BEST Supplies for Making Goat Milk Lotion

Supplies

I started making lotion as a way to use up excess goat milk. Then I became obsessed with perfecting it. And then it became a passion. And now it is a business! It escalated quickly. And I wish I would've had a place to go so I knew what I needed right off the bat. I live in a very rural community and cannot just run to Wal-Mart and grab supplies. I have to wait 10 days for Amazon to deliver it to me.

I figure other rural goat owners might be in the same position I am in, and thought this might help! And even if you aren't rural, and don't intend to make goat milk lotion, these supplies will work for any kind of lotion you are making! So here is what I use and why, as well as what I have tried and didn't need.

Even the most basic of tools are important. And one thing I cannot stress enough is to have separate supplies for making your lotions than you use for cooking. I read that on a few different blogs, and couldn't understand why. I get it when you are making soap because lye is dangerous, but lotion has all-natural and safe ingredients. So what is the catch?

It is not because of the supplies not being safe after making a batch of lotion. For me, it is for the ease of availability, cleanliness, organization, and cleaning. I will let you in on a little secret and I am NOT the cook in our family, my fabulous husband is. He has never once helped make a batch of lotion. He knows not to use my supplies and I know not to use kitchen supplies for lotions. How annoying it would be if I were in the middle of making a big batch of lotion only to realize last night's leftovers were in the bowl I really needed! Or grabbing a bowl only to find it has spaghetti sauce stains that may leach into my perfectly snow-white lotion?!? Or you're looking for a certain size measuring cup and it has been lost somewhere between the cupboard, dishwasher, sink, and kids' toy box. The supplies that I will list are not that expensive, so I encourage you to get yourself lotion-specific items. It just makes life easier.

Silicone Spatulas-Have you used these before? They are the best! I have been tempted to use these while cooking but I haven't (stay strong or get two sets). I got this specific set. I have never needed more than 3 at a time, and I enjoy the different colors because I will use the green spatula for mixing the oils and the blue spatula for mixing the milk, and the pink spatula when I make soap! Plus the different colors just make production that much more fun.

The supplies may be cheap and simple, but once you get started you are going to realize you forgot to get something and I already explained to you why that is so frustrating for me! So here is the list of what you should get to start with and why you should grab it now!

Mixing bowls with pouring spout- This is probably my BEST purchase and I could not live without them. These mixing bowls come in 3 different sizes and I use them all. Any more I make large batches of lotion each time, as my demand has gone up. But I still use all the bowls. In fact, I ended up purchasing a second set and use them every time! Bonus points because they are the same color as the color I chose for my business. I did learn the hard way recently that these bowls are NOT microwave-safe. I was melting down some coconut oil for my bath bombs and it sparked! So keep that in mind.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls- This set has quite a few bowls included, but the variety of sizes is nice, and they have no-slip bottoms which makes them really nice. I use these bowls for every product I make, and am usually using more than one at a time. I also use them for storing my goat milk in the fridge. The airtight lid is really convenient for that as it doesn't allow spilling when they are getting moved around and my kids don't drink it all up if its in a giant covered metal bowl.

Measuring Cups & Spoons- I also got stainless steel measuring utensils specifically for making soap, but they work just as handy for lotions. I use these for not only measuring but also as a scoop for refilling jars of ingredients out of large bulk containers. I did just break one, the handle broke off of the cup size. It is still usable. Some of the writing is wearing off of the spoons as well, but I know which one is which because of the color coding. If it gets annoying I will be buying the exact replacement set. I love them that much.

Steel Spoon- Do not forget this item! I did at first and it was SO frustrating. When you are buying bulk ingredients, they come in giant containers of solid ingredients. My coconut oil comes in 5-gallon buckets and weighs 35 lbs. It does not soften until 92 degrees. It is hard when I am measuring it out. It will be impossible to get out without a metal spoon! The metal spoon I have is not currently available on Amazon but I linked the new version and looks just as nice! This brand is nice because of the thick handle. You will like it when you are prying on coconut oil and shea butter.

Double Boiler- A double boiler is a pretty simple concept. Water in the bottom, ingredients in the top, turn the stovetop on. This one is nice because it is easy to clean. It has worked just like it should. I am going to upgrade to a larger one. As I mentioned earlier I am making LARGE batches of lotion at a time anymore, and this one is right on the brink of spilling over.

Thermometer- Here is the thermometer I have been using. It is nothing special. It works. I am going to purchase a new one that is a little bit quicker getting to the readings. I might try one of those fancy-looking spatula thermometers! I will update you all if it works well and it fun to use.

