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How to make breast milk baby soap?

The Art of Crafting Breast Milk Soap: A Gentle Touch for Baby’s Skin
In the realm of natural skincare, breast milk soap has emerged as a unique and nurturing option for parents looking to utilize leftover breast milk. This innovative approach not only minimizes waste but also harnesses the natural benefits of breast milk, which is known for its nourishing properties. Here’s a detailed guide on how to make this gentle soap at home.
Understanding the Benefits
Breast milk is often referred to as “liquid gold” due to its rich nutritional profile, which is perfectly tailored for infants. Beyond its dietary advantages, breast milk contains natural fats and sugars that contribute to a creamy texture and a luxurious lather in soap form. This makes it particularly beneficial for sensitive skin, as it can help soothe dryness and irritation .
Ingredients You’ll Need
To create breast milk soap, you can choose between two primary methods: melt and pour or cold process. Each method has its own charm and complexity, but both yield delightful results.
1. For Melt and Pour Soap:
– A base of glycerin soap (available at craft stores)
– Leftover breast milk (fresh or frozen)
– Optional: essential oils for fragrance, natural colorants, or additional skin-nourishing oils like coconut or olive oil.
2. For Cold Process Soap:
– Lye (sodium hydroxide)
– Distilled water
– Breast milk (fresh or frozen, but must be thawed)
– Oils (such as olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil)
– Optional: essential oils and natural additives.
Step-by-Step Guide
Melt and Pour Method:
1. Prepare Your Workspace: Ensure your area is clean and organized. Gather all your ingredients and tools, including a microwave-safe bowl, a spatula, and soap molds.
2. Melt the Soap Base: Cut the glycerin soap into small cubes and place them in the microwave. Heat in short bursts, stirring in between, until fully melted.
3. Mix in Breast Milk: Once the soap base is melted, allow it to cool slightly before adding the breast milk. This helps preserve the beneficial properties of the milk. Stir gently to combine.
4. Add Extras: If desired, incorporate essential oils or colorants at this stage.
5. Pour into Molds: Carefully pour the mixture into soap molds and let it sit until it hardens, which usually takes a few hours.
6. Unmold and Enjoy: Once set, pop the soap out of the molds and store them in a cool, dry place.
Cold Process Method:
1. Safety First: Wear gloves and goggles, as lye can be caustic. Work in a well-ventilated area.
2. Prepare the Lye Solution: Measure out the lye and distilled water separately. Slowly add the lye to the water (never the other way around) and stir until dissolved. Allow it to cool.
3. Mix Oils: In a separate container, measure and heat your oils until they reach about 100-110°F (38-43°C).
4. Combine Lye and Oils: Once both the lye solution and oils are at the right temperature, slowly pour the lye into the oils while stirring continuously. Blend until you reach “trace,” where the mixture thickens and leaves a trail on the surface.
5. Incorporate Breast Milk: Gently fold in the breast milk, ensuring it is well mixed without overheating the soap mixture.
6. Pour into Molds: Transfer the soap mixture into molds and cover with a towel to insulate. Allow it to sit for 24-48 hours.
7. Cure the Soap: After unmolding, let the soap cure in a cool, dry place for 4-6 weeks before using.
Conclusion
Making breast milk soap is not only a creative way to repurpose leftover milk but also a heartfelt gesture of care for your baby’s skin. With its natural ingredients and soothing properties, this homemade soap can be a wonderful addition to your baby’s bath time routine. Whether you opt for the simplicity of melt and pour or the artistry of cold process, the result is a gentle, nourishing product that embodies the essence of motherhood.

Is breast milk soap good for babies?

One of the main benefits of breast milk soap is that it is gentle on sensitive skin. It is free from harsh chemicals and additives that can irritate the skin, making it an ideal option for people with sensitive skin, including babies.

Why does my breastmilk taste soapy?

Milk that has a high level of lipase can develop a soapy smell and taste, but is not harmful to the baby. Most babies don’t mind it, but if yours starts rejecting the milk (either with their first taste or later as they develop taste preferences), there is a way to prevent and fix it.

Can I use old breast milk on baby skin?

Can You Use Frozen or Expired Breast Milk? You can use fresh, stored breast milk, or even milk that was left out in error for a milk bath (just make sure the milk smells OK).

What soap base is best for breast milk soap?

The best soap base for breast milk soap is free of dyes, and fragrances. This is the soap base I chose. The main disadvantage to the melt and pour method, is that your soap has a shorter shelf life.

How long does homemade breast milk soap last?

To store this soap, keep bars that are not in use in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Soap does not need to be refrigerated between uses! If you notice a change in color or smell to your soap, it is time to discard it. Typical lifespan of this soap is 6 months.

Can you legally sell breast milk soap?

Well, it is not illegal to make and sell breastmilk soap. It’s merely unregulated. But then again so is all soap in the United States. So, why would I make breastmilk soap?

Is it legal to sell breast milk soap?

Well, it is not illegal to make and sell breastmilk soap. It’s merely unregulated. But then again so is all soap in the United States. So, why would I make breastmilk soap?

How to make breast milk soap for babies?

And Voila, no milk wasted!

  1. Melt 1/2 lb of your soap base in the microwave.
  2. Once melted, stir one cup of room temperature breast milk into the soap.
  3. Step 3 (Optional):
  4. Pour into your soap molds.

How do I make a breast milk bath for my baby?

Simply fill a tub (or a baby tub) with warm water and add your breast milk. It can be freshly pumped or thawed milk from the freezer. You want to add enough milk to make the water cloudy. This could be anywhere from a half cup/4 ounces to a whole cup/8 ounces.

Is breast milk soap legal?

Well, it is not illegal to make and sell breastmilk soap. It’s merely unregulated. But then again so is all soap in the United States. So, why would I make breastmilk soap?

Natasha Lunn

Tash is an IBCLC and Business Coach helping fellow IBCLCs create fun, profitable businesses that are more than just an expensive hobby. Before becoming an IBCLC and starting her private practice - The Boobala, Tash graduated as an Osteopath in 2008 and has been in Private Practice in South West Sydney. She was also a volunteer Breastfeeding Counsellor and Community Educator with the Australian Breastfeeding Association for 6 years. Through her business, Your Lactation Biz, Tash coaches and creates products to help new and seasoned IBCLCs build businesses that suit their personality and lifestyle.

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