Mama's Milk Soap

Our newest babe has super sensitive skin and had terrible eczema breakouts from two months old until about four months old. Every so often, she still has a little flare up, especially on her face. I’ve found that my soap is nearly the only soap I can use on her skin. It keeps her super moisturized, helping to heal the eczema breakouts and preventing new ones from occurring. In my attempts to prevent it, I’ve been researching ingredients known to help and playing around with soap recipes that are very nourishing. In my studies, I’ve found many who say that using breast milk is great for healing skin problems from eczema to sunburns. I’ve seen recipes for breast milk lotion, heard of applying it directly to the skin via wet gauze wrap, taking baths with it added to the water, and so on. So, why not use it in soap?!

I’m sure I’m not the first to try this, but I’m also sure that not many people probably want to talk about it! (I can just hear some of my friends with weak stomachs gagging now.) After breastfeeding five kids, I’m not grossed out in the least by this awesome, natural wonder of God’s creation. In fact, I think it’s pretty incredible! So. many. benefits. Please don’t think I’m getting on a soap box. (Haha! No pun intended!) As wonderful as breast milk is, I totally understand using formula and other types of milk as well. But science has proven how totally awesome breast milk is in so many ways. Plus, I have GALLONS of extra milk in my deep freezer! Just ask my husband. He’ll tell you in a very annoyed voice that I’m not lying when I say our chest deep freezer is FULL of breast milk. The entire freezer. I’m not kidding. My body thinks I had triplets again! 

Another incredible natural wonder for skin: honey! Have you ever checked out the benefits of honey? It’s great at drawing moisture to the skin, and it has antibacterial properties. I’ve been using it as a facial mask a few times a week, and my skin is much more moisturized and clearer. I’ve added it to a few other soaps and wanted to include it in this one as well.

Loaf of Baby Bee Buttermilk Soap fresh out of the mold.

This newest Baby Bee Buttermilk soap recipe includes lots of nourishing oils and butters, high in vitamin E and other skin-benefiting vitamins. It begins with a lye solution made from 100% breast milk. I froze the milk to a slushy state, then added the lye very, very slowly with the pitcher sitting in an ice bath. The milk went from a creamy white color to a deep yellow, almost orange color. When I added it to the oils, everything turned a lovely deep tan color. I separated out a bit of soap and colored it white. At a very thin trace, I added about half an ounce of honey and scented the main batch. For fun, I put bubble wrap in the bottom of the mold, poured the main soap in, did an in-the-mold swirl with the white, then put more bubble wrap on top. Looks like a honeycomb. I oven processed this soap overnight. After just 24 hours, it was already quite hard when I cut it. 

Baby Bee Buttermilk Soap

It’s cute with the honeycomb edges and a whimsical swirl, smells great, and should be really great for my baby’s skin. Great for my skin too. And yours. And your family’s. And your friends’. And…