DIY Coconut Milk Bath Recipe

Not so long ago bathtime for me meant scrubbing my kid’s little fingers and toes. Now that my kids are a little older I get to enjoy a long(ish) soak in the tub again. This silky milk bath recipe is a great way to unwind and nourish the skin, plus it makes a great gift!

What’s in a Milk Bath?

You might have heard of milk baths before or even tried one yourself. Just like it sounds, it involves adding milk to warm bath water. It’s rumored that everyone from the Romans to Victorians, to Cleopatra herself indulged in milk baths for healthy skin. While there isn’t much scientific evidence done on milk baths in particular, we do know that there are plenty of health benefits to using milk on the skin.

You can certainly just add a few cups of milk to the bathwater, but most milk bath recipes also include other skin-nourishing ingredients. Some popular ingredients to add include baking soda, honey, herbs, or even sea salt.

Benefits of a Milk Bath

Which kind of milk you choose plays a role in what it does for your skin. You can use either powdered milk or fresh milk, but powdered works best for longer-term storage. Some different types of milk to use include:

• Whole milk (cow’s milk)
• Goat milk
• Buttermilk
• Coconut milk
• Oat milk

Cow and goat milk have protein, fats, and lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that helps to slough off dead skin cells. Soured milk, like buttermilk, does an even better job at exfoliating since it has higher levels of lactic acid. Coconut milk has healthy fats, including lauric acid, and minerals, like copper, iron, and magnesium.

Milk is moisturizing which makes it a great option to hydrate dry skin. It can also help soothe painful sunburns or itchy rashes (like poison ivy or skin conditions like psoriasis). It can be a gentle option for sensitive skin too. Just be sure to opt for non-dairy milk though if you’re sensitive to cow milk.