Marketing and Goat Milk in Soap

The restorative properties of goat milk soap and lotion are undisputed, and the benefits of smooth, clean skin are a bonus of soaps made with goat milk.

- KAREN GOODCHILD

It is arguably the most popular milk for soapmaking in the U.S. What is so special about this "boujee" soapmaking ingredient?

Goat Milk soap is just that, soap made with goat milk instead of water. For consumers looking for natural ingredients, a bar made with goat milk is deemed natural and wholesome. Furthermore, goat milk is a real dairy product with nothing artificial added. For centuries people have used goat milk in their daily beauty routine for its restorative properties. Even Cleopatra, possibly the most beautiful woman in the world, reportedly used goat milk to protect her beauty.

"The first time someone buys our soap, it may be for the novelty or because they're drawn in by the pictures of sweet goats," Westi Haughey said. Haughey owns a herd of Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats registered with the American Dairy Goat Association and has been making soap for seven years. Her goat milk soaps have won national Body Product awards in the ADGA contest, which is an annual competition open to anyone in North America who adds goat milk as an ingredient in body products.

"Once a customer uses our soap, it's hard to go back to traditional hard soap that leaves the skin dry. We have very loyal customers, some who buy a year's worth of soap at once." She explains.

As valued as goat milk soaps are, some express concerns, so let us address them.

The first is concern about the environmental implications of using an animal-based product for soap making. The fact is, goats are easier on the environment than other types of livestock. They produce 20 percent less methane for their body weight, need less water to produce milk, and can be raised on land unsuitable for other species or people.