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This easy goat milk lotion recipe is amazing for the skin, super moisturizing, and creamy. Made with goat’s milk, shea butter, and coconut oil, this lotion is simple to make and will surely become a valued part of your skincare routine.
My sister recently added a few goats to her little homestead and started milking them. The milk makes delicious smoothies, homemade kefir, and can be enjoyed with a plate of cookies.
I was able to confiscate a jar to experiment with homemade goat milk soap and a goat milk lotion recipe. The results were incredible. And so, of course, I had to add the recipes to the blog.
If you don’t have a relative with goats, you can find goat’s milk at most health food stores or farmers’ markets. Either way, get some goat milk and make this lotion! I know you will love it, and so will your skin.
Why You’ll Love It
- Simple ingredients: One thing I love about making my own skincare is that I know exactly what’s in it!
- Nourishing: This lotion is so silky smooth and moisturizing to the skin — you’ll love how it feels. The goat’s milk in this recipe may even benefit your overall skin health!
- Eco-friendly: Not only does this recipe utilize natural, sustainable ingredients, but it can also help prevent waste. If you have way more goat’s milk than you can drink or make into cheese, this recipe is the perfect way to put it to use.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Goat’s milk: I used raw goat’s milk from my sister’s homestead, but you can use whatever goat’s milk you have access to.
- Distilled water: It’s important to use distilled water to maximize the shelf life of your lotion.
- Coconut oil: I love using coconut oil on my skin as it’s ultra moisturizing and gives products a silky skin feel. I use it often to make my homemade body butter for glowing skin, homemade lip balm, and my DIY lotion bars!
- Shea butter: Similar to coconut oil, shea butter is very hydrating and soothing to the skin. It also gives this lotion more structure and thickness.
- Wax emulsifier: An emulsifier is necessary to keep the lotion from separating. I’ve tried different emulsifiers, and I prefer this emulsifying wax.
- Citric acid: You can find this in bulk online (like what I buy for homemade bath bombs), but smaller containers can often be found at the grocery store.
- Preservatives: To make this goat’s milk lotion recipe work with a lotion pump, we are going to thin it out with water, and water-based products need a preservative. I am using rosemary extract and a broad-spectrum preservative. You can choose any broad-spectrum preservative for skincare and cosmetics. Be sure to dilute it properly following the instructions on your specific preservative.
Tools Needed
- Double boiler or a saucepan with a glass bowl
- Digital scale
- Mixing bowl or half-gallon mason jar
- Immersion blender
- Kitchen thermometer
- Storage jars: I use wide-mouth mason jars with airtight lids, or you can use a lotion dispenser with a pump.
Variations
- For this recipe, you will need a fat (some type of butter and/or oil). I am using a combination of shea butter and coconut oil. Other options include sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, mango butter, or cocoa butter.
- Feel free to get creative with the essential oils you use and make a unique scent that you enjoy. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to avoid photosensitive oils if you plan to wear this lotion while outside.
Best Natural Preservatives
I am using rosemary antioxidant extract as a partial preservative, as it is a great natural option; however, you will need a broad-spectrum preservative as well. A couple of options include Geogard Broad Spectrum and Linatural preservatives, as they protect against yeast, mold, and other bacteria.
Salt, lemon juice, grapefruit seed extract, and citric acid are other popular natural preservatives.
How to Make Goat Milk Lotion
Step 1. Measure out the fats and melt in a double boiler. Add in the emulsifier wax. Once the wax is melted, remove pot from the heat.
Step 2. While the ingredients are melting, add the goat milk and water to a half-gallon mason jar. Place the mason jar in a pot of warm water to warm it up slightly.
Step 3. Add the melted oils to the jar of milk and water.
Step 4. Mix the oils and liquid together using an immersion blender. Using a kitchen thermometer, allow ingredients to cool to at least 140° F before going on to the next step.
Step 5. Add in the citric acid, rosemary extract, and essential oils if using.
Step 6. Add in the preservative.
Step 7. Blend for an additional minute.
Step 8. Pour lotion into storage containers. Allow it to cool before putting on the lids, and store it in the fridge.
