Milk Kefir Soap

Milk Kefir is a wonderful ingredient to incorporate in soap making! If you love the nourishing feeling of goats milk soap, you will love this milk kefir soap. It is a highly conditioning bar that is great for sensitive and problematic skin. You can also use it on your face! And it is a great way to use up leftover milk kefir. This recipe was brought to us from Sharleen in our Gut Health Gurus Facebook Group! Share your creations with us there. 

Ingredients:

✓  450g Olive oil

✓ 180g coconut oil

✓ 180g Shea butter

✓ 90g castor oil

✓ 315g milk kefir (frozen into cubes)

✓ 122g lye (caustic soda)

✓ 31g of essential oils (optional. Some mixture recommendations are: lavender, lemon, and bergamot, or tea tree and lemon myrtle. You can also add in loose leaf tea!)

✓ 80g oatmeal (optional)

Method:

1. The kefir must be frozen to prevent it from ‘burning’ when the lye is added. Measure out your lye and kefir separately in glass or ceramic bowls. USE LONG GLOVES! Add your lye to your kefir gradually (a tablespoon or so at a time) and mix around with a spatula. The kefir cubes will start to melt and the temperature will slowly rise from there. NOTE: If you’ve never used lye before please make sure you watch this video. Lye is extremely dangerous if used incorrectly and can cause serious burns if spilt or splattered on the skin. Goggles are a must too as it can easily splash it into your eyes if you’re not careful.

1. Weigh out and combine your oils in a large glass bowl. Heat over a water bath so you do not overheat. You can also place it in the microwave for 30 second increments until it reaches the right temp.
   
   
2. When your lye mixture and oil mixture are sitting between 40-50C pour the lye/kefir mixture into the oils and mix with your stick blender. Blend until the ‘batter’ is thick like pudding. This can take up to 15 minutes.
   
   
3. Once it is ready, add your essential oils and oatmeal (optional) and make sure you mix well with a spatula.
   
   
4. Pour the mixture into prepared loaf tin lined with baking paper and then wrap it in a towel to keep it warm. The soap will continue to heat and then gradually cool down.
   
   
5. It will be ready to cut into your preferred thickness/size after 24 hours.
   
   
6. Place bars in a shoe box with holes cut in the lid and sides and place in a well ventilated area for about 6 weeks for the soap to cure.

After this, you will have a wonderful Milk Kefir Soap that will be nourishing to the skin! You can make batches on this and have enough soap for months, and you can also gift this to friends or family. Remember to share your milk kefir soap creations with us in the Gut Health Guru’s Facebook Group!