Most soaps are made with water, but you can make soap with any liquid with a pH above 6: milk, tea, even beer and wine. So why an entire book dedicated to making soap with milk? Well, it’s kind of like drinking hot chocolate made with milk instead of hot chocolate made with water. Milk soap is creamier and more luscious than soap made with water. The lather is more dense. The foam is more fine and silkier. Milk soaps have the same cleansing power, but milk’s natural oils and acids pump up the skin-loving moisture quotient and aid in skin renewal.”

Animal-based milk vs. plant milks is addressed, but she also addresses the benefits of animal-based milks (the small degree of lactic acid contained acts as a mild, soothing exfoliant, and leaves your skin smoother), the benefits of whole vs skim, and among animal-based milks, the benefits of cow’s milk vs. goat’s milk along with others, including sheep, donkeys, and camels. There is also some information about the degree of milk vs a mixture of milk / water, and how to avoid scorching the milk proteins, as well as the use of powdered milk, and even the use of breast milk.

There are illustrations to take you through the entire process – from mixing the soap to the point of where you unmold and cut at the end of the process. The illustrations are not only helpful, but beautifully composed.

The properties of different oils has a chapter devoted to it, addressing what each various type of oil and the benefits of each, including Apricot kernel oil, Argan oil, Avocado butter, Avocado oil, Babassu oil, Borage oil, Canola oil, Chia seed oil, Castor oil, Cocoa butter, Coconut oil, Coffee butter, Hazelnut oil, Hempseed oil, and many more, with the SAP Value of each. This also addresses the use of Animal Fat vs Oil.

Containing levels from beginner to those with plenty of experience, there’s so much more that this covers, and definitely worth the investment.


Pub Date: 30 Apr 2019

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Storey Publishing, LLC

Mastering the Art of Milk Soap Making:
Like all other books about soap making from Anne-Marie Faiola, Milk Soaps is simply an excellent book. Everybody, from beginner to experienced soap maker, can learn a lot from this book about soap making using a wide range of animal and plant derived milk. What sets this book apart from other soap making books is the scope and quality of information it presents to the reader, Recipes range from very easy to advanced and can be either made by pouring the soap batter into readily available household containers or they may require special molds and tools to achieve certain effects in shape, texture, and color. Every imaginable technique is covered, from adding texture to molds, making simple swirls and layers, to achieving complicated marble effects. The recipes can be followed with confidence without running into major issues, since all recipes have been crowd-tested by multiple soap makers and the whole soap making process has been clearly laid out. I love the fact that the milk in each recipe can be swapped out by any other kind of milk presented in this book. After reading about the benefits of milk in cold process soap, I cannot wait to try one of Anne-Marie Faiola's recipes.

Soap making has been around for years. My grandma used to make it out of lye and ashes and dad always complained it did the job but it wasn’t necessarily easy on your hands. Store bought soap used to be a luxury. Now we purchase soaps in many different colors, shapes and scents from stores, but I prefer handmade soaps. Local artists create wonderful soaps, many of them unique with colors and ingredients that smell fabulous. They are often pricy and there is a reason for this. There is a lot of work that goes into making your own soap, but if you read Milk Soaps, you will have step by step instructions to help you succeed if you would like to give it a try.

A balance of a high-pH substance such as lye or sodium hydroxide and oil will make soap. But the process is not quite that easy. A “carrier liquid” is needed, most of the time water is used, but true to the book’s title, the recipes in this book will use milk. You can use any kind of milk. I loved the chapter on the different types. Most memorable are camel and make your own nut, grain and seed milks. There are special techniques for working with milks in soap, one of them outlines how to use frozen milk.

Why does the author use milk instead of water? It is all about the lather. With milk soap, the lather is creamier and the foam is finer and silkier. Milk is a natural moisturizer to soothe and soften your skin.

Ms. Faiola includes 35 skin-nourishing recipes. She gives the reader detailed lists of items needed as well as how to safely use lye. It is an extremely caustic substance and should always be used with the proper safety equipment and attire. Dressing like a lab scientist not only looks cool, but keeps you safe from getting lye on your skin or in your eyes.

