I’ve chugged chocolate milk, hesitantly sipped skim, and taste-tested several alt-milks for my Saturday morning brew, but goat milk? Never gave it a chance.  

Until now. But rather than lightening up my latte, it’s become a must in my skin-care routine. If you’re confused, let me back up. It all started in 2007, when Beekman 1802 founders (and partners) Brent Ridge, MD and Josh Kilmer-Purcell decided to buy The Beekman Farm in upstate New York as a weekend getaway, and their neighboring farmer asked if he could bring his goats to stay at their property. The answer was “duh” (who doesn’t want cute farm animals around?).

But once the 2008 recession hit, both Dr. Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell lost their jobs in the city (Dr. Ridge specializing in aging, and Kilmer-Purcell a writer) and immediately Googled: “What can we make with goat milk?” The answer, surprisingly, was soap.

“So, we worked with our wonderful, kind neighbors, and learned how to make the soap,” Kilmer-Purcell says. “We noticed the amazing difference of how we felt.” Building on the benefits they experienced in the original bar soap, Beekman 1802 now has a full line of clean and effective skin care 12 years later—ranging from a soothing probiotic moisturizer to an exfoliating jelly cleanser to a ceramide serum—that all feature goat milk. The nourishing formulas are designed to work for all skin types, especially sensitive skin.  And the best part? Beekman 1802 is rooted in kindness (seriously, “kindness” is actually listed as an ingredient).

For the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with these products (and allowing my enthusiastic mom to dabble as well—because I couldn’t keep her away) and one thing’s for sure: I wish I knew the power of goat milk a lot sooner.

So, why is goat milk good for your skin? Keep scrolling to find out how it locked a permanent spot in my routine.

First of all, it’s worth noting that goat milk has been used for hundreds of years as a beauty treatment. Milkmaids in Europe would use goat milk to wash their faces, says Dr. Ridge. “And the reason it gave them that milk-maiden glow was because goat milk is a natural form of lactic acid,” he says of its exfoliating properties. So I’m the one late to the party here.

And when Dr. Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell moved on from creating soap to body lotions, they noticed that the absorption was much more effective than a typical mineral one. Here’s why: “Goat milk has the same pH as human skin,” Dr. Ridge explains, adding that with a goat-milk-based moisturizer, you also avoid harsh ingredients that can cause inflammation. Bonus: It acts as a delivery vehicle for other ingredients too, which means your pores are more primed to drink everything up.

This streamlined absorption is something I definitely noticed as I made my way through the routine. I started with the Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser and it basically erased all the makeup and excess dirt and oil I had on my face without causing any redness. (Already a win.) And, it was super soothing afterwards, which was a shocker considering it’s an exfoliant as well.

When I think about skin care, all I’m focused on is a smooth and glowy result—but according to the Beekman 1802 founders, that means I should also be considering the good bacteria on my face.

“If you’re maintaining the acid mantle and supplying hydration that your skin absorbs, you’re really nourishing the microbiome of the skin,” Kilmer-Purcell says. “It’s a community on your face, it has to be balanced and nourished.”

That’s why in Beekman 1802’s Bloom Cream Probiotic Moisturizer, it’s got a powerhouse of an ingredient list. “The benefit is not only does it moisturize with the goat milk and the colostrum, but it also has the probiotic in it so that it nourishes the skin—so you’re going to get that immediate effect,” Dr. Ridge says. “And because it is nourishing the microbiome, the longer you use it, the more nourished it becomes.”  

After using the Bloom Cream every night before sliding into bed, I noticed that my skin didn’t need as heavy of an application as I continued to apply it—like it finally was quenched, and now only needed smaller fill-ups. Which, I guess, is my microbiome telling me it’s doing its thing.

SHOP my new routine

Beekman 1802 Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser $38

Beekman 1802 Bloom Cream Probiotic Moisturizer $54

Beekman 1802 Milk Drops Probiotic Ceramide Serum $45

Beekman 1802 Pure Goat Milk Facial Cleansing Wipes $7

Beekman 1802 Milk Foam Calming Bubble Mask $40

Beekman 1802 Pure Goat Soap Bar $15

If you’re anything like me, you prefer to use high-quality ingredients without the three-figure price tag to show for it—and Beekman 1802 delivers on that compared to other clean, luxury skin care.

As self-funded farmers who started a skin-care brand in the middle of a recession, affordability is a key pillar of the brand for Dr. Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell. “When we design our products, the markups can be large, but we really do want to make people happy and healthier, and if we priced our products too high we’re not reaching as many people as we really could,” Kilmer-Purcell says.

Plus, you get that small-business level of care with the freshly sourced, quality ingredients to match. Okay, ready to go beyond the glow, and watch your skin bloom?

Sponsored by Ulta Beauty

Images: Well+Good Creative