So, you’ve probably heard about all the benefits that goat’s milk soap can provide your skin, but have you ever wondered how goat’s milk interacts with your skin at the base level?
At Southern Natural, we’re passionate about all-natural, handmade soap and the benefits that goat's milk adds to soap and one’s skincare routine. In today’s blog, we’ll be breaking down how goat’s milk interacts with skin, as well as the rest of your body. Read on to learn more about the science behind goat’s milk, and check out our online store to find your favorite bar of fragrance oil scented, essential oil scented, or unscented soap!
Goat’s Milk
To start, let’s break down what goat’s milk is composed of. From a nutrient perspective, goat’s milk is very similar to cow’s milk — it’s higher in protein and minerals than human milk, lower in lactose, and rich with vitamins and healthy fats. However, goat’s milk has a higher concentration of fat globules than cow’s milk, though the globules in goat’s milk are smaller than those in the former.
Outside of the United States, where cow’s milk dominates the dairy market, goat’s milk is actually one of the most commonly consumed animal milks in the world. Because it contains less lactose than cow’s milk, and contains no agglutinins (unlike cow’s milk), both of which make it easier for the body to digest. We should note here that while it is generally recommended that lactose-intolerant individuals patch test goat's milk before applying it directly to their skin, the risks are minimal with our goat’s milk soap, given the goat’s milk dilution when combined with other ingredients. However, if you are lactose-intolerant and find that our soap irritates your skin, please stop using it!
If you’d like to learn more about what goat’s milk is composed of, down to the chemical level, check out this scientific study published in Intech Open!
How Goat’s Milk Interacts With Skin
When you apply goat’s milk to your skin when using Southern Natural soap, it begins to interact with your skin in a number of ways.
First, the lactic acid present in goat’s milk provides your skin with gentle exfoliation, helping to strip away the dead skin cells at the surface of your skin that your body has not been able to expel on its own, gently clearing them away without damaging the healthy skin underneath. If you’ve ever reveled in how smooth your skin feels after washing up, or thought that your skin looks brighter after a face wash, this is why! It’s not an illusion — the soap has cleared away the dead skin your body sheds naturally to reveal the newer, fresher skin underneath.
As you wash and after, the goat’s milk will begin to be absorbed in your skin, having a number of beneficial effects.
The natural fats and proteins — remember those globules we touched on earlier? — function as both a moisturizing and hydrating agent for your skin, providing it moisture on the surface level of the epidermis (the outermost layer of your skin) and to the cells in your dermis. The dermis is the second layer of your skin that controls the production of important chemicals such as melanin (your skin tone), collagen (the youth and brightness of your skin), and elastin (the smoothness and pliability of your skin).
The nutrients that goat’s milk is loaded with, including vitamin A and selenium, will be absorbed into your skin, too. These nutrients are put to use in your dermis, where your body will use it to aid your skin’s natural healing process, normalize the production of things like melanin, oil, collagen, and elastin, and aid your skin’s immune system protection against threats. In layman’s terms, your body uses these two nutrients to minimize acne breakouts and promote the growth of bright, smooth, even-toned skin. This is what makes goat’s milk so beneficial in skincare!
Choose All-Natural Goat’s Milk Soap
Now that you have a better idea of how the nutrients and healthy fats in goat’s milk interact with your body to protect your skin and promote new, healthier growth, you can see why we at Southern Natural are so passionate about our goat’s milk soap! This is an emerging trend in skincare that we know can do people so much good, which is why we lovingly produce each batch by hand, without the use of artificial ingredients!
Check out some of our other blogs if you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of goat’s milk soap, and visit our online store today to find a bar in your favorite scent!