goat's milk contains caprylic/capric triglyceride, an emollient that quickly penetrates the skin and leaves a thin layer of moisture on the skin's surface. In addition, many commercial soap manufacturers separate the glycerin out of soap, selling it or using it to make other skin care products. Glycerin absorbs water from the air, and this may be why soaps that contain glycerin seem to be more moisturizing to the skin. Makers of goat's milk soap keep the glycerin in the soap and carefully select ingredients to optimize the richness and moisturizing properties of their product.
Caustic Agent
All soaps start with three basic ingredients: a caustic agent, fats, and water or a water-based liquid. Goat's milk soap typically utilizes sodium hydroxide, or lye, as the caustic agent. The soap-making process, called saponification, neutralizes the lye so that once the soap cures the lye no longer burns the skin. Ancient Romans used potash, or potassium hydroxide, as the caustic agent. Potash, sometimes called potash lye, is a derivative of wood ashes and some modern soap makers use it in softer or liquid soaps.
Fat
Fats and oils give soap its emollient and lathering properties. Animal fats, used extensively in early soap making, became less popular as procedures developed to extract oils from vegetables. Soaps can contain any of a wide range of animal fats---such as lard, suet or tallow---and vegetable fats such as avocado oil, coconut oil or olive oil. Cocoa or shea butters are also common in soaps. Soap makers often use a combination of fats, chosen for the effects each has on the texture, lathering ability and moisturizing properties of soap. Goat's milk soap often contains vegetable oils such as coconut and palm oils.
Liquid
Water is the standard solvent used in saponification; for goat's milk soap, the milk replaces some or all of the water. Goat's milk contains fat, which increases the emollient properties of the soap. The fat content of goat's milk varies depending on the goat's diet and its breed. Commercially made soaps must list ingredients by weight; an ingredients list with water listed before goat's milk has less milk than one with goat's milk listed first.
Fragrance
Soap makers often add fragrance to their soaps using essential oils, fragrance oils or herbs. Essential oils are naturally occurring oils extracted from plants, while fragrance oils are produced synthetically. Aromatherapy goat's milk soaps utilize essential oils; manufacturers market these for specific emotional uses, such as energizing or calming. Other uses of essential oils, as well as fragrance oils and herbs, depend primarily on preference and the pleasantness of the scent.
Other Additives
Many soaps contain other ingredients such as colorants or fixatives to prevent the soap from becoming too hard. Goat's milk soaps often contain oatmeal, used to soothe skin and relieve itching, and honey, an emollient thought to contain antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Soap makers may also use natural substances such as finely ground almonds to exfoliate or strawberries, which are thought to tighten the skin. Additives may also provide texture and color to soaps; some add their own fragrance as well.
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