Making your own soap allows for a lot of flexibility and customization, particularly with ingredients. You get to choose your preferred scents, select ingredients based on your goals, avoid irritating artificial additives, and more.
Among a long list of possibilities, goat milk, and shea butter are two popular ingredients in soap making as they offer a lot of similarities. However, people often want to know: Is shea butter or goat milk soap better?
To answer this question let’s dive into the similarities and differences between using shea butter and goat milk in a soap recipe.
Similarities of Goat Milk & Shea Butter In Soap
There are a few general similarities with goat milk or shea butter soap which is why they are both considered excellent ingredients in soap-making.
Skin Benefits
Goat milk or shea butter soap both offer benefits for your skin. They provide intense moisture, are gentle for sensitive skin, and can be used on any skin type. Goat milk and shea butter are also both natural ingredients.
Used in the Same Way
Goat milk or shea butter soap can be used in the same ways. Both make for an excellent body wash, but can also be used as shampoo, handwashing, or even a dog shampoo. Shea butter also has another use which will be mentioned later.
Pricing
When purchased as an ingredient for soap-making the price of shea butter and goat milk is in the same ballpark. The pricing of both depends on the market, availability, and quality, though in terms of ingredient options for soap, they are on the affordable side.
Accessibility
Though shea butter may be slightly more widely accessible, goat milk isn’t hard to find either, especially now that suppliers are offering it in a shelf-stable powder in addition to fresh goat milk. Both ingredients can be easily obtained by most people for soap-making purposes.
Differences Between Shea Butter vs. Goat Milk Soap
The differences between shea butter and goat milk are the best way to answer the question: Is shea butter or goat milk soap better? This is because it will help you decipher which ingredient aligns best with your goals.
pH
Adding goat milk balances out the pH of the soap it is added to, creating a pH very similar to the natural pH of human skin. This means that goat milk soap is less alkaline than other soaps like shea butter soap, preventing dryness and making it more gentle.
Lactic Acid, Fats, & Vitamins
Goat milk, unlike shea butter, has lactic acid that acts as a natural exfoliant to leave skin bright, smooth, and restored. Though goat milk has good amounts of fat, protein, and vitamins, shea butter is an even richer source of fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals to nourish the skin and help repair damage.
Dual Action
Both goat milk and shea butter offer moisturizing properties when added to soap; however, shea butter can be used in soapmaking or at room temperature as a moisturizer on its own. Goat milk is not typically used as a moisturizer on its own, though some people add it to their bath to soak for moisture.
Get Started with Goat Milk Soap Containing Shea Butter
Ultimately, goat milk and shea butter are beneficial soap ingredients. The question of whether shea butter or goat milk soap is better depends on your personal preferences and goals.
To get the best of both worlds, consider going with a soap containing both shea butter and goat milk like one from GOAT Soap or make your own and find the perfect ratio for you.