by Tara Templeton, 2012 

my blog

     As estheticians and consumers, we have all heard marketing claims of the newest skincare products and ingredients; the esthetics industry wouldn't continue to grow without them.  But right now I want to explore an ingredient that’s been around for thousands of years, said to be used by one of the earliest beauty icons, Cleopatra.  Let’s talk milk; specifically, mare’s milk.  One of the biggest and most well-known marketing campaigns today is “got milk?”  Celebrities and athletes everywhere have starred in ads for this generic drink.  “Milk” has become a brand in itself.  Why so much hype?  Well for one thing, milk has been a building block for human life since women started having children.  All babies need milk (either breast milk or formula) for nourishment, to grow strong and healthy, develop immunities, and to help their growing bodily systems function properly.  This phenomenon has since expanded into skincare; humans can feed and nourish their skin with mare’s milk hoping for similar benefits. 

     For thousands of years, mare’s milk has been acclaimed for its skin-softening and revitalizing properties.  Supposedly the ancient beauty queen Cleopatra would bathe herself in mare’s milk as a luxurious treatment to leave her skin baby soft.  In 500 BC, Herodotus wrote about mare’s milk: “Nutrit, roberat, alerat” which means, “It nourishes, strengthens and gives new energy.”  Mare’s milk naturally contains lactic acid, which is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA).  The lactic acid helps to gently exfoliate the skin by stimulating cell-turnover, and also provides hydration by increasing the skin’s ability to retain water.  The pH of mare’s milk is close to that of the human body, so it helps to keep the skin balanced.  Mare’s milk inherently contains high volumes of vitamins C, A, K, B1, B6, and B12, and minerals magnesium, potassium, calcium, nitrogen, sodium, and phosphorous, which nourish and heal the skin, allowing the resurfacing process to run smoothly. 

     Interesting fact: mare’s milk is similar to human milk, unlike cow’s and goat’s milk because the digestive systems of these animals are different.  Animals such as goats, cows, sheep, and even llamas (among others) are considered “ruminants”.  This means that they chew and swallow their food, then regurgitate it to be chewed and broken down even more, constantly salivating to help digestion, exposing the “food” to more bacteria and causing fewer nutrients to be absorbed.   Horses and humans are not ruminants; we swallow our food once and let the nutrients absorb into our bodies almost immediately.  Mare’s milk is a pure and natural option for your skin, as opposed to cow’s or goat’s milk.  

     Mare’s milk can be valuable for any skin type.  Aging skin can benefit from mare’s milk because of the ingredient’s ability to stimulate collagen production and increase cell turnover.  This improves the skin’s texture and helps to reduce the signs of aging, like fine lines and age spots.  Skin-conscious men have become attracted to products containing mare’s milk.  Just one serum or cream containing this special ingredient can streamline a man’s skincare regime by providing daily exfoliation and hydration.  Rough, coarse skin can benefit from a product containing mare’s milk, as well as dry, sensitive, or irritated skin. 

     Babies need milk for proper growth and development, so why wouldn’t milk assist the skin in a similar way?  Mare’s milk is a skincare ingredient worth looking into… The numerous inherent vitamins and nutrients within mare’s milk nourish and revitalize the skin and the natural lactic acid contains built-in growth factor, helping the skin’s cells to properly regenerate.  Take your face one step closer to “baby skin” and try out a product with mare’s milk! (like Touché Beauty’s Revitalizing Serum) J