Bathe like Cleo and Poppy

Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, and Poppaea Sabina, wife of Nero, used to bathe in asses’ milk. They believed it was responsible for their sought-after white complexions and Poppaea kept a herd of 500 she-asses to aid her beauty treatments.

(Sadly, Poppaea’s beauty didn’t save her from being brutally kicked to death by her husband, but don’t take it as an omen).

A large herd of white asses, especially prized in Egypt, provided enough milk for Cleopatra’s daily soak. Both of these ladies (and doubtless millions more) were using food acids as the ‘fountain of youth’.

When you look at your skin in the mirror you’re looking at dead skin. The outermost layer of cells don’t slough off as they did when we were young, instead they hang around, stuck on the upcoming layer, and cause lots of fine lines and wrinkles. Natural fruit acids called alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs, encourage the shedding of old surface skin cells.

The most frequently used alpha hydroxy acid for facial treatments is Glycolic acid, but lactic and citric acid are also popular. Of course, lactic acid doesn’t come from fruit but from milk. Any milk, not exclusively asses’ milk. Our famous ladies could have bathed in cows milk for the same result.

Billions of dollars are spent annually for cosmetics containing AHAs. Just type alpha hydroxy acids into google and you’ll see the thousands of products for sale based on AHA.

Derived from fruit and milk sugars and packaged as creams and lotions, AHAs are claimed to reduce wrinkles, spots, and other signs of aging, sun-damaged skin. You should become familiar with the names so you can identify them on cosmetic labels. It would be a lot easier if they were called ‘milk acid’ ‘grape acid’ etc wouldn’t it.

You can pay a lot of money for treatments like skin peels with AHA, or buy some expensive lotions. Or you can open up the frig and reach for the milk.

Bathe like Cleo and Poppy

You can use regular milk or powdered milk for a bath. There’s no need to start a run on the dairy, three to four cups of regular milk are generally enough, but please yourself, use as much as you wish. Mix up the powdered milk according to the instructions. Here’s a simple recipeIngredients:

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 1 cup boiled water
• 5 chamomile tea bags

• Steep chamomile in water for 20 minutes
• Strain liquid.
• Mix liquid with milk
• Add to bath water and jump in!

(After a milk bath don’t forget to give the tub a good scrub)