Homemade Mother’s Milk Soap

While scrolling Instagram, I came across a post about using breast milk to make soap. This concept intrigued me, knowing the antibacterial and other beneficial properties of breast milk, and how goat milk is often used in soap, so why not human milk? And as it pained me to dump the few precious drops from my baby’s unfinished bottle, I couldn’t think of a better way to prevent wasting this liquid gold.

I went online in search of a recipe and to gather my ingredients. I learned there are several ways to make soap. Real soap-making (cold- or hot-processed) involves the use of lye and fat combined in a process called saponification. This method produces soap that lasts longer, but because handling lye can be dangerous, I opted for the easy way, which is to use a melt and pour soap base and mix in additives such as scents and/or colors and decorative items like flowers. There are tons of different soap bases available, from plain clear glycerin to avocado. I ordered this shea butter soap base from Amazon, the cheapest I could find, which was about $10 for 2 pounds.

It turned out, half a cup (120 ml or 4 ounces) of milk mixed with half a pound of soap base was the perfect amount to fill my bee and honeycomb mold. It made 6 bars of soap at a cost of about 50 cents each. In one variation I added about a teaspoon of honey (which also has antibacterial properties) and a tablespoon of oatmeal baby cereal that I had leftover from our early baby solid food days. Oatmeal is excellent for moisturizing dry, itchy skin.

The high fat content of the milk provided extra creaminess to the soap, and the honey gave it subtly sweet scent. It is gentle and can soothe eczema or irritated skin.

Supplies

• silicone mold (mine is from Michael’s)
• Pyrex measuring cup
• silicone spatula
• soap base (I used shea butter-infused)
• breast milk, at room temperature or slightly warmed
• essential oils or other additives (optional)

Steps

1. Cut soap base into small cubes for uniform melting and microwave in Pyrex container in 10-20 second intervals (or over a double broiler on the stovetop) until completely melted.
2. Stir in milk and other additives.
3. Pour into mold.
4. Let cool at room temperature, then keep in refrigerator at least overnight to dry and harden.

Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use, as the milk component can cause it to go bad. These homemade soaps are great for gift giving or as baby shower favors. And you can actually say you’re giving a piece of yourself, hah!