Making soap is complicated. Milk Soaps gives you all of the written instructions, tips and tricks to create your own fabulous soap. It is interesting to read even if you don’t want to make your own soap, it will give you information that you can use to choose the perfect soap from your local artisan or farmer’s market. If you do choose to make your own soap, you may find it is fun and all of your friends and relatives will love helping you try out new scents and color combinations.

After reading this book and seeing the work soap making entails, I understand the reason for the price of handmade soap, and appreciate the work that the soap maker has put into each bar of soap. Soapmaking is truly an art.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman

Those of us who have been making soap for awhile sure know Anne-Mariel and her company, Brambleberry, well. Anne-Marie is an experienced soaper who has shared her knowledge and recipes for a long time and her company offers quality ingredients and molds as well. If you are brand new to soaping and are nervous about lye, don’t be. Anne-Marie covers all of the basics and safety precautions to take when working with lye. Regardless of where you fall on the soaping experience spectrum, there is something in this book for you!

I love milk soaps, they are rich and luxurious and to be quite honest, I haven’t made soap in a few years now. This book got me out in the garage to pull out my bins of molds and supplies. Goat milk is on my grocery list for this weekend and I am going to be making some spring colored soap that will brighten my morning showers.

Simple to follow instructions and photos that will have you making soap quickly. Anne-Marie is the queen of soap and you will love this book!

I have made cold process soap but was very interested in milk soaps, especially as I have very sensitive skin and would love to try out their moisturising qualities . This beautiful book is full of step by step instructions, set out in an easy to understand way. The photographs are stunning and had me itching to give it a go right away.

I loved how the book encompasses all skill levels from the beginner upwards. This book would make a fantastic gift for anyone who has an interest in soap making, introducing them to milk-enriched soaps in a very informative way .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this beautiful book.

Good easy recipes to make some beautiful soaps. I love this book. I have made some for all my friends and family. If only I could do this instead of my 9-5 job!. Clear instructions, good pictures. Helpful for newbies and experienced soap makers alike.

There are a lot of books out there on soapmaking. This one stood out to me because it includes plant-based milks in the recipes and has several degrees of difficulty.

The photos are absolutely beautiful. The step by step process is explained in depth. Although I haven’t made soap in a very long time, I was intrigued by this book. The author does an extremely good job explaining the process, the materials, and the chemistry behind making soap.

I liked the chemistry lessons that weren’t so schoolish in nature, the tips and suggestions on common items that can be tools of the process, and the ingredients. After reading this book, I may convince myself to begin making soap again for myself and friends. I found the book fascinating and it kept my attention.

I was not disappointed and am glad I can add it to my reference library.

I happen to be a soap maker and only wish that this book had been available when I was learning the craft. This should be a must for library collections. It doesn't just explain the "how" of soap making, it also explains the "why'. In my experience, the scientific reasons for the way the soap reacts to various ingredients is very important to learning the craft.

A really good book for anyone who is interested in making their own soaps, lots of information and using easy step by step instructions and clear pictures it simplifies the process for a new beginner. The book covers most milks including breast! so have fun creating your own personal gifts for yourselves and friends.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Storey Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. If you are starting out as a beginner in soap making or want a good reference book, this is the book for you! It has many pictures and glossary, detailed instructions, product list, and everything you could want to know and more. I loved this book and can't wait to start making soap!!!

Thank you Storey Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

This is a fabulous, comprehensive book on how to make soaps from different types of milk. The first part of the book explains the science and how to make diffemt milk based soaps, giving a variety of options for milks, scents, equipment needed etc. the information is well researched, easy to understand and well presented with great photography, The book then provides numerous recipes, again with beautiful photography and easy to understand recipes.

I have a new appreciation of what goes into making a beautiful, luxurious soap and learned so much about how different milks used result in a different colour soap, the best ingredients to use for more lather or better moisturising properties.

A must read for anyone wanting to start making their own soap.

Milk Soaps is a reference book for soap making. The recipes are well explained using a step by step tutorials accompanied with illustration. This technique helps to see the results in each step of the soap making process. I liked the way she is focusing in the safety process. The lye is a powerful chemical used to create the solid form of the soaps including the organic and biological soap bars. Anne-Marie explains the danger and the safety way to handle this product and she added a section of first aid. Compared to others books, she is very honest and protects the reader against the wrong use of the products. This is a friendly book for family use.