Tips + Notes
- The lotion will thicken as it cools back down to room temperature.
- If made correctly, the lotion will last 1-3 months.
- Goat’s milk lotion should be stored in the fridge for the longest shelf life.
- The recipe will make 24 ounces of lotion.
- Depending on the preservative you choose, you will need to follow the recommended dilution rate. Most preservatives are used at .01-1% of the total product weight.
Adjusting the Recipe
As mentioned above, you can substitute different fats in the recipe, but you want to make sure your percentages are the same.
Here are the calculations; in case you want to switch something out, you will know how much you need: I use the Brambleberry Lotion Estimator.
- Liquid 19.2 ounces, 80%
- Oil or fat 2.4 ounces, 10%
- Emulsifier 1.44 ounces, 6%
- Co-Emulsifier .72 ounces, 3%
- Preservative .24 ounces, 1%
- Essential oils, optional
Essential Oils for Homemade Lotion
If you decide to add essential oils to your goat milk lotion, you will only need about 15-20 drops. Essential oils are very concentrated, and it doesn’t take much to scent your lotion.
You can add in a blend of oils or use a single oil. A few of my favorite oils to add to lotion and my homemade whipped body butter are lavender, frankincense, chamomile, and geranium.
If you have sensitive skin, you can leave out essential oils altogether or try lavender oil. I actually have a pump lotion recipe that’s fragrance-free. I let the natural scent of shea butter be the fragrance!
Wax Emulsifier for Homemade Lotion
Emulsifiers are binding agents that mix the water and oils together. They are often found in face moisturizers, cosmetics, and lotions. I share more about the best natural emulsifiers in my post on the topic.
The added wax emulsifier will help the lotion last longer, as it will prevent the oil and water from separating and forming mold. You can use beeswax, but I find it to be too thick for this lotion. I prefer to stick to lighter waxes to keep that smooth, creamy texture.
FAQs
Just like making cold-process soap, making lotion needs to be precise, but it isn’t hard once you get the hang of it. You will definitely need a digital scale to make sure all of your measurements are correct.
If you plan to use the lotion within one week, then you don’t need a preservative — as long as it’s stored in the fridge. However, because this recipe contains goat milk and water, it is important to add a preservative if you plan to make a large batch and use it for a while.
Related Recipes
- Homemade Hand Cream
- DIY Shea Butter Lotion
- Homemade Body Cream
- Homemade Face Moisturizer
- DIY Night Cream
If you made this Goat Milk Lotion Recipe or any other tutorial on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Goat Milk Lotion Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Digital Scale
- Meat thermometer
- Double Boiler
- Half gallon mason jar for mixing
- Wide mouth mason jar for storage.
Ingredients
- 9.6 ounces distilled water
- 9.6 ounces goat milk
- 1.2 ounces coconut oil
- 1.2 ounces shea butter
- 1.4 ounces wax Emulsifier
- 0.72 ounces citric acid
- 0.24 ounces rosemary extract
- 0.24 ounces broad spectrum preservative, or about 1% of total weight, see notes below
- 10 drops essential oil, optional
Instructions
- Measure out the fats and melt in a double boiler.
- Add in the emulsifier wax. Once the wax is melted, remove pot from the heat.
- While the ingredients are melting, add the goat milk and water to a half-gallon mason jar. Place the mason jar in a pot of warm water to warm it up slightly.
- Mix the oils and liquid together using an immersion blender.
- Using a kitchen thermometer, allow ingredients to cool to at least 140° F before going on to the next step.
- Add in the citric acid, rosemary extract, and essential oils if using.
- Add in the preservative.
- Blend for an additional minute.
- Pour lotion into storage containers. Allow it to cool before putting on the lids, store in the fridge.
Hi! I want to use this as a face cream but my skin doesn’t do well with coconut oil. Can I replace the coconut oil with grapeseed oil or will that make the lotion too liquid-y? Thanks so much!
I would suggest using jojoba oil or sweet almond oil as a substitute.
I’d like to make a thicker cream rather than a lotion. How do you recommend augmenting this recipe? Exclude the water?