Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General Why are there preservatives in soap that’s made with goat milk?

  • Why are there preservatives in soap that’s made with goat milk?

    Posted by Margaret on February 6, 2022 at 2:52 am

    Are the preservatives in this soap there because there is goat milk in it? 

    Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Caprae Lac/Goat Milk/Lait de chèvre, Parfum/Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Titanium Dioxide, Benzyl Benzoate, Eugenol, Citronellol, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol.

    Margaret replied 2 years, 3 months ago 4 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • Syl

    Member
    February 6, 2022 at 5:40 am

    No, you do not need preservatives to make goat milk soap. Normally you use goat milk powder, the fat in the milk is saponified.  You can also substitute some of the water for fresh goat milk. The high PH 9-10 of the soap guards from microbes. Not sure why they have DMDM Hydantoin in there, it is usually used at a ph range of 3-8 in a water based cosmetic. 

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    February 6, 2022 at 11:43 am

    There are preservatives in this ingredient list.  Preservative is  there because it is needed. Soap, esp. with milk, can be contaminated and the pH is not necessarily enough to protect. 
    You’d need a pH of ~2 or less and ~11 or greater to assure protection

     https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ics.12401
    and 
    Prevalence of Moderately Halophytic
    Aerobic Gram Positive Cocci in Bath
    Soap Bars with Special Reference to
    Nesterenkonia

  • Syl

    Member
    February 6, 2022 at 4:06 pm

    @PhilGeis, why do the majority of soaps on the market do not contain any preservatives?
    It appears that this bacteria has been isolated from hypersaline Ekho Lake (Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12148619/

    Is it because some soaps are made with soap noodles and the manufacturer added sea salt or another ingredient that was contaminated?

    If you make your soap from scratch,  and all ingredients are exposed to NaOH would that sterilize all ingredients and not require preservatives? 

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    February 6, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    I think I answered the central question.
    pH 3-8 is not an adequate standard and soap can be contaminated - esp. with additions such as milk.  Obviously relevant contaminant has special capabilities.

    I’ll add my 1st experience was with a well known French milk bar in the early “80 prob with the same bug - Nesterenkonia wasn’t named until 1995

  • Bill_Toge

    Member
    February 6, 2022 at 11:41 pm

    also, if memory serves, DMDM hydantoin decomposes in alkaline conditions

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    February 7, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    It does Bill but is effective vs. manufacturing risk.  Consumer use is not relevant.  It doesn’t need to be that stable.

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    February 7, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    I’ll add another case study.  Soap shipped as prills in fiber drums suffered gross mold contamination.  As bar it never had any issue.  Difference was water activity - greater surface area for evaporation in a closed vessel increased Aw to permissive level for fungal growth on (high pH) prills.

  • Margaret

    Member
    February 7, 2022 at 3:22 pm

    Wow! Shredded soap supporting fungal growth. Good thing I keep my shredded soap in the freezer. Thanks for  the comments everyone!

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