In other hand, she shares a wonderful and creative collection of 35 soap bars' recipes. The collection is separated in three level: beginner, intermediate and advance. This approach assists the reader to increase the success to learn the techniques. Also, the choice of ingredients are delicious and sophisticate as the high brands natural & bio boutiques.

Thank you netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a total beginner at soap making having never done it before at all, but in trying to move towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle, this book really attracted me. I love that it gets into the science behind soap making, describes what you need, how much, why and how to be safe whilst making it. I also love the idea of using homemade oat milk in my soaps, so I can't wait to have a go at some of the beginner recipes. Such lovely recipes, really beautifully presented visually and the instructions are so clear I'm hoping I won't be able to mess it up if I follow them properly. I mentioned this book to a friend who is of a similar mind and she is already keen to have areas of this book so I'm looking forward to gifting it to her when it comes out!

I absolutely love Anne-Marie Faiola's "Milk Soaps". I have been using her tips and tricks from her Bramble Berry website ever since I first started soaping a couple years ago. I have been nervous of trying milk soaps lays out how simple it is. If you can make CP soap without milk than you can definitely make it with it. There are so many amazing recipes, with options for using fragrance oils or essential oils, as well different colour options. With each recipe she shows a different technique for pouring, layering, or otherwise designing your soap for exceptional finished products. Includes photography of every step for each recipe, so even if you have never made soap you can easily and successfully make it using this wonderful tutorial style book. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this, but I can't wait to get my hands on a hardcopy when it's released!

I recently began to make my own soaps but had a lot of questions about making soap with types of milk. This book answered a lot of those questions and I appreciated that there were sections for beginners, intermediate and advanced. I feel that you could work your way through this book. Easy to use recipes and instructions. This will be a book that I purchase.

A step by step tutorial on soap making utilizing milk products of differing varieties, With so many people allergic to many products used in manufactured soap products, my family was looking for a good instructional book that could guarantee results. As a beginner, we found the book a great source of information not only on the actual assembly of ingredients but also what unique ingredients would result in the expected results. The book also gives you instructions on how to increase your skills and how best to keep this valuable resource working for you.

This is a beautiful, inspirational book with lovely photographs.

I've never made soap and it's nice that the projects are broken down into different skill levels and the beginners soaps are very appealing. Making soap is more complicated than I realised but I'm going to give it a try.

Would be lovely to give to crafty friends as a gift.

Anne-Marie Faiola is the founder of Washington-based Bramble Berry, a company that sells supplies for hand-crafted soaps, lotions and cosmetics. She also blogs as the Soap Queen, and you can get a taste for the type of recipes you will find in this book on the blog.

The book goes into enough detail to be used for your first batch of soap, but also includes advanced tips and techniques to help a more experienced home soap-maker produce spectacular and beautiful results.

As the name indicates, this book focuses primarily on milk-based soaps and offers information on the special handling of various types of animal and vegetable milks and how they will impact the final product. The recipes in the book are balanced exemplars for showcasing different milks and various decorative processes. The reader is given enough information to adapt the techniques to other recipes or to modify the recipes (with the caveat that substitution of one oil for another should be checked with an online lye calculator).

Because the author owns a company that sells soap-making supplies, those branded tools and additives are featured prominently in recipes and photographs, but the author takes care to indicate how to substitute other pigments and includes a broad selection of suppliers in addition to Bramble Berry.


This review will go live on 30 Apr 2019 to coincide with the publication date.

Ever since this summer, I've been dabbling with soap making. It became a hobby of mine after I fell into a hole of YouTube videos and Google research, and Anne-Marie Faiola is hard to miss when researching it.
In Milk Soaps, Faiola beautifully explains the correct way to produce soap that features milk as an ingredient. She offers great advice and details all the ingredients one can use when making soap in a way suited for beginners. The book also features recipes that variate in the level of difficulty - but there is something for everyone and with the introductory pages and the guide offered at the beginning of the book, swapping ingredients to make it your own is made simple.
I really enjoyed reading through this book, it's a very helpful guide. I'm currently all stocked up on soap, so I can't wait till spring to try out a few of the recipes.

Making cold process soap with milk is a challenge. This book takes some of the fear out of doing so by providing helpful photographs of the process. I appreciate the great recipes as well