🌼 Goat Milk & Calendula

🤍This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission — just enough to keep the soap kettle warm — at no extra cost to you.

📓 Grandma’s Soap Journal(Entry #7)

This morning felt like a gentle one.

The kind where the soap shed wakes up slow…

floorboards creakin’, coffee perkin’, and the sun sneakin’ in through the gingham curtains like it’s afraid to disturb anything.

Those are the days I reach for the milk soaps.

They’ve always seemed softer to me. Kinder somehow.

Goat milk and calendula isn’t a show-off bar.

It doesn’t sparkle or swirl fancy colors.

It just sits there quiet and golden like a field in late summer. I keep a jar of dried calendula petals tucked by the window. I pour olive oil over them and let the sun do its work — days and days of warm golden light pulling goodness out of those petals. The oil turns the color of late summer honey.

Grandma would say,

“Let the flowers steep their story into it.”

And truth be told…

I remember the first time I made a milk soap, years back.

Nearly scorched the whole thing.

Didn’t know yet that milk needs patience — like custard or gravy. Too much heat and it’ll fuss at you.

So now I take my time.

Freeze the milk the night before in little cubes, like sweet cream ice.

Stir the lye in slow and steady, watching the color turn soft and buttery instead of caramel brown.

Grandpa used to say,

“Anything worth makin’ slow is worth trying again.”

Milk soap is like that.

Slow.

Careful.

Gentle hands only.

The dried calendula petals go in last.

Bright little flecks of sunshine.

I sprinkle them between my fingers and they fall like confetti into the oils — bits of gold drifting through cream.

They always make me think of the old garden fence by the shed.

Calendula grew wild there every summer, stubborn as weeds but twice as pretty.

Grandma called them skin’s best friend.

She wasn’t wrong.

They calm things down.

Take the heat out.

Soothe a hard day’s work right off your hands.

This is the bar I reach for after gardening…

after too much dishwater…

after life’s been a little rough around the edges.

It’s the “everything will be alright” kind of soap.

By the time the batter hits trace, the whole kitchen smells warm and clean — like fresh cream and sunshine.

Nothing perfumed.

Nothing fancy.

Just honest.

I pour it thick and slow into the mold, smooth the top with my old wooden spoon, and tuck a few extra petals across the surface like wildflowers on a quilt.

Then it rests.

Just like we all ought to now and then.

When I unmold it the next day, the bars are pale gold and creamy, soft as butter cheese, speckled with little flower freckles.

They feel gentle in the hand.

Like they already know they’re meant for tender skin.

Some soaps are bold.

Some are rugged.

This one’s kind.

-Soapmaking Hobby 🫧🤍

Let’s Make Soap

The old-fashioned way

🌼 Goat Milk & Calendula

🤍This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission — just enough to keep the soap kettle warm — at no extra cost to you.

🧾 Recipe

Grandma’s Base Formula – 50 oz oils | 5% superfat

Oils (50 oz total)

•  20 oz Tallow (40%)

•  12.5 oz Coconut Oil (25%)

• 12.5 oz Calendula-Infused Olive Oil (25%)

• 5 oz Castor Oil (10%)

(Infuse dried calendula petals in olive oil for 2–4 weeks, strain before use.)

Lye Solution

• 14 oz Goat Milk (frozen into cubes)

-buy fresh when possible 

• 7 oz Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

Additives (to melted oils)

• 1 tbsp Kaolin Clay

• 1 tbsp Colloidal Oats

At Light Trace

• A small handful of dried calendula petals (fold in gently or sprinkle on top)

Scent (optional)

• Lavender

• Chamomile

• Jasmine

• or leave unscented for extra sensitive skin

🥄 Method

1. Prepare the infusion (ahead of time)

Cover dried calendula petals with olive oil in a glass jar.

Let steep 2–4 weeks in a sunny window.

Strain well before using in soap.

2. Freeze the goat milk in

Cubes the night before.

3. Mix lye into frozen milk slowly

Stir gently and keep temperatures cool to prevent scorching.

4. Melt oils

Combine tallow, coconut oil, castor oil, and calendula-infused olive oil.

Stir in kaolin clay and colloidal oats.

5. Blend to light trace

Combine milk-lye mixture with oils around 85–95°F.

6. Add dried petals and fragrance

Fold in or decorate the top

7. Pour & cure

Refrigerate Overnight

Unmold in 24–48 hours.

Cure 4–6 weeks.

🌿 Tips from Grandma

🌼 Infused oil deepens the soothing properties

🌼 Strain oil very well to prevent brown specks

🌼 Soap cool — milk soaps heat fast

🌼 Avoid heavy insulation

🌼 Perfect for dry, sensitive, or winter skin

🌼 Makes a beautiful “new mama” or gardener’s gift bar

Grandma always said:

“Flowers steeped in patience make the softest soap.

-Soapmaking Hobby 🌼🫧

Let’s Make Soap

The old-fashioned way

Let’s Make Soap

The old-fashioned way

🌼 Goat Milk & Calendula Soap – FAQ

🤎Why use goat milk in cold process soap?

Goat milk adds natural sugars, fats, and proteins that create a creamy, gentle lather. It’s especially helpful for dry or sensitive skin and gives soap a smooth, conditioning feel.

🤎Why freeze goat milk before mixing with lye?

Freezing goat milk helps prevent scorching. When lye heats up, milk can darken or develop an ammonia smell. Slowly sprinkling lye into frozen milk keeps the color light and the texture smooth.

🤎What are the benefits of calendula in soap?

Calendula is known for its skin-soothing properties. It’s commonly used for irritated, dry, or sensitive skin. In soap, calendula petals add gentle botanical benefits and a natural golden color.

🤎What is calendula-infused olive oil?

Calendula-infused olive oil is made by steeping dried calendula petals in olive oil for 2–4 weeks. The oil absorbs the plant’s soothing properties and turns a warm golden hue. It adds extra skin comfort to the finished soap.

🤎How long should Goat Milk & Calendula soap cure?

Cold process soap should cure for 4–6 weeks. This allows excess water to evaporate, making the bar harder, longer-lasting, and milder on skin.

🤎Can I use fresh or powdered goat milk?

Yes. Fresh frozen goat milk works beautifully. Goat milk powder can also be used by mixing it into the oils or dissolving it into a portion of your liquid before adding lye.

🤎Is Goat Milk & Calendula soap good for sensitive skin?

Yes, when left unscented or lightly scented with gentle essential oils like lavender or chamomile. The creamy lather and soothing botanicals make it a popular choice for delicate or dry skin.

🤎Can I substitute regular olive oil instead of calendula-infused oil?

Yes, but you’ll miss the added soothing benefit of the infusion. Regular olive oil will still make a lovely, gentle bar.

🌼 Calendula infusing in olive oil

🤎 From Grandma’s Soap Shed

Every soap in this collection uses the same dependable base formula so hobby soapmakers can learn how different ingredients affect lather, texture, cure time, and design.

Start with the foundation recipe, then explore the collection as you build confidence with scents, additives, and rustic soap styles.

There’s always room on the curing rack for one more…

🤎 Grandma’s Rugged Tallow – The heart of the collection. A simple, time-honored bar made the way Grandma always trusted.

🤎Oatmeal & Honey – Soft, comforting, and skin-loving with a warm farmhouse sweetness.

🤎Lavender Woods – A calm, woodsy classic with peaceful herbal notes.