Stockpot- You will need a large stockpot to warm you water and milk mixture as you will also be adding your oils to this pot. Then you have to mix, so you do not want something that is full to the brim and spills over! have 2 stockpots, and I like this one better because it is skinny and tall. It helps with no splattering while you are mixing and it fits better on my stovetop when I have other pots going as well.

Kitchen Scale-You will need a kitchen scale for a whole lot of work. You will use it to measure out your ingredients for each batch, and you will use it for filling your lotion bottles/jars. The scale never really gets a break. I happened to have this exact scale before I started making lotion and I loved it so much I bought 2 more. Simple, easy to read, accurate. It hasn't failed me yet.

Jewelry Scale-I did not own a jewelry scale. This one I had to purchase. I didn't think it would be all that important. I was wrong. If you haven't worked with small amounts before, just take my word for it. This one works well, but it is touchy about the amounts it will show. You can't get any one container to full or it will not give a reading. It also only stays on for a short period of time. So don't start measuring something and have to refill your container because you will have to start over again. Since I have started making larger batches I have not been using this one as often. There are probably better scales out there then this one, and if you are only going to be making small batches, I would suggest getting a different one after research. Luckily they are not that expensive.

Immersion Blender- Have you guys used one of these before? OMG it is so fun! This is probably my favorite part of making lotion and soap is using this bad boy. The blender is perfect for lotion making! Does exactly what it should do, easy to wash between batches and stainless steel so stays sanitized. When I make soap, this blender gets a little hot and will shut down. But blending soap is a 15 to 20 minute process. To combat this I purchased a second blender and switch blenders between batches of soap. I do NOT blame the blender for not being able to keep up. 10/10 would purchase this blender again.

Liquid Filling Machine- I thought I had to have this product and it would make my life so much easier! I was wrong. Do not waste your money. Don't get me wrong. I can see this product being great for a lot of things, but for me and my lotion, it is not worth it. It is easy to take apart, but you have to take it apart between EVERY batch of lotion to clean it, so you are not mixing scents. That takes up a lot of time that I could be using to get my next batch of lotion cooking. It also only dispenses in small amounts. So it would take me 3 or 4 pulls on the lever to fill one bottle. You also have to hold the bottle up to fill it and then continually set it down on the scale when you are getting close to full. The simple cheap funnels are a lot easier to use and to clean.

Funnel- An obviously straightforward product that I use to funnel my lotion into my lotion bottles. I started by using the cheap plastic ones from the dollar store and they worked just fine! I recently upgraded to stainless steel ones for sanitary purposes, and they work great as well, but they get really hot! So just be careful as you are moving them from one bottle to the next.

Bottle Drying Rack- I purchased these to hang my lotion bottles upside down when I was sanitizing them in bleach water. They worked as they should and store nicely. I switched to sanitizing differently and do not use these anymore. It looks like the cost has gone up significantly so if you are going the route where you need to dry your bottles, I would suggest looking for a different product.

UV Bottle Sanitizer- I switched to sanitizing my bottles and containers with this machine. You still have to plan ahead because only 15 will fit at a time, but it is less messy than bleach water and it has not failed me yet. The first purchase I made was faulty, and I ended up having to send it back. They sent me a new one and it has worked perfectly for almost a year now. I would recommend this product as it is easy to use and works well.

Towels-I like to keep a towel down on each side of my stove as I put sanitized clean supplies on one side along with the ingredients. The other side is where I dump the lotion from the stockpot into my mixing bowl. Then I keep one or two around for wiping my hands and cleaning up spills on the floor. I am currently using my daughters' old swaddle blankets! They are thin and the perfect size. But you can use anything you have lying around or buy some fun, special colored ones just to make your lotion-making experience more fun.

Bleach-I use bleach water to sanitize all of my supplies listed in this article! So I didn't want to leave it off. It would suck to get everything together and be ready to go and have to way to get the items clean. I just grab bleach from my local grocer store.

I hope that this article will help the aspiring lotion makers that are out there. Whether it is to use up goat milk, make something better for your skin, to have fun, or to make a business out of, these supplies will be very beneficial to you! Make sure you subscribe to the blog to get all my articles. I will continue talking about making goat milk cosmetics, including ingredients and how-tos!

Summary of supplies:

• Silicone Spatula

• Mixing bowls with pouring spout

• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

• Measuring Cups & Spoons

• Steel Spoon

• Thermometer

• Double Boiler

• Stockpot

• Kitchen Scale

• Jewelry Scale

• Immersion Blender

• Funnel

• UV Bottle Sanitizer

• Towels

• Bleach