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Pg 28 - The Beauty of Goat's Milk
Nourish your skin with this natural ingredient long lauded for its skin soothing qualities.
By Belinda Recio
People and goats go a long way back together. In fact, some archaeologists believe that the goat was the first livestock animal to be domesticated. This theory is based on the fact that people started raising goats as long as 10,000 years ago. Though we don't know what prompted the first people to domesticate the goat, it might have been because of the goat's appealing qualities. Unlike the stereotype of the ill-tempered, trash-eating, malodorous "cartoon goat," real goats are intelligent, curious, and gregarious animals. Goats are also known for their sensuality and vitality, which lead to their symbolic association with these qualities.
Ever since their domestication, goats have played an important role in human culture, providing us with meat, leather, wool, and of course, milk. Goat's milk was widely consumed in the ancient world, and it is still consumed more extensively worldwide than cow's milk. Even today, in many parts of the world, goat's milk is preferred to cow's milk. Here in the United States, the drinking milk of choice still comes from cows, but goat's milk is gaining in popularity, in part because goats are "greener." They eat less, and require less grazing space, than cows; they tolerate temperature extremes; and they are easy to handle.
From a health perspective, goat's milk is thought to be more digestible and less allergenic than cow's milk. But the benefits of goat's milk go beyond its use as a food. Goat's milk has long been used as an ingredient in skin care products because of its dermatological benefits. Rene Deal, owner and founder of Deal Farm Soap Company, in Boxford, Massachusetts, explains why goat's milk is so good for our skin. "The low pH level of goat milk is close to our skin's own pH, making it a very gentle cleanser. Goat milk also contains alpha-hydroxy acids, which are known for their restorative and rejuvenating qualities," she says, adding that "Goat's milk differs from cow's milk in the molecular structure of the proteins and triglycerides. The shorter molecular strands found in goat's milk are more easily absorbed by the skin, which results in a natural moisturizing effect."
Canus Goat's Milk Skin Care Products in Montreal, was inspired by goat's milk for similar reasons. "For centuries, goat's milk has been used in skin care due to its naturally gentle moisturizing properties. Goat's milk contains capric and caprylic acids," explains Andree Falardeau, the president and founder of Canus. This is what reduces the alkalinity found in many skin care products. "This alkalinity results in a pH level closer to healthy human skin," he says.
There are lots of great goat's milk body care products on the market. We are introducing you to four companies whose product lines embody what goats have long symbolized: sensuality and vitality.
Deal Farm Soap Company
Deal Farm Soap Company offers a wide variety of goat milk soaps and skin care products. Because Deal Farm caters to people with sensitive skin, all products are offered in both scented and unscented varieties. Soaps are made by hand and use fresh goat milk. The milk is extremely gentle on the skin and gives the soap a luxurious feel. All soaps are rich in olive oil, which soothes and moisturizes the skin. Deal Farm has just created a new goat's milk soap that includes rose clay, geranium, and bergamot. Founder Renee Deal says, "Although just introduced, this soap is already a big hit with my customers. The aroma of roses with a hint of citrus is heavenly, and the soap is extremely gentle." Deal Farm's customers include people with eczema, psoriasis, acne, extra-dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and sensitive skin, all of whom have found using goat milk soap beneficial.
www.dealfarm.com
Kate Somerville
For years, ancient Egyptians used goat milk to nurture skin. Kate Somerville's delicate, daily moisturizer enriched with nourishing goat milk proteins, vitamins, and amino acids helps soothe and condition skin for optimum moisture balance. Organic aloe, organic coconut oil, and organic black willowbark help moisturize naturally, while soothing the skin. The natural lactic acid gently exfoliates and renews skin. It also calms and rejuvenates sensitive, distressed, or skin irritations post esthetic treatment.
www.katesomerville.com
Whisper Hill
Nestled in the green mountains of Vermont, Whisper Hill creates a full line of hand-crafted natural bath and body products, including Goat's Milk Soap, Fizzy Goat's Milk Bath Salts, and a Hydrating Spray Lotion with goat's milk and Vitamin E. In the Fizzy Goat's Milk Bath Salts, the goat's milk adds a characteristic that is very unique?-?when the salts are first added to bath water, there is a fizzing sensation, and when the fizzing subsides, you're left soaking in a silky, luxurious milk bath. The hydrating spray lotion combines the goat's milk with light oils, such as almond, grapeseed, and apricot kernel.
www.whisperhill.com
Canus Goat's Milk Skin Care
Canus brings consumers two full lines of gentle, effective family skin care products: Goat's Milk products for adults and Li'l Goat's Milk for children and babies. Both are based on the naturally moisturizing properties of farm fresh goat's milk. Canus uses only fresh goat's milk sourced from a cooperative of family farms in the preparation of all products. The line started with a single soap and lotion and now covers the entire body from foot scrub and lotion to a lip balm and body butter. Altogether, Canus produces more than 60 different goat's milk-based skin care products, all made for everyday use. Most are offered in a fresh, light signature scent or fragrance-free version. Recently Canus has also started to add the additional moisturizing properties of orchid and marigold oils into a number of its goat's milk skin care products. Marigold oil offers great anti-inflammatory properties for the skin, soothing itchy skin conditions, while orchid oil is ideal for all skin types, helping to increase skin immunity and moisturize.
www.canusgoatsmilk.com
Belinda Recio is our editor of nature and psyche. She has published several books on topics ranging from nature to sacred arts, and pens this issue's feature, The Greatness of Little Things, beginning on page 71.