What Makes Our Goat Milk Soap Different

Most commercial or even small-batch goat milk soaps use a basic recipe of 3–4 oils. We use six carefully chosen base oils, each selected for their skin-loving properties and long-term benefits in soap formulation:

Our 6 base oils

Olive Oil

Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, olive oil helps create a gentle, conditioning soap that supports soft, nourished-feeling skin.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil creates a rich, cleansing lather while helping to remove impurities without harshness when balanced correctly.

Shea Butter

Known for its deep moisturising properties, shea butter helps create a creamy, conditioning bar that feels luxurious on the skin.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter contributes hardness to the bar and helps lock in moisture, leaving skin feeling smooth and cared for.

Castor Oil

Castor oil enhances lather and gives the soap a silky, rich foam that feels gentle and soothing during use.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp oil is naturally rich in fatty acids and helps create a well-balanced, conditioning soap that supports the skin’s natural barrier.

Together, these oils create a balanced, long-lasting soap that feels noticeably different from mass-produced alternatives.

Our Goat Milk: Pure, Raw and Responsibly Sourced

We use pure raw goat milk in every batch of our goats milk soaps.

Our goats are milked by hand, not machine, and we believe strongly in ethical, low-stress animal care. The kids stay with their mothers, and we only separate them at night for around 7 hours, and only once they are at least 4 weeks old.

We do not believe in unnecessary separation or industrial farming practices that prioritise output over welfare.

For us, animal care always comes first.

The milk is then carefully frozen before use, which is an important part of our traditional cold process method and helps preserve its natural quality for soap making.

Handmade in Small Batches

Every bar of soap is handmade by me (Jack) from start to finish.

The oils, goat milk, essential oils and botanicals are carefully measured and mixed by hand before being poured into custom-made wooden moulds lined with parchment paper.

Once poured, the soap is left to naturally saponify before being cut by hand into individual bars.

Each batch is then cured for a minimum of four weeks. This curing process is essential for creating a hard, long-lasting bar of soap that feels balanced and gentle when used.

Nothing is rushed.

Nothing is mass produced.

Natural Ingredients, Homegrown Botanicals

At Herd and Elder we only use natural ingredients in our soaps.

Where possible, we grow and harvest our own botanicals, including:

• Lavender
• Calendula

Each ingredient is chosen carefully for its role in the final soap whether that’s fragrance, appearance, or traditional soap-making use.

Every bar is designed with intention.

Sustainable, Plastic-Free & Thoughtfully Packaged

Once cured, each Herd and Elder soap is packaged entirely by hand.

We use:

• Chemical-free glassine paper
• Eco-friendly belly bands
• Recycled paper packaging
• Eco ink printing

There are no plastic wraps, no machine-printed mass boxes, and no unnecessary waste.

Even our packaging reflects our belief in keeping things simple, natural, and responsible.

A Soap for Everyone

We believe there should be a soap for every skin type and preference.

That’s why our range includes everything from refreshing minty exfoliating soaps with natural seaweed - to gentle, soothing blends like our award-winning oats and goat milk soap

Each recipe is carefully designed to suit different skin needs while staying true to our natural, handmade philosophy.

Our Philosophy: Care Comes Before Everything

Above all else, our love for our goats and natural way of living comes before profit.

We are:

• Palm oil free
• Plastic free
• SLS free
• Handcrafted in small batches
• Focused on ethical, traditional methods

We don’t scale at the expense of quality.

We don’t compromise ingredients.

And we never will.

Why Handmade Soap Matters

Handmade cold process soap is fundamentally different from mass-produced alternatives.

It allows us to:

• Control every ingredient
• Preserve natural glycerin (formed during soap making)
• Avoid unnecessary additives
• Create a more thoughtful, traditional product

It’s slower...but better.