Do milk baths really do anything for the skin?

I believe the protein concentration in liquid milk will seep in to your skin. I’ve tried milk bath before, I prefer goat’s milk since it’s usually rich in Vit E and Lanoline. I once tried using pure commercial cow’s milk mixed in warm water and I ended up a bit sticky afterwards.

It will make your skin moist, smoother, and more vivid-looking (this is not just placebo). Give it a try!

Hmmm so I suppose the idea is to soak in the bath long enough for the protein to seep in – how long does that have to be? And do you use hot milk or just lukewarm? I gather you also don’t rinse off with water afterwards but just let the milk dry on the skin… my cat’s gonna love me even more smelling like a treat! :D

Here’s a short description of a Milk Bath. Here’s a recipe for a milk bath:

Making your own milk bath is simple and quick. Add 2–4 cups of milk or buttermilk to a warm bath, soak for 20 minutes or so, and scrub the loosened skin cells away from your body with a washcloth or loofah in soft, circular motions. You will need to be extra gentle with delicate areas of your skin such as your neck and thigh to avoid abrasion burns.

When you are finished, rinse the milk from your body thoroughly with a quick shower and wipe the oils from the tub while they are easy to remove.

After your beauty bath, you may notice your skin is slightly oily. That is normal. It’s simply the natural moisturizing effect of the milk. Exfoliating your skin too often can dry it out and the natural oils in milk will help keep your skin moisturized, making your milk bath the perfect beauty treatment for creating supple baby-soft skin.

It appears that there may be some science behind this idea. Lactic acid is a mild exfoliant. It seems to be helpful for many people, but it also has drawbacks, especially if you are allergic to milk. See here for more information.

I didn’t wash my body with plain water after each bath. I use warm water, mixed with milk (I use commercial tea-bag style bath milk). I don’t adjust my bath time (probably 20 minutes, or more since I love to doze off in warm bath), I believe the longer I stay in the milk the smoother my skin would be. Milk bath would also make your hair glossier!

And no, my cats didn’t lick me like what they would do with their food. It leaves your skin fragrant if you don’t wash it.