We get a lot of questions from our customers about Goat Milks Soap Ingredients.  Why are some company labels so different than others. It’s just soap, right?  Transparency of ingredients is extremely important and there are actual guidelines and regulations concerning listings, that makers are supposed to follow.  However, not every company attempts to do so.

We decided to company Goat Milk Soap Ingredients.  For this blog, we will be examining the ingredient lists from a variety of goat milk soap producers. Most are well-known producers and all have national eCommerce exposure.\

Goat Milk Soap Ingredients Comparison

Goat Milk Soap Sample #1

INGREDIENTS;  GOAT MILK, OLIVE OIL, SOY OIL, COCONUT OIL, AND A UNIQUE BLEND OF ESSENTIAL OILS

This listing has more than a few issues.  As we discussed in a previous blog specifically on goat milk, it simply cannot be the first ingredient.

Consumers who are not familiar with soap-making chemistry will think that they are getting a large amount of goat milk in the bar since the first ingredient listed should always be the largest in a recipe.   This is done as a marketing tactic but is not accurate.  If goat milk were truly the largest ingredient, the soap would be mush. Milk carries the reagent “lye”.  The oils make up the body of the soap once the reaction is complete.

Second, the words “unique blend of essential oils” are not the least bit transparent.  The actual and specific essential oils should be listed out along with their INCI (international nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients) name. Essential oils come from different plant species and can cause allergic reactions, therefore consumers need to know exactly what botanical oils are in the bar. Fear of having their recipe copied may be an explanation for the vagueness, but it is not a viable reason.

Lastly, for those interested in avoiding non-GMO ingredients, soy oil presents a problem.  Over 98% of soy oil produced in the US is genetically modified.   It is used because is it an inexpensive oil and keeps the cost of production down. It is also problematic for those allergic to soy.

Goat Milk Soap Sample #2

INGREDIENTS:  SODIUM PALMATATE, SODIUM COCOATE, BUTYROSPERYN PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL,  CAPRAE LAC (GOAT MILK), DISODIUM COCOYL GLUETAMATE, SODIUM COCOYL GLUTAMATE, SODIUM COCOYL THREONINATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, PENTASOIDUM PENETETATE, TETRASODIUM ETIDRONATE.

There is good and bad in this listing.  They are attempting to use some INCI names on shea, castor and coconut for ingredient transparency. However, in our opinion, the remaining ingredients override all the possible good.  First Caprae Lac is a powdered form of goat milk.  Dehydrated powders have been exposed to over 400 degrees F in order to become a powder.  Heat always destroys nutrients. Personally speaking, we believe in the cosmetic value of real milk, not powders.

These are just a couple of the problematic ingredients. We are noticing more and more of these ingredients in commercial soap bars.

• Disodium Cocoyl Gluetamate  –  This is an additive derived from coconut oil that lessens the surface tension of the water to enhance cleaning. This is a fairly new additive in the soap world, but the manufacturing process creates a synthetic product that contains propylene glycol.  Propylene glycol can be absorbed through the skin and is known as an irritant.
• Pentasodium Pentetate – this is a salt additive that binds metals, specifically calcium and magnesium.  This is believed to create better foaming (lather) and cleansing properties.
• Tetrasodium Etidronate – Also known as Tetrasodium EDTA.  This additive has a “D” rating in the Environmental Working Group database because of allergic reactions and skin irritations.  It is used as a water softener to prevent bathtub rings and soap scum. Soap Scum is actually created by the type of water being used, not the soap itself.  Read our Blog on this topic.

Goat Milk Soap Sample #3

INGREDIENTS:  SAPONIFIED NATURAL FATS IN A GOAT MILK BASE WITH ESSENTIAL OILS, FRAGRANCE OIL AND MINERAL PIGMENTS.

There is a total lack of transparency in this list.  First, most consumers do not understand the term “Saponified”.  It means turning fats into soap.  It is a process, not an ingredient. The fats should be listed out individually in the order in which they are used by weight & the essential oils should be listed out as well.

The intentional vagueness of “natural fats” could be because they fear copycats, but even with every ingredient listed (as we do), competitors do not know the exact proportions in the recipe which determines the final performance of the product.  Just because the same base ingredients are used, does not mean the final product will perform the same way. This is why we do not fear listing our ingredients.

The next clue is “goat milk base”, which indicates this recipe may have a pre-made portion from another manufacturer.  It does not lead you to believe it was truly handcrafted. It is a shortcut that saves manufacturers money and they can sell the soap cheaper.

Fragrance oils are listed next which makes one wonder if they are using both.  Fragrance oils are synthetic and are considered to be adulterations (contamination) to essential oil.  Using both in soap is risky and can lead to skin irritation due to their interaction.

Mineral pigments are not specified as well.  Each color needs to be listed.  Some minerals are lab created, others have natural origins and are lab purified…..what did they use?

Goat Milk Soap Sample #4

INGREDIENTS:  FRESH GOAT MILK, SAPONIFIED COCONUT OIL, OLIVE OIL, RED PALM OIL AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL.

As mentioned in the other samples, Goat Milk cannot be first.  The oils are listed with no INCI name and the “saponified” generalization is used yet again.  Their website says they use sustainable red palm oil, however they do not provide any documentation or proof that it truly comes from a sustainable organization with tracking back to the original source where it was grown.  It costs money to use real RSPO sustainable Palm Oil. It is more than double the price of a regular palm.  We are finding a lot of companies who claim it but do not have the documentation.

The lavender essential oil has no INCI name which leaves us wondering what botanical version was used.  There are several Lavender oils with a history of adulteration.  Did they use the 40/42 which is standardized for commercial use or did they use oil from Bulgarian or Spain or where? Essential oils have very different constituents, and they vary based on origin. Consumers need to know the origin for their safety.

Goat Milk Soap Ingredients Consumers Want

Consumers want and need transparency. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in four people is affected by some form of skin disease. Skin disease costs the medical community over $75 million dollars annually.  We believe part of the problem is directly related to ingredients and the changes that technology has imposed on what mother nature created.

Our formulations focus on using unrefined, unadulterated, and organic where possible ingredients.  We are firm believers that the closer a formulation can stay to nature, the better the outcome will be.  Just our two cents.