From her goats at Oak Hollow Acres Farm, Lippmann offers a variety of goat milk products which she crafts, molds and scents herself. Her scents include lemongrass, grapefruit, almond, eucalyptus, rose and lavender, among others.
Ever get tired of using the same store-bought hygiene products? Goat farmers across Wisconsin are going against the grain of chemical-laden goods to create locally-sourced, synthetic-free soaps.
According to the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association, Wisconsin remains the largest producer of fluid goat milk in the country. With the ability to produce milk on less resources than cows, goats are a low-maintenance alternative for small farms and families who rely on goat’s milk to craft their products.
The moisturizing qualities of goat milk-based soap are one of the many benefits often lost in chemical-filled hygiene products, Gallert said. At The Dandelion Farm, the oatmeal honey bar soap is especially known for its hydration
Abby Lippmann, owner of Oak Hollow Farms in Burlington, began her soap-making business Serenity Soap Works in 1999 after purchasing a few goats to keep her horse company. Growing up on a goat farm, she knew the ins and outs of taking care of them.
Soon after, she realized that very few products sold in-store were all-natural, and contained chemicals that raised her concerns about health detriments. With a surplus of goat’s milk, she took matters into her own hands.
The Dandelion Farm offers a variety of goat milk products, including nearly 30 different scents of soap bars. According to Gallert, their lotions are one of their top sellers as well, especially moisturizing because of the natural properties of goat’s milk.
“I have a lot of family members that have had cancer that were very healthy, and the only thing we could figure out is what they were using on their skin- because the skin is your largest organ in your body and is where you absorb chemicals from,” Lippman said. “And my kids have extremely sensitive skin. So I started making goat's milk soap just for us, personally, and for family members. That’s how this whole business came about.”
Lippmann crafts, molds and scents the soap herself, taking care of the goats and frequenting various farmers markets with the help of her husband and kids.
While the work is rewarding in itself, Lippman finds comfort in just being around her goats- as do many of her visitors. Thus, nine years ago, Oak Hollow Acres began to offer “Goat Yoga” sessions, among other therapeutic activities.
This spring, about 20 pregnant goats gave birth to nearly 50 kids at The Dandelion Farm, according to Gallert. They expect to have a surplus of goat’s milk, which means they’re able to make more products, although they’ll freeze a large amount of that milk for later.
“We’ve had so many people over the years that just want to come hang out with the goats. They just want to come and play, and sit and relax. So we've been doing goat therapy for several years, before we even labeled it ‘goat therapy’ and ‘goat yoga,’” Lippmann said. “It was just a great way to have people come out and have fun and spend time with the goats.”
Aside from bars of soap, Serenity Soap Works offers shampoo, conditioner, lotions and laundry products, all made from goat milk and other natural ingredients, all encased in biodegradable packaging. Using goat’s milk-based hair products yields especially noticeable results, thanks to its gentle nature, Lippman said.
“Goat's milk shampoo and conditioner is very, very good for your hair. People who dye their hair get concerned that it's going to strip your hair from the dye, but have actually found that it lasts longer,” Lippmann said. “A lot of people get real dry hair if they're constantly coloring it. [Goat’s milk soap] keeps it really nice and moisturized.”
The shop’s pet-friendly cleansers are another great alternative for furry friends who are sensitive to store-bought products, Lippman said.
Aside from bars of soap, Serenity Soap Works also offers shampoos and conditioners, skincare products, chapsticks, lotions and pet-friendly soap, all of which are organic.
“They are very gentle, very mild on the animal skin. It's great for a lot of dogs who have allergies or dry, itchy skin, and the shampoo bars are not going to strip their skin or make that problem worse. A lot of times, it helps to heal their skin by using something that's not full of chemicals.”
Overall, Lippmann says that using goat milk-based products has several benefits, many of which are hard to find in stores.
“It has a lot of proteins, amino acids and vitamins, which are really good for hydrating the skin. And goat's milk is very close to the skin’s pH, which is what you want so it doesn't throw it off and cause lots of problems like eczema, dry skin, itchiness, things like that… We use the milk so it just adds an extra amount of moisturizing benefits for the skin.”
Products at The Dandelion Farm in Berlin are crafted from Sauer’s goats, who live on her property down the road.
Soapmakers at The Dandelion Farm and Relaxation Spa in Berlin find comparable benefits in their products and offer similar goods. The shop sells bars of soap, lotions, body wash, facial bars, sun spray and body butter, just to name a few, and offers additional services including detoxes, an infrared sauna and a Himalayan salt room known for its serene atmosphere.
Owner Deidre Sauer, a retired licensed practical nurse, began the business in 2014 after learning about soap making from a friend. She started with selling soap to family, friends and local market-goers, eventually working her way up to acquiring an old barbershop. Now, her 43 goats, which reside with her at her home, are the foundation of her business.
All of Lippmann’s homemade goat milk-based soaps also contain olive oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil, beeswax, vegetable shortening and lye. Depending on the scent, some soap bars may also contain flowers, spices and other oils.
The goat herd was expected to double mid-spring with a due date of April 7 for about 20 does, Gallert said. With an influx of new kids, much of that milk will have to be freezed- a doe can produce between half a gallon to three gallons of milk per day after giving birth, according to the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association.
“We bred about 20 mamas so we should be having about 40 to 50 babies this year,” Gallert said. “So then we'll have lots of extra milk depending on what we're making, if it's soap or if it's lotion. It just depends on what process we're going through. Our top seller definitely is our goat milk lotion, and then we also do freeze-dried goat's milk to make goat products into the winter.”
Those looking for all-natural, organic products can find Serenity Soap Works and The Dandelion Farm, in addition to other small businesses specializing in goat milk products, at farmers markets across Wisconsin this summer.