Au lait, au lait

THE best ingredients in beauty products can be everyday ones: olive oil is excellent for dry skin; egg whites turn a good trick in your hair (despite being gross to use); and milk’s brilliance is nothing new.

When people had to construct beauty products from whatever they had to hand, milk was the ingredient of choice for chi chi ladies. Cleopatra famously bathed in asses milk to soften her skin. These days, you can fancy up your own bath by adding fresh or powdered milk, along with a couple of drops of an essential oil for fragrance. The proteins in the milk soften, calm and hydrate the skin. If you like creating a home spa element, then add in a few rose petals for effect, and a heated bathrobe, and throw in a scented candle for fun.

If you’re not into DIY, then there are loads of products that take the essence of what’s great about milk and make it extra special. Elemis skin-nourishing milk bath, €46.75, is one of the better known milk beauty products on the market. You get the effect of a milk bath (ie, a bath that looks milky) with an award-winning formula that’s packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids.