Spare Time Farms

05/30/2026

Saturday afternoon cuteness for you!

I’ve was working on some monthly maintenance hoof trims on some girls and this little man decided he was joining his mama for the adventure 🥰

05/30/2026

We have 3 Ranch Chèvre available for pick up today!

Message us to reserve

05/30/2026

Reminder: farm pick-up is today from 4:30 until 6. So excited to see you all soon.

Address is 107 Minnow Road, Alma. We are located on the corner of Minnow Road and Liberty Church Road. There's a big black metal building; I promise you can't miss it. Use the driveway on Liberty Church. You will see our babies in the front pasture.

05/30/2026

We are here at the Appling County Farmers Market. Come by and see us.

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

Educational Soap Series — Post 2

Breaking Down Common Soap Oils & What They Actually Do

One of the biggest differences between handmade soaps is the OILS used in the recipe.

Every oil brings something different to a bar of soap, which is why no two soap recipes are exactly the same! Some oils help create bubbles, some help make a harder bar, and others help create a creamy or conditioning feel.

Here are some of the most common oils and ingredients you may see on handmade soap labels:

Olive Oil
Known for creating a gentle, conditioning soap. Olive oil is often loved in soaps made for sensitive skin because it creates a softer, milder lather.

Coconut Oil
Helps create those big bubbly lathers many people love! Coconut oil is highly cleansing, but when used in large amounts it can feel drying for some skin types.

Tallow
A traditional soap making ingredient that creates a hard, long lasting bar with creamy lather. Tallow is commonly used to help balance cleansing oils like coconut oil.

Sunflower Oil
Lightweight and conditioning. Often added to help support skin feel and balance a recipe.

Sweet Almond Oil
Known for adding a silky, lightweight feel to soap. Many soap makers use it for extra conditioning properties.

Shea Butter
Helps create a rich, luxurious feel in soap and is commonly added for extra moisture and hardness.

Goat Milk
Not an oil — but an important ingredient! Goat milk adds natural sugars that help boost lather and create the creamy feel many people love in goat milk soap.

Another important thing many people don’t realize:
The softer the oils used in a soap recipe, the longer the soap should typically cure.

Soft oils like olive oil create softer bars in the beginning, and they need extra time for water to evaporate and for the bar to become harder and milder over time.

You may hear some people say that a 100% olive oil soap bar (often called Castile soap) is one of the best options for sensitive skin. While many people do love it, a true Castile bar can take close to a YEAR to properly cure before it reaches its best hardness and lather.

That’s why cure time matters just as much as ingredients when it comes to handmade soap quality.

✨ Here’s the important part:
A soap isn’t “good” or “bad” just because it contains one certain ingredient. It’s all about BALANCE in the recipe.

For example:

* Too much coconut oil may feel drying for some people
* Too many soft oils can create a bar that dissolves quickly if not cured long enough
* Different skin types react differently to different recipes

That’s why reading ingredient labels matters so much when choosing handmade soap!

Next post in the series:

What is lye, and why is it required to make real soap?

05/29/2026

We’ve been hitting it hard this week to make soaps. Body soaps, solid dish soaps, they will all be stocking up soon!

05/29/2026

Make sure to swing by and smell all the different scents!

Handmade goat’s milk soaps are here and they smell AMAZING 🤍🫧 These make the perfect little treat for yourself or a thoughtful gift idea!

05/29/2026

Educational Soap Series — Post 1

How To Read A Soap Label

When selling soap at markets and events, I’ve noticed most people don’t actually read the ingredient label on soap.

Most people:
✨ Smell the soap
✨ Read the front label
✨ Look at the scent name

…but skip the back label where all the important information is!

I also hear people say things like:
~ “I love lye soap”
~ “Goat milk soap is best”
~ “Handmade soap helps my skin”

What many people don’t realize is that true goat milk soap is usually ALL of those things in one bar. Handmade goat milk soap is made using lye during the soap making process. Without lye, soap cannot become soap!

Another important thing to understand is this:
Just because one goat milk soap worked great for your skin does NOT mean every goat milk soap will.

Every soap maker has a different recipe:
✨ Different oils
✨ Different milk amounts
✨ Different additives
✨ Different fragrance oils or essential oils
✨ Different curing methods

All of these ingredients can affect how a soap reacts on your skin. One recipe may feel amazing for sensitive skin, while another recipe may cause dryness or irritation.

So let’s start learning how to read labels and understand ingredients!

Here are a few common soap ingredients and how they may affect sensitive skin:

~ Olive Oil → gentle & conditioning
~ Coconut Oil → cleansing, bubbly lather, but too much can feel drying for some people
~ Tallow → creamy, hard, long-lasting bars
~ Goat Milk → creamy feel with natural sugars that help lather
~ Fragrance Oils → smell amazing, but some people with sensitivities may react differently to certain scents
~ Essential Oils → natural scent options, but can still irritate sensitive skin in some cases

There is no “one size fits all” soap recipe — which is why understanding ingredients matters so much!

Also, remember ingredients with the largest amounts, are always listed first!

Next post in the series:
👉 Breaking down common soap oils and what they actually do in a bar of soap.

05/28/2026