Do you have sensitive skin? Is it common for you to break out in a rash after using certain commercial skincare products? Are you trying to avoid exposing your skin to harsh chemicals? If you answered “Yes!” to any of those questions, it might be time to make the switch from commercial soap to goat milk soap. Let's look at the difference between commercial soap and goat milk soap. Then we'll delve into some specific reasons to give natural soap made from goat milk a try.
What is Traditional Soap?
Traditional soap making was done using a combination of fats, oils, water, and a substance called lye. Lye is also known as sodium hydroxide. Lye in its natural form is highly caustic. Before modern methods for working with it existed, it was known for burning the eyes and skin of those who used it. Today's modern saponification (soap making) processes makes the lye much more mild and easier to work with.
What is Modern Commercial Soap Made With?
Although modern saponification with lye is a more mild and natural process, many commercial soap makers find it easier and more cost-effective to use detergent, rather than lye. A synthetic detergent is a man-made substance that tends to cause a lot of foam and bubbles when used. Detergents are convenient for washing certain items, such as your dishes or your laundry. However, you need to take more care when selecting products for use directly on your skin. Many detergent-based bar soaps and liquid soaps or body washes are not as helpful as they may first appear.
Why is Commercial Soap Bad for Your Skin?
There are many problems with applying detergent-based soaps to your skin. To begin with, they are chemical-packed. Some of the top bad chemicals often found in commercial soaps are:
- Parabens
- Diethanolamine (DEA) · PEG-6
- Formaldehyde
- Dioxane · Triclosan
- Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS)
Every single one of the above chemicals is bad for you in some way. The list includes a pesticide, a chemical used to preserve the bodies of the dead, and several carcinogens, which are potential cancer-causing agents. If that is not enough incentive to avoid them, they can make any skin condition you might already have worse. For example, they are horrible for people with acne or dry skin problems.
Another consideration is the scents used in certain commercial soaps. Those scents are often derived from other chemical sources. Therefore, the ingredients used to get the proper scents may add even more harsh chemicals to the mixture. That can be quite bad for your skin. At Branru Farm, we source our fragrance oils from a company that does not use those harsh chemicals at all.
What is Goat Milk Soap?
Goat milk soap is natural soap made in a (mostly) traditional way. However, as mentioned above, in modern times we have the advantage of using a safer saponification process. The biggest difference between traditional soap and goat milk soap is the substitution of goat milk instead of water during the production process. At Branru Farm, we incorporate goat milk into our soaps because it has so many useful benefits for skin health. 
Why is Goat Milk Safer and Healthier for Your Skin?
Natural products are almost always safer and healthier for your body, as well as your skin. Our goat milk soap is no exception. Goat milk is packed with healthy components that can hydrate, brighten, and generally fortify your skin. Some of those include:
- Vitamin A
- Lactic Acid
- Selenium
The natural fats in goats milk also have several soothing and skin-fortifying properties. That's why goat milk soap feels great on your skin. It provides all of the hydration and nutrients your skin needs to repair itself and get stronger. Many commercial soaps contain chemicals that do just the opposite. They strip away moisture and cause skin damage over time. They also tend to leave residue on the skin that can be both unhealthy and uncomfortable at times. Goat milk soaps leave no such residue.
What Are Some Other Reasons to Use Goat Milk Soap?
There are plenty of other great reasons to use goat milk soap besides just benefits for your skin. For example, you can feel proud that you are doing your part to make environmentally sound decisions. Using natural soap made from goat milk is much better for the environment than using chemical-filled soap or body wash. You can also support farmers and animals in the process. We hope you'll give goat milk soap a try. If you do, we're pretty sure you won't want to switch back to commercial soaps ever again.