Sheep's Milk in Soap, Why it Deserves a Place in my Recipes

Sheep's milk is often overlooked in soaping. Goats milk tends to get the spotlight and has been on trend for a while now; but sheep's milk brings its own strengths to a bar. If you care about how your skin feels, using natural ingredients, and working with what the land provides, it has to be worth serious consideration.

So what's different about Sheep's milk? It contains higher levels of butterfat and protein than both cows and goats milk. The high fat and sugar content makes for a creamier lather leaving a more conditioning feel to your skin. In cold process soap, those extra fats contribute to a denser, silkier bar once fully cured.

Sheep's milk is also rich in Lactic Acid, that helps support mild exfoliation and smoother skin texture. Along with vitamins A, D and B which are all naturally present in the milk and are considered responsible for supporting a healthy skin appearance. There is also Calcium and Minerals, although some of the mineral content will not survive the saponification process unchanged, milk soaps are still reported to feel more nourishing and less stripping of skins naturally occurring oils which would imply that the mineral content is still there.

While I personally avoid using synthetic fragrances and colours, sheep's milk fits comfortably into my whole ingredient philosophy. It brings ar natural creaminess and a subtle warmth to the bar without the need to add artificial additives. Milk soaps are often chosen by people with dry, mature or sensitive skin who want a gentle cleanse without tightness. The creamy lather and mildness make them appealing for everyday facial or body use. 

However, I am happy to acknowledge that the lye reactions will transform much of the original milks chemistry. What will remain is a bar influenced by its own fats and sugars, and not by the raw milk sitting intact in the soap. Understanding this about all milk soaps, keeps everyone's expectations and understanding around the chemistry of soap making true, rather than just a marketing mythology. 

I use sheep's milk as for me it's about understanding traditional ingredients that were used, and understanding my formulation and the choices I make. Soap making is afterall a blend of craft and science, but there is something very satisfying about taking an ingredient from pasture to bar.