Jasmine Overton, 37, from Mudgeeraba, Queensland, Australia, started making soap and candles as a hobby a few years ago, but when her sister had a baby in September and was over-producing breast milk, she had a lightbulb moment – she could use the breast milk in her soaps.
Her sister Chrystal, 30 agreed to donate her spare milk, and has now started expressing her excess and passing the milk on to Jasmine, who then mixes the liquid with oils, and makes the mixture into bars of soap, which are said to help soften skin, as well as reducing redness, oiliness, acne, sensitivity and itchiness.
The products were popular, and Jasmine went on to make personalised batches for her sister’s friends. Now she has gone ever further, and hopes to launch her breast milk soap as a bespoke business.
How to make breast milk soap
Jasmine preserves the milk in the freezer with ice packs after Chrystal has expressed it.
When she is ready to use it, she defrosts it and mixes it with oils – taking about 45 minutes to make 500g worth, then about four to 7six weeks to set.
She pours it into a mould, leaves it for two days, cuts it into bars, then leaves it to harden.
Breast milk soap is crammed with vitamins and minerals
"It’s liquid gold, full of vitamins and minerals and so good for your skin," Jasmine explains.
But the soaps won’t be for the open market; Jasmine believes she should only make the product for mums from their own milk. "It’s more of a personalised soap, it comes from them, so I believe it should be for them," she adds.
Jasmine began making soap started a few years back, as she is a stay-at-home mum and carer for her 16-year-old son Noah, who has cerebral palsy.
First she experimented with coconut oil, olive oil, caster oil, shea butter, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, and goat’s milk.
Initially, her products were made as special treats for friends and family, but last November she started selling them at markets.
"Customers just keep coming back, it’s amazing.She added: "It’s always been about using natural ingredients, with essential oils to add a fragrance."
She always loved the feel of goats’ milk soap, so when Chrystal gave birth and started lactating, she thought she’d expand her repertoire.
"She had so much milk, and I had read about breast milk soap before, so I thought let’s try it," Jasmine said.
"It’s fantastic on babies’ skin as well," she added.
Chrystal uses the soap made from her milk on her own skin, and for both her daughters, Pearl, two, and Gypsy, three months. She says her sister’s products smell delicious and make her feel relaxed: "Having used my sister’s products for a few years now, I knew that the breast milk soap would be amazing.
"Once I received it, I was so excited because of all the health benefits it contains. I couldn’t wait to use it on my skin and my children’s.
"My children and I have very sensitive skin and it is so creamy and gentle. Now, I wouldn’t use anything else. Knowing it is made specifically for you out of your own milk supply is a very comforting and special feeling."
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