Bathe like Cleopatra: Testing the Milk Bath

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Have you ever taken a milk bath? I had never taken one but have wanted to since I was a little girl and obsessed with Egyptology. Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, wooed the man who would turn the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire and rocked the smokey eye long before it was ever a thing. She also took milk baths and, by all historical accounts, had lovely skin. The Greek historian Plutarch describes her alleged exoticism as “itself neither altogether incomparable, nor such as to strike those who saw her.”

When I mentioned this to a few friends, one responded with “Hey, let me send you some powdered milk from my client, Milkman. You can take your milk bath and not waste fresh milk!”

Why am I talking about taking a milk bath? I’m 42 and my skin has decided that, along with wrinkles and acne, it is also going to be incredibly dry. I don’t know what is up with my hormones, but it’s quite obvious they hate me. You might be thinking hate is too strong of a word, but believe me, it’s not. A study from Osaka, Japan, confirms that after 60 minutes of bathing, subjects experienced a dramatic reduction in cortisol and chromogranin, two sensitive salivary stress markers.

Milk contains naturally occurring lactic acid (the type in milk is a beta hydroxy acid) which gently exfoliates, removing dead skin cells, leaving skin feeling soft and silky. Milk in the United States also contains added Vitamin D, which is used in skin care products to treat psoriasis. Vitamin A found in milk is also added to my skin cream and helps improve the look and feel of skin overall.

How did my milk bath turn out? I’m not sure if it had a true effect on my skin after one bath however, I felt calmer and more relaxed. My skin seemed to feel softer and I felt as if I had chugged a cup of warm milk and was ready for bed soon after my bath. I also made a powdered milk mask to use on my face, as I am naturally quite pink and flushed, in hopes of soothing it. My face did feel much smoother and appeared calmer and less pink than normal, even after a warm bath.

I’m currently developing a new hot cocoa recipe to use with Milkman powdered milk, which I’ll publish when I have it perfected.

Milk Bath How-To

Milk Bath — Add 1 to 3 packets of Milkman powdered milk to running bath water. Add 3-4 drops of your favorite soothing essential oil (I used French Lavender). Soak for 20 minutes. Gently pat your skin dry and moisturize with your favorite lotion.

Milk Mask — Mix 1.5 TB of Milkman powdered milk to 2 tsp warm water. Stir until it’s a paste you can spread over your face easily. (add more water as necessary for dilution.) Apply to face. Climb in the tub. Soak for 20 minutes. Rinse off. After which, apply your favorite moisturizer.

About Milkman Instant Powdered Milk:

Milkman Instant Milk has been a favorite low-fat powdered milk source for anyone who wants to enjoy milk but needs something more convenient than a liquid milk resource.

From campers and boaters to hikers and people who live in areas where it is difficult to make regular dairy or supermarket visits, Milkman has been delivering real-milk flavor with the convenience of powder for over 60 years.

Long considered the best-tasting low-fat powdered milk product available, Milkman’s “kiss of crème” gives it a remarkable natural flavor, while remaining low-fat.

Milkman is a product of Marron Foods.

I have been compensated for my time in creating content and receive samples for review. All opinions are my own.