"Okay... So, what's so good about Goat's Milk?"
We hear this question all the time at craft fairs. It's probably the most-asked question we've ever gotten. So let's take a few moments to try to explain the "Why" to you:
Using goats' milk for skin care is a tradition almost
as old as humankind. From ancient Near East cultures to modern European
methods, goats' milk has been recognized as a natural skin moisturizer
and rejuvenator.
Specifically, unlike cows' or even sheeps' milk, goats' milk contains
capric, caprylic, and caproic acids, as well as naturally occurring
tryglycerides.
When used in soap, this results in a lower pH level that of most commercially prepared soaps, and is much closer to the normal pH level of healthy human hair and skin.
Why is pH important in body and skin care products?
Human skin has an "acid mantle," a micro-thin protective
shield produced by the skin's oil glands, which ensure that the skin's
proper pH balance is maintained.
When an alkaline substance comes into contact with the skin, this
natural, delicate balance is lost. The acid of the skin becomes neutralized,
causing the skin to feel taut, dry, and uncomfortable.
Oil glands react to this over-alkalinity by secreting moisture (called
'sebum') through the pores, to try to re-balance the pH.
This results in oily skin, pore-clogged skin (when sebum is exposed
to air, it hardens and darkens, causing 'blackheads'), or pores that
close up completely (causing pimples). Nearby skin can become flaky,
parched, and can look prematurely aged.
Without its acid mantle, skin is left exposed to the hazards of wind,
sun, or environmental and bacterial impurities. Correct pH helps skin
to remain protected, clean and healthy, so the skin cells can breathe
as they should.
Not only does goats' milk in soap help to maintain correct skin pH,
but it contributes additional moisturizing cream to skin and hair
cells.
Unlike cows' milk which must be mechanically homogenized, goats' milk
is already homogenized in its native state. Goats' milk molecules
are comparatively smaller than those of cows, being composed of short-chain
fatty acids with smaller-sized proteins. This makes goats' milk more
accessible for absorption into the skin.
Goat's milk is more digestible in the intestines when it is ingested
as food, for the same reasons. The short-chain fatty acids break down
six times faster than cows' larger, long-chain fats.
This, in conjunction with the unique acidic content and the structure
of its component fats, makes goat's milk a viable choice for people
who either have allergies to usual dairy products, digestion difficulties,
or highly sensitive skin.
Goats' milk soap is a natural, organic by-product of non-commercial
farming, and is a productive and ethical use of surplus milk during
the milking season.
Goats' milk soap helps maintain correct skin pH, is a rich, natural
moisturizer, bringing with it restorative vitamins, minerals and proteins,
and is gentle on even very sensitive skin.
Goats' milk soap remains a natural choice for skin care, from ancient
times to our own.
The milk Colestin Caprines uses comes directly from
our own dairy goat herd of French Alpines and Toggenburgs. Our herd
feeds freely on open range forage, supplemented with grain, grass
and alfalfa hay, which provides the animals with a high-quality varied
diet, and contributes to the richness of their milk. We filter and
use only the freshest of this milk in our soap products.
Colestin Caprines' Goats' Milk Soap is especially
high in rich, creamy butterfat content. Each bar contains a full 30%
of goats' milk. Our superfatted bars are poured in small, customized
batches, then time-cured and handcrafted for individualized, consistently
high quality.
Our soaps are as durable as hard, triple-milled soaps, and last "forever,"
according to our customers, despite frequent use.
Smoothe to the touch, and scented with only natural essential oils and essential fragrances, Colestin Caprines' soaps confer the many benefits of goat's milk through the gentle, natural lather that goat's milk has been traditionally recognized for.