# Buffalo Milk: Alternative Use for Soap Preparation Enriched with Vegetables

## TL;DR

This paper explores using buffalo milk and vegetable ingredients to make natural soaps with good chemical and sensory properties.

## Contribution

The study introduces an innovative use of buffalo milk and vegetable materials in artisanal soap production.

## Key findings

- Buffalo milk-based soaps with added vegetables showed good chemical properties and low moisture content.
- Soaps with Lavender and Grape pomace received the highest sensory evaluation scores.
- Vegetable additions increased bioactive molecules and antioxidant activity in the soaps.

## Abstract

The surplus in the production of buffalo milk determines the possibility of finding alternative solutions for its use. Indeed, the utilization of milk in cosmetic formulations has been met with great approval by consumers, primarily due to its highly appreciated emollient characteristics. The aim of this research was to test an alternative use of buffalo milk in the production of artisanal solid soaps, using buffalo milk as raw material and Lavender, Thyme, and Grape pomace as sources of natural bioactive compounds. The analytical approach was focused on using vegetable materials in three forms: fresh, dried, and freeze-dried. For this purpose, the chemical features of both raw materials and artisanal soaps were determined in order to understand the feasibility of these productions. All formulated artisanal soaps revealed good chemical characteristics, such as a low moisture content, and got high scores in the sensory evaluation, with those with Lavender and Grape pomace being the most appreciated formulations. Furthermore, adding vegetable materials increased the bioactive molecules content, as demonstrated by the data obtained from total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. Therefore, the addition of plants and vegetables to the formulation could represent an innovative production of natural soaps and be a further element for the market trends.