Category: Learning Library

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What Makes Wyldewood’s Goat Milk Soap Different?

If you have ever tried any other hand made soaps, then you know that not every bar is the same. Scents will vary, as so will ingredients, but the finished bar of soap can vary greatly even if the ingredients are fairly similar. Here are some of the reasons that make Wyldewood Soap a little different.

The Goat Milk –

Here at Wyldewood, we use fresh, frozen goat milk in every batch. When we milk our goats, that milk is immediately brought in, filtered and measured. Then it is straight into the freezer where it stays until we pull it out for soaping. We partially thaw the milk before adding sodium hydroxide in an effort to keep the milk as cool as possible. Mixing sodium hydroxide and water or goat milk is an exothermic reaction, meaning it gives off heat. If you have never seen this reaction, it can get very hot very fast and if not done properly, the milk will be ruined by too much heat.

Oils and/or Butters

Each bar of our soap will have an ingredient list on the back. We believe that you should know every ingredient in any of our products. We have developed our soap recipe over the past 15 years and each ingredient is there for a reason and contributes specific properties to the finished bar of soap. You won’t see a lot of specialty oils and butters in our soaps because we feel that these are best used in leave on products. The process of soap making (called saponification) means that the molecules of sodium hydroxide react with the fatty acid chains in oils and butters to produce glycerin and a fatty acid salt (aka soap). Since the oils in our recipe will be chemically reacting with lye, we choose them based on the properties they will give to our finished soap and we save the specialty oils and butters for recipes that let you receive all their skin loving benefits.

Our Soap Making Process and Curing Process

Here at Wyldewood, we typically use the cold process method of soap making. Cold process soap making basically means that we do not add any extra heat as part of the curing process. We mix our soap and then pour each batch in a mold. The soap will stay in the mold overnight at least and then we cut into bars and place the bars on curing racks. Each batch will then cure for weeks before we will label and sell them. While most of the chemical process is completed in the first 24-48 hours, we feel that allowing a longer cure makes the bar milder and allows excess water to evaporate. A well cured bar of soap will last much longer and cleanse better. We also keep records on every batch so that we can ensure quality and make sure you get the best soap possible. Some fragrances or colors can shift over time or added ingredients may not hold up like we expect and a longer cure allows us to monitor for any problems.

Fresh Soap
Soap that has just been poured into the mold
Curing Soap
Freshly cut soap on curing racks

We are passionate about soap making and are constantly researching to make sure we bring you the best soaps and other products. If you ever have any questions on the ingredients we use or why we chose to use a certain ingredient, feel free to contact us and ask. We love talking soap and goats!

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Which to Chose for Exfoliation- Sugar or Salt Scrubs?

Choosing between a sugar scrub and a salt scrub may seem like a pointless choice, but there are differences in each that you should consider. Both are great for cleaning your skin. Also, they both exfoliate and leave your skin fresher and more radiant. So why should it matter which one we choose?

Scrub ingredients

Sugar Scrubs

Sugar scrubs tend to be gentler on your skin that salt scrubs. One reason for this is the diameter and shape of granulated sugar. Salt crystals are small cubes and this means sharper edges. The sharper edges are wonderful for scrubbing, but you need to consider where you will be using the scrub. Sugar granules are also usually smaller than salt which makes them more suitable for sensitive skin. As a result, you are more likely to see sugar scrubs for facial skin. Sugar scrubs can melt as you use it more than salt scrubs. Sugar scrubs have a higher glycolic acid content as well.

Salt Scrubs

Salt scrubs are great for scrubbing due to the size and shape of the salt crystals. Salts can come in many different varieties and sizes so you have a lot of options when choosing your salt scrub. It is not hard to find salt scrubs that include Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, Mediterranean salt, or Dead Sea Salt. Each of these types of salts has a different mineral profile. Some of these minerals include calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron just to name a few. The added minerals make salt scrubs perfect to use while in the bathtub so you can get the benefits of the salt scrub and the added salt/minerals to your bath water. Salt scrubs are great to use on feet, elbows, knuckles and legs. Just remember that if you have any kind of skin abrasion, salt will sting more than sugar.

I personally would not recommend using a salt scrub more often than once a week, but sugar scrubs can be used a little more often. Regardless of which scrub you choose, please use them lightly. A gentle touch is best with any exfoliation and you never want to rub harshly. Start with a small amount and rub in light circular motions before rinsing with warm water to achieve the best results. We also recommend using a lotion after exfoliation.

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How to Make your Handmade Soap Last Longer

You’ve invested in some wonderful hand made soap, but how do you get the most out of that investment? We’ve compiled some of our favorite methods to help extend the life of your new bar of soap.

