As you’ll know if you read my blog, or even my about us page, one of the reasons that I started using (and developing) Cheeky Wipes is because I’ve got eczema. I’ve had it since I was 5, so I’m aware of what I use on my skin because many skin products do irritate me. I really try to avoid using steroid creams and use natural products where I can.

I’d also like to cut back on the amount of shower gel I use, from a packaging viewpoint. I’d heard that Goats Milk soap was good for Eczema, and thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t know at the time that it took 4 weeks for soap to ‘cure’ before use, so I waited until I’d actually tried and tested it before sharing.

If you haven’t made soap before, take a look online to see what equipment you need. Most of it you’ll already have in the house, as you need saucepans, glass jugs, a plastic stirring spoon and a mould for the soap (I use plastic take-away trays or a Mucky Wipes Container ). Things you’ll probably need to buy are a glass thermometer and plastic safety glasses. There’s only 5 ingredients in this soap:

• 255g coconut oil
• 595g olive oil
• 255g goats milk
• 116g lye (caustic soda)
• cheeky wipes fresh wipes oil (lavender & chamomile)

1. Freeze the (weighed) goats milk in ice cube trays
2. Melt together (in the largest saucepan you’ve got!) the coconut and olive oil, let it cool slightly until it reaches  between 80f and 130f
3. Put the frozen milk into a smaller saucepan and add the lye. ALWAYS ADD THE LYE TO THE FROZEN MILK AND NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND! Stir well, until dissolved (if you’re unsure, do this for 4 or 5 minutes)
4. Add the milk and lye solution to the oil and blitz with a stick blender (very carefully!) until the mixture ‘traces’ i.e. when you dribble a line of the soap solution across the top of the mix, you can see the line. Add the essential oil
5. Pour into greased containers, cover and leave for 24 hours, then cut into bars. Store in an airy place to cure for 4 weeks before use

I’ve been using this soap for 2 – 3 weeks now and it’s great on my sensitive skin, rich and mild and smells great too.  The slight downside is that it’s a little on the soft side so doesn’t last that long.  I’ve already made a different recipe though and will share it with you once I’ve had a chance to test it.

Happy soap-making!