It is right in the middle of winter and I am finding that my skin feels a bit dry, I am a little more tired than usual and my normal workouts are taking a bit of a toll on my poor, aching body. Anyone else feeling the same?
I am not normally much of a bath person but I have found myself wanting to dip into a bath more often lately just because of all those things mentioned and the warm, soothing relaxation sounds wonderful.
So I was in a fancy boutique recently and saw a milk cleanser that was packaged in a cute little milk bottle and I couldn’t stop thinking about how fun that was for gifts or just decoration for my own home. I came up with the idea of a milk bath and did a little research on what it was- after all bathing in milk doesn’t actually sound that appealing to me.
I did find out that Cleopatra was the one that put a milk bath on the map as she claimed the milk bath preserved her beauty and kept her skin glowing and youthful.
If it is good enough for Cleopatra, it is good enough for me.
It turns out that a milk bath is super easy to mix together and it is supposed to be excellent for the skin. This milk bath is also moisturizing which is perfect if you are suffering from dry skin.
To make this milk bath is super simple and you can adapt this to suit your own needs. Here is my recipe:
- 1½ cups Powdered Milk
- ½ cup baking soda
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup epsom salts
- 10-20 drops essential oil of your choice (optional)
- Mix all ingredients together and add to a jar.
I used lavender because it is so calming and such a lovely fragrance but you can use rosemary, floral scents, citrus scents, spearmint or you can use real almond oil or even honey.
The cornstarch, baking soda and milk powder are supposed to be very soothing so hopefully this is a little treat for you to get through the winter months.
I added epsom salts because they are amazing for soothing sore muscles but you can omit those or increase the amount to 1 cup if you really have tight or sore muscles. Just note when you do take baths- especially with epsom salts- be sure to stay hydrated with lots of water.
One last little note is in regards to how much to use. That is really up to you. I tend to use about 1/2 cup in my bath but you can be more or less generous depending on your needs.
You could also use mason jars or any pretty little container you might have on hand. I wanted to give these as gifts so I wrapped them with a little baker’s twine and added a little label that was hand stamped. Super simple and I think it looks really pretty.
Here are the items and sources for what I used- the milk powder you can find in the baking section of your local store. If you decide to try this project, please come back and let me know how it works out for you!
Essential Oils // alphabet stamps // milk bottles
And here are a few other DIY bath products you might like:
Homemade Lotion Bars
Hmm…. I may have to ask my sister to save her frappuccino bottles for me this summer!
Yes you can totally use those too Annye. The Archer Farms version from Target are the easiest to get the labels off of. I wanted to give these as gifts though and so I needed a fresh bottle. 🙂
Hi Charlene,
I want to make some of your milk bath for gifts, but it doesn’t say how much to use per bath, can you tell me how much you use?
Hi Joyce, Really it is up to you how much or how little. I use quite a bit in my bath- probably 1/2 a cup or so. That bottle you see would last me 2- 3 baths. I like to be generous in the bath because I don’t take them that often. If I was preparing a bath for my kids or I took them nightly, I might not use quite as much.
Enjoy!
Charlene
Hi Charlene!
I just wanted to thank you so much for the lovely idea! I made the lavender milk bath for my mom and stepmom for Mother’s Day. I had some extra left over, so I used it for myself and it’s awesome!!!!! I know they will absolutely love it! Thanks again!
Oh I am just thrilled to hear that Francesca 🙂
Can you use any kind of powered milk that you find in the grocery store?
Hi Jill,
Do you mean any brand? Yes any brand works!
This smells amazing! I made some for my mom and grandma for Mothers Day, and I am very excited about it!
Yeah! Thanks Sara- so glad you like it.
Do you need epsom salts
how long does this last ??? does it have a expiry time frame ?
Michelle,
I would go by the date on your powdered milk. I imagine the date is at least a year out although I tend to make bath products that are used within a few weeks or a few months at most. The essential oil fragrance will fade.
Hi !
I wanted to make some for gifts, does the powdered milk in them go bad ay point? Like how long can it last in a bottle?
Hi Haylee,
Powdered milk is intended to be shelf stable so just look for the expiration on the box you purchase and go from there. Most boxes probably have a year or more 😉
How many milk bottles can you fill with one recipe?
Tara, if I remember correctly I got 2 1/2 bottles from mine. You will have 3 cups total of mixture so you can always add the milk powder to your bottle and dump it back out to see exactly how many cups fill your specific bottle and adjust the recipe accordingly.
I love this idea! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I have a question, though. You stated that you could add honey. Do you just put it in with the dry mixture? If so, does it affect the way it pours out of the bottle?
How many bottles does this recipe yield? Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Perfect lavender milk bath. I used lavender epsom bath premixed. Very relaxing.
Thanks!
I made these for my Mom and sister as a gift for Christmas a couple years ago. They loved them, and whenever they run out they ask me to make more. I use lavender for my Mom and peppermint for my sister.
So happy to hear that Laura! Thank you for the comment. 🙂