  1. Keep soap dry between uses. Your new bar is made from real soap and lots of skin loving oils. Since it is not made with detergents and extra hardeners, it will break down and dissolve if left in standing water. Investing in a good soap dish will allow that extra moisture to drain away. This lets your bar dry thoroughly between uses and will help extend the life of your soap. Check out the wooden soap dishes that we now carry. We also offer a premium wooden soap dish as well.Triangular Dish
  2. Save your scraps! If you are like me, you are not fond of using the tiny slivers at the end of your soap bar, but we do not want to waste any wonderful soap. My favorite solution is to use a soap saver bag. Simply drop in your soap scraps and tighten the drawstring. To use, wet the bag and use like a scrubby. I love the mild exfoliation from the bag too. Soap Saver
  3. Diluting your soap. I will admit that this is not a method that I use. I am a fan of bar soap all the way, but many people enjoy diluting their bar soaps. To do this, you just need to grate your bar of soap. Add approximately one ounce of grated soap to 1 cup of filtered water and leave overnight. The next day, stir until everything is well blended. To use, simply dip your washcloth into the mixture. Personally, I would recommend not letting this mixture sit around more than a few days unless you choose to add some kind of preservative.

So feel free to try any or all of the above ideas to help keep your soap investment lasting as long as possible.

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Ingredient Spotlight – Glycerin

I’m sure we’ve all heard of glycerin soap or you’ve seen the clear soaps at your local store, but do you know what makes it such a good ingredient for body care products? It is a humectant, which means that it attracts moisture. So when you use a lotion or a soap that contains glycerin, it helps attract moisture from the air to your skin. We love to use a little bit in some of our products. You can also find it in our soaps. One of the great things about hand made soap is that glycerin is a natural by product of the saponification process. The chemical reaction that makes soap also creates glycerin as one of the by-products. It remains in the bars of soap. This is just one of the reasons that hand made soaps are beneficial for your skin.

To check out some of our soaps, go here.

To see some of our lotions, go here.

Glycerin Soap pouring into molds
Close-up image of woman pouring soap mixture into plastic form

On a side note, have you ever had someone tell you that their soap is 100% pure glycerin? It probably contains some, but pure glycerin is a thick, clear fluid. A bar of soap may contain the pure ingredient, but would have other ingredients too.

If you would like to learn more, please check out this blog from the Soap Queen.

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Ingredient Spotlight – Coconut Oil

SpotlightHere at Wyldewood, we love coconut oil and use it in all our soaps as well as all our lip balms.  Coconut oil has gained a lot of popularity as a cooking oil recently, but we wanted to show some of the benefits of using it in soaps and other skin applications.

  1.  High in Lauric Acid – Coconut Oil is reputed to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties.  These properties are usually attributed to the high lauric acid content of coconut oil.
  2. Contains Medium Chain Fatty Acids – This allows coconut oil to absorb easily.
  3. Low Melting Point – Coconut Oil has a low melting point which allows it to melt quickly with your body heat and start absorbing quickly.

Want more ideas for coconut oil?  Check out Wellness Mama’s list of 101 Uses for Coconut Oil.

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Handmade vs Commercial – which soap is better for you?

By far the question we hear the most is “Why should I use handmade soap?”  There are many reasons why we feel that handmade soap is much better than commercially available options so we decided to dedicate a blog post to the top reasons.

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  1. It’s Real Soap – The term “soap” is highly regulated and can only be used on real soap.  The next time you are in the store, take a look down the “soap” aisle and see how many labels use the word soap.  You will probably see “cleansing bar”, “facial bar”, “beauty bar”, and so on.  The reason they don’t say soap is because they are not true soap.
  2. Ingredients –  All of our soaps will come with an ingredient label that lists everything we used when we made that batch of soap.  You can know everything that was used in each bar and know exactly what you are using on your skin.
  3. Quality – Handmade soaps are made in small batches with high quality ingredients.  We have developed our recipe through trial and error over the past 10+ years.  Through these many trial and error batches, we have learned what gives us the best bar with the creamiest lather and greatest skin loving qualities.
  4. Glycerin – Glycerin is a natural by-product of the soap making process (saponification).  Many of the commercially produced soap will be run through additional processes to remove the naturally produced glycerin so it can be used in other products like lotion.  Glycerin is a natural humectant which means it draws moisture from the air and is why it helps keep your skin moisturized and soft.
  5. Variety – With all the options for fragrance and colors, you are sure to find something to delight your senses as much as your skin.  You can find simple scents like Peppermint or more complex blends like Istari and Citrus Cilantro.
  6. Detergent Free – Handmade soap is just soap and does not contain detergents.  It will gently cleanse your skin with out stripping away the natural oils.
  7. No Lathering Agents – Commercially produced cleansers will also contain lathering agents.  Some people feel that more lather means more cleansing, but handmade soap is made to be gentle.  We have balanced our recipe to bring you a nice creamy stable lather that we think is great!
  8. Customized – Looking for a unscented castile soap?  Looking for a super scrubby soap?  Allergic to olive oil?  Talk to your local soap maker and we can formulate something just for you.
  9. Supporting Local Small Business – One of the best benefits from purchasing handmade soap is that you are supporting a small business.  Soap making is a passion and by purchasing, you are helping support our dream.  By purchasing from your local soap maker, you get to support your local economy.  If you see us out and about, stop by and chat.  We love to talk soap and love to talk about the goats and the farm!

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