Goat’s Milk Soap for Eczema: Potential Benefits and Precautions – Healthline

The same ingredients in soap that break apart dirt and oils can also strip moisture and softness from your skin. To restore moisture, dairy ingredients like cows milk are sometimes added to the mix of your favorite bar soaps. Goats milk soap is simply a bar soap that has goats milk in the formula instead of cows milk.

Like other natural soaps, goats milk soap is made from lye thats mixed with fats and oils. In this case, the fats in the soap come at least in part from goats milk.

Since goats milk has a different molecular structure than cows milk, some people with a cows milk sensitivity prefer it. Goats milk may have some immune-boosting and other benefits if you drink it, and some people believe that using it topically in the form of soap can provide the same benefits for skin conditions like eczema.

Theres little research that proves goats milk soap will work to treat eczema.

Heres what we do know about using goats milk soap, including whether its a safe home remedy for children and adults with eczema.

Goats milk soap hasnt been extensively tested for use as an eczema treatment. Here are the proven benefits of goats milk soap and how they might play into eczema treatment.

Goats milk contains lactic acid, a naturally occurring and gentle alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Lactic acid is even in some commercial-grade skin peels because of how effective it is at exfoliating and encouraging cell turnover. Cleansing your skin with goat milk soap may help dissolve dead skin cells, revealing healthy, younger skin cells underneath.

Lactic acid from goat milk also contains probiotics. Oral probiotics using lactic acid bacteria have been shown to help treat eczema in infants. Since these probiotics found in the lactic acid found in goat milk was an effective topical treatment in infants, it might be worth a try.

Lactic acid doesnt just add probiotics and exfoliate your skin. Lactic acid in goats milk, combined with the natural fats and oils in the milk, are a natural humectant. That means that goats milk soap may strengthen your skin barrier and seal moisture in. Skin thats well-hydrated may be more resistant to eczema flareups.

Goats milk soap is generally considered safe for everyone. That includes the soft, extra-sensitive skin of babies and children.

Youll also want to look at the other ingredients. If you have eczema, you may be all too familiar with cosmetics, soaps, and beauty products that claim to be all natural but trigger your symptoms and inflame your skin. Also be aware of what type of oils are contained in the soap. At least one study indicates that olive oil can make eczema symptoms worse for babies.

If youre considering bathing your little one with goats milk soap, run it by their pediatrician, especially if your baby is less than 1 year old. Also, keep in mind that goats milk soap is not a replacement for any skincare product a doctor has prescribed for your baby to treat eczema or psoriasis.

Some kids might have sensitivity to goats milk soap, so use a small amount the first time to test it out.

Goats milk soap works great for some people, but it isnt for everyone. A study published in 2017 noted that using goats milk soap for inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema, may increase your likelihood of developing an allergic reaction to consuming goats milk and goats milk products. Research also suggests that absorbing certain ingredients through a compromised skin barrier can lead to food allergies later on.

If youre interested in using goats milk soap for eczema, you have a couple of options.

First, you need to find the right products. Goats milk soap can be made from a powder base, or from fresh goats milk. Anecdotally, people who swear by goats milk for eczema prefer fresh goats milk for maximum benefits.

If youd rather test your skins reaction to goats milk soap (or if youre trying it out on an infant), you can simply add a little bit of the soap to warm water in the tub to create a soothing bath. Just make sure to keep it away from infants eyes.

Goats milk soap is more readily available in the United States than its ever been.

You can buy goats milk soap at health food stores, natural beauty suppliers, organic supermarkets, and some pharmacies.

Shop for goat milk soap online.

The evidence we have to support using goats milk soap for eczema is mainly anecdotal. However, theres research to support other benefits of goats milk soap for your skin, some of which are linked to eczema management.

For most people, theres little harm in giving goats milk soap a try to treat eczema symptoms. If you have a goats milk allergy, you may want to steer clear. Consult your childs pediatrician if you have questions about trying goats milk soap to help treat eczema for your child.

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Goat's Milk Soap for Eczema: Potential Benefits and Precautions - Healthline