Why Goat Milk for Skin?

The effectiveness of goat milk skincare products hasn't changed through the centuries; however, we do know a little more about why and howthey work.

Let's take a look at some of the properties of goat milk and how they support healthy skin.


To begin, have you ever seen those facial creams and lotions advertising alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) as an ingredient? Alpha hydroxy acid is used as an exfoliating agent, meaning that it removes the older, surface skin cells, revealing newer, fresher skin cells.

A commonly used alpha hydroxy acid is lactic acid, which comes from milk. Fermented milk products like yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk, have concentrated levels of lactic acid caused by the fermentation process that converts lactose, or milk sugar, into lactic acid by the bacteria.

Homemade goat milk facials using these fermented milk derivatives have the added benefit of exfoliation from the lactic acid.

Widely known for its moisturizing ability and gentleness, goat milk products owe their natural ability to gently cleanse, soften and heal skin to several chemical properties of goat milk.

The moisturizing ability of goat milk skin care products is the result of both the fat and the protein composition of goat milk.

Fat molecules in goat milk are smaller than in cow's milk, and remain, to a large degree, naturally homogenized within the milk. The fat composition itself contains significantly larger amounts of medium chain fatty acids, known as capric, caprylic and caproic acid.

The larger proportion of these shorter chain fatty acids as compared to cow's milk, combined with the smaller size, makes the fat in goat milk more accessible to being absorbed by the skin.

The nature of the protein structures in goat milk is also different, having more shorter strand proteins, which are also more easily absorbed by the skin. This greater absorption property of fat and protein helps leave skin smooth and supple.

Finally, goat milk is rich in many vitamins and minerals that are absorbed through the skin along with the fat and protein. Particularly important to skin health is vitamin A, of which goat milk contains about 47% more than cow's milk.

These properties of goat milk skin care products are particularly beneficial in the needs of aging skin. You can read more on this topic inElderly Skin Care and Goat Milk Products.

Exfoliation creates the appearance of more youthful-looking skin, including reduced appearance of wrinkles, rough skin and uneven pigmentation.