The Very Best Goat Milk Lotion

Petunia Catherine my Nubian queen of the barnyard

Meet Petunia.  She's my three year old Nubian goat.  Of our herd of 15 she is the largest.  She's a smart girl and doesn't let that lower her confidence or self worth. Petunia is large and in charge.  She is the bossiest and the loudest of all the girls. Petunia is also very sweet and personable.

In the photo above, she's impatiently waiting for me to milk her for the evening session.  I look forward to that time everyday as I share in an activity that has occurred around the world for centuries. I feel honored to be in the company of those who have had a hands on relationship with an animal who provides food and more. Petunia provides us with copious amounts of milk.  I freeze some, make soap, cheese, we drink, cook with and use as much as we can on a daily basis. 

Goat lotion is a wonderful way to use this incredible rich milk.  The lotion feels decadent in its silky coverage and it nourishes my skin as no other lotion has.  I'd like to share the recipe that I've gleaned from a variety of sources. It's relatively simple.

Special equipment you'll need includes a candy or cheese thermometer and a stick blender. 

Recipe:
                 10.2 ounces of goat milk
                 10.2 ounces of distilled or purified water
                  3.7 ounces of grapeseed oil
                   1.2 ounces of shea butter
                   1.2 ounces of emulsifying wax
                   Vitamin E--contents of a pill or a squirt from bottle
                    Some sort of preservative is advices - I use a squirt of optiphen
                     Essential oils -- about 20 drops for this recipe. This is optional as the lotion is just
                           delightful unscented

Melt the oil and butter, then add wax.  Watch this step carefully as you don't want it to get too hot or boil.  Set this container to the side.  I use a pot of water with a mason jar holding my ingredients as a makeshift double boiler.  At that point I wipe out the pan and add the water and milk.  Heat these two ingredients until they reach 80-100 degrees.  Poor the oil, butter and wax mixture into the water/milk mix and immediately mix with your stick blender for about five minutes.  This is when you add the remaining ingredients.  Blend again for another minute.  Pour final mixture into your selected containers.  The lotion will thicken nicely as it cools.  Makes about 32 ounces.

Make sure you save some of this for yourself as it seems like everyone you know will want some.