Breast milk: an ancestral treasure with a thousand virtues… including for the skin
Mother’s milk is often referred to as white gold – and with good reason. Food of life, natural remedy, beauty ingredient… This precious liquid has accompanied humanity since time immemorial, well beyond breastfeeding. While its nutritional benefits are well known, we often forget that it is also a major ally for skin health and beauty.
An ancestral remedy used throughout the world
Since ancient times, breast milk has been used for medicinal, aesthetic and sometimes even spiritual purposes.
- Ancient Egypt: women applied breast milk to their eyes to treat conjunctivitis. Some mummies have been found to contain traces of treatment with human milk.
- Ancient Greece: mother’s milk was perceived as a divine substance. The Milky Way itself is said to have been born from a drop of milk escaping from the womb of Hera, the mother goddess.
- Ancient Rome: nannies were carefully selected not only to feed the children of the wealthy classes, but also for their milk, which was considered medicinal.
- In the European Middle Ages, breast milk was used to treat eye infections, war wounds and even skin rashes. Some monks even mentioned it in medical treatises.
- West Africa: in some cultures, breast milk is used to bless a child or purify a sacred object.
- Philippines: even today, some mothers use a few drops on insect bites or pimples to soothe itching.
- Peru and Bolivia: in the Andes, mother’s milk is considered a sacred fluid. Healers use it for protection rituals, especially for newborns.
- Traditional Japan: some writings from the Edo period contain skin care recipes for noblewomen, sometimes including breast milk mixed with fermented rice.
Amazing properties for the skin
What makes breast milk so effective is its composition:
- Antibodies (notably IgA) that protect against infection.
- Lactic acid, for gentle exfoliation.
- Essential fatty acids to nourish and strengthen the skin barrier.
- Enzymes and probiotics help balance skin flora.
As a result, it soothes redness, eczema, cradle cap and irritations associated with diapers or breastfeeding. But it can also be used on mom’s skin to moisturize, regenerate and even prevent certain imperfections.
Back to basics… modern and creative
Today, as part of a more natural, body-friendly approach, many mothers are rediscovering these uses and want to go further. Creating your own skincare products using breast milk means :
- Use a 100% natural, chemical-free ingredient.
- Making the most of every drop of this precious milk.
- Treat baby (and yourself) to tailor-made care.
It was with this idea in mind that I imagined simple DIY boxes, accessible to all:
- Le mother’s milk soap setThe Mother’s Milk Soap Set makes gentle soaps, perfect for sensitive skin.
- Le breast milk cream setTo create a nourishing and protective cream.
And to go even further, I share in my book “100 façons de sublimer ton lait maternel” (100 ways to enhance your breast milk) a multitude of ideas and recipes: lip balm, hair care products, soothing compresses, relaxing milk baths…
Your milk is a treasure
What you produce every day has immense value. By reappropriating ancient knowledge and creating personalized treatments, you reconnect with the power of your body. And you keep alive a universal tradition, rooted in cultures the world over.
What if every drop counted, beyond breastfeeding?
