Milk make up

Shahnaz Husain *

Milk is the first food of every human being. Milk, when it is raw or sour, can keep you fit inside and out. All forms of milk including curd and buttermilk have proven to be beneficial for human health, skin, and hair.

It’s packed with vitamins A and D, B6, B12, biotin, calcium, protein as well as lactic acid which are excellent for skin and hair. It helps to protect skin from free radicals, fades spots and marks, brightens your skin, enhances hydration, slows down wrinkles, fine lines, and the ageing process, and also promotes skin elasticity.

This may be why many skincare enthusiasts have started applying milk to their skin. It is a natural beauty enhancer that has many healing benefits on your skin health and is used widely in beauty products. Raw milk is the best remedy for acne-prone skin as it gently exfoliates and heals the breakouts

So do not skip the glass of milk, and include it in your beauty regimen to get the most radiant and soft skin. Here’s how you can use milk for skincare.

Cotton wool soaked in cold milk can be used to wipe the skin to remove tan and soothe the skin. Cold milk applied daily, using cotton ball for 20 minutes, not only helps to soothe the skin, but also keeps it soft. It also makes the skin colour lighter over a period of time, if used daily. It would suit normal to dry skins.

Take a little cold milk and add some mashed banana. Mix it up, and apply on your face and lips. Wait 30 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. You can use this mask for dry skin.

Applying cool milk using cotton ball may help draw heat out of the layers of your skin after prolonged sun exposure. Some women in plain areas use milk as a treatment for inflammation or sunburn during peak summer season.

Mix together milk, baking soda, mashed tomatoes, and mashed potatoes. Apply and leave for 30 minutes before washing off with warm water. This will help to fight acne, scars and pimples on face .

Homemade milk cream aka malai can also be used as a pack to hydrate, moisturize, to keep skin glowing and soft.

Use shelf-stable canned milk or cool dairy milk from your fridge to make a cool compress that might soothe your skin during summers.

Make a paste of milk and turmeric. Cleanse your face in a circular motion for few minutes and wash it off with cold water for a fair complexion.

Milk can be added to face packs very easily. However, it suits normal to dry skin more. During winter, milk may be applied on normal to oily skin, to relieve dryness and improve skin texture. Soak Lotus flowers in 3 to 4 tablespoons warm milk for an hour. Crush the flowers with the fingers. Add three teaspoons gram flour (besan) and mix it with the milk and crushed flowers into a paste.

Apply on the face, avoiding the lips and area around the eyes. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes. Raw milk should be used on the face for beauty care. Boiling the milk destroys several nutrients. For a face pack add 2/3rd tsp of gram flour to raw milk and mix well. Add very little honey and rose to the mixture. Apply on the face and wash off with water after 10 minutes.

Milk contains different kinds of proteins. Hair is also made up of a protein matter called keratin. Therefore, protein in milk is beneficial for the hair, in terms of adding strength and body. Milk also contains fats, which help to soften and smoothen the hair.

It is of particular benefit to dry hair, as well as hair that has been subjected to chemical treatments. Milk also contains vitamins and minerals, which are nourishing for the hair. Many of them are powerful antioxidants and nourish the hair follicles.

Milk can be applied on the hair to nourish and soften it and also to give it a healthy luster. If the hair has been subjected to sun-damage, applying milk would help to nourish, soften and restore health to it. After your shampoo, rinse the hair with milk and leave it on for 5 minutes. Then rinse off with plain water. It would help to add body and shine to the hair.

For extremely dry hair, add a little milk to egg yolk and apply on the hair half an hour before shampoo. This is a wonderful nourishing treatment for dry hair. The hair looks soft, smooth and shiny.

A pre-shampoo treatment can also be done with a hair pack containing powdered milk. Add a little water to make a thick paste. Apply it on the hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, squeeze out the water and wrap the hot towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times. This helps the hair and scalp absorb the pack better.

Mix 1 litre warm water, 2 cups warm milk, some lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of salt, and a few drops of bubble bath. Soak your feet and rub your heels with a pumice stone before drying with a towel and applying lotion.

Grind 4 almonds and mix with milk, papaya, and orange juice. Apply on clean skin, and leave on for 30 minutes and wash off with warm water to clean the skin from pollution, dirt, and dust during hot and humid days

Include probiotics in your diet. Probiotics help restore the balance of the skin and prevent harmful bacterial.

Wash your lips at night and apply some milk on them before going to bed, this will help them stay soft and smooth.