What could Cleopatra’s Secret be?

Some secrets are too good to keep!

Who hasn’t heard of Cleopatra? Not only did the Queen of Ancient Egypt shape her own era, but her story has endured over the centuries. She’s famed for her vast intellect and her sharp, strategic mind—and also her unparalleled beauty. Even her daily baths are legendary! So today, we’re sharing Cleopatra’s Secret with you: a milk bath recipe for soft, happy skin.

Although Cleopatra bathed in donkey milk, we decided to make our homemade milk baths with all-vegan ingredients for a beautifully scented, relaxing soak! We even concocted three different formulas, so whether you’re looking for something tender, reinvigorating, or ultra-relaxing, we’ve got you covered. We hope you enjoy Cleopatra’s Secret as much as we do!

Don’t worry, this little secret is one that you can share with everyone around you! In fact, these DIY milk baths make a great gift.

How to make milk baths

Ingredients

Romance

• 41.4 g (41.4%) arrowroot starch
• 28.6 g (28.6%) colloidal oatmeal
• 23.6 g (23.6%) white clay
• 4.3 g (4.3%) rose petals
• 1.4 g (1.4%) Bengal rose essential oil blend
• 0.7 g (0.7%) pink grapefruit essential oil

Refresh

• 41.4 g (41.4%) arrowroot starch
• 28.6 g (28.6%) colloidal oatmeal
• 23.6 g (23.6%) white clay
• 4.3 g (4.3%) nettle leaves
• 1.4 g (1.4%) Scotch pine essential oil
• 0.7 g (0.7%) sweet orange essential oil

Rest and Relaxation

• 41.4 g (41.4%) arrowroot starch
• 28.6 g (28.6%) colloidal oatmeal
• 23.6 g (23.6%) white clay
• 4.3 g (4.3%) calendula flowers
• 2.1 g (2.1%) honeysuckle aromatic essence

Tools

• 1 small stainless steel bowl
• 1 small silicone spatula
• 1 scale, accurate to 0.1 g
• 1 coffee grinder
• A few pipettes
• 1 ramekin
• A few spoons
• 1 hexagonal glass jar (190 ml)

Good to know!

• Arrowroot starch, like all starches, softens your skin. You can replace it with any other starch of your choosing.
• White clay has restorative and softening properties.
• Colloidal oatmeal leaves your skin very soft and has emollient properties.
• Rose petals are revitalizing and soothing, especially when reduced to a powder.
• Nettle provides remineralizing and revitalizing properties, thanks to its rich composition in trace elements and water-soluble vitamins—namely, vitamins A, C, and B.
• Calendula flowers have soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
• The Bengal rose essential oil blend smells like fresh roses, while pink grapefruit essential oil adds a slight, pleasantly tangy note. 
• The combination of Scotch pine and sweet orange melds a lively, woodsy scent with a sweetly invigorating citrus note. 
• The honeysuckle aromatic essence gives your milk bath a sweet, subtly floral scent.

Steps to follow

1. Prepare and disinfect your equipment and workspace.
2. Using a coffee grinder, reduce the dried plants (rose petals, nettle leaves, or calendula flowers) to a powder and pour into a small bowl.
3. Add the other powders to the bowl and mix together.
4. Weigh the scents in a ramekin and add them to the powders using a pipette. This helps evenly distribute the scent and prevent clumps from forming. Mix by hand until an even mixture is obtained. 
5. Transfer to a jar. Your DIY milk bath is ready!

Use and conservation

These milk baths are formulated for all skin types. 

To use, add at least ½ cup of powder to your bath water, though you can use more if you wish. Now you’re all set to enjoy a gentle, scented soak in the tub!

When made optimal sanitary conditions, these homemade milk baths will keep for at least six months.