Mariah Carey has been known to make some pretty intense requests, but when she spoke to The Guardian, she debunked a few myths. Some diva requests that weren’t truthful were asking for 20 cats and 100 white doves in 2009 when opening the Westfield shopping center's Christmas lights and insisting on a new toilet seat and gold taps whenever she stays at a hotel. However, when asked if she only bathes in French mineral water, Mariah responded, "No, I bathe in milk."
The 48 year-old singer may just be onto something by bathing the way Cleopatra had, seeing as milk baths have some pretty awesome benefits for the skin. Milk baths are more commonly remembered because of Cleopatra and her radiantly flawless skin. The legend is that bathing in donkey milk kept her skin soft and glowy. Some history books have mentioned Cleopatra requiring the milk of 700 lactating donkeys for her to bathe in daily.
Thanks to science, we now know that that milk contains lactic acid, which is a type of alpha-hydroxy acids or AHAs as the skincare junkies refer to it. AHAs are beneficial because they penetrate the top layer of our skin to promote and stimulate new cell growth, blessing us with the glow that Cleopatra fell in love with. The fat in milk also has benefits — it leaves the skin soft and supple.
There are a couple of ways to indulge in a luxurious milk bath, but the gist and ingredients of it all remain pretty much the same. After some intensive research on Pinterest for DIY milk baths, powdered milk is the best route to go and you can even make some milk bath ingredients to keep stored. Below is Whole Foods' take on a layered milk bath:
Photo: Whole Foods
1. Combine Dead Sea salt with essential oil, if using, and mix well.
2. In a second bowl, combine powdered milk and any powdered ingredients (such as cocoa powder or dried chamomile), if using.
3. Place 1/2 cup powdered mixture into a pint-size glass jar, creating an even layer on the bottom. Next, add a 1/2 cup layer of Dead Sea salt followed by a layer of any optional additions you are using (grated cocoa butter, dried lavender buds or rose petals). Repeat layers of powdered mixture and salt until jar is full. Press ingredients down gently, if needed, then close jar tightly.
4. To use, pour the entire contents of the jar into hot bath water and stir gently to dissolve. Place a strainer over the tub’s drain before draining the water to collect any dried flowers.
These milk baths will now be a valid reason to add an extra 90 minutes to your self-care Sundays. If Mariah's skin and Cleopatra's legends are true, then they just might be worth it!