Milk & honey: two of the most nourishing, soothing skin-care ingredients come straight from the breakfast table

Natural Health, Sept, 2005 by Olessa Pindak

MILK AND HONEY are the original comfort foods. Both are strongly associated with childhood (soupy bowl of Honey Smacks, anyone?) and with relaxation. A little warm milk is commonly sipped in the evening to promote sleep (this works, thanks to milk's tryptophan content), while honey is a sweet treat whether it's spread onto bread or stirred into tea.

As it turns out, this delicious duo comforts more than mind and soul. "Milk and honey are terrific in skin care because they're soothing and nourishing for the skin," explains Doris J. Day, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and author of Forget the Face-Lift. Both milk and honey have natural properties that help alleviate redness and calm irritated skin; both are hydrating; and both provide gentle, skin-renewing exfoliation.

No wonder so many beauty brands are creating products that feature these fabulous fluids. Here's our head-to-toe guide to the best of the batch.

the milky way

MILK CONTAINS LACTIC ACID, a gentle exfoliant, and is a good source of vitamins A and D, which nourish the complexion. Whole milk is such a powerful soother for dry, itchy skin that it can be used to take the sting out of minor bums and rashes. "Milk proteins [aka whey] are usually much more concentrated than even milk itself, making products with whey proteins very effective," says Day. Look for "lactic acid," "milk proteins," or "whey" on the label to make sure you get the good stuff.

(1) Skin Milk Shower Gel ($5; skinmilk.net) is enriched with hydrating milk proteins and vitamin E.

(2) Davies Gate Pink Grapefruit Warm Milk & Sugar Body Scrub ($20; daviesgate.com) warms as it's rubbed onto the body, sloughing off rough skin and promoting circulation.

(3) Archipelago Botanicals Oat Body Butter Milk ($20; spashoppe.com) is blended with shea butter, oat protein, and dried milk solids to hydrate extra dry skin.

(4) Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel ($50; bergdorfgoodman.com) exfoliates with papaya enzymes and contains lactic acid to brighten and energize dull skin.

(5) Hamadi Shea Rice Milk Conditioner ($23; hamadibeauty.com) combines shea butter and milk to deeply moisturize the hair.

(6) Fresh Milk Face Cleanser ($35; fresh.com) has soothing whey proteins to calm skin while cleansing it.

(7) Dove Fresh Radiance Anti-Aging Eye Cream ($11; at drugstores) combines milk proteins with protective antioxidants like pomegranate extract.

honey do's

HONEY IS A TIME-HONORED TREAT for both skin and hair. "It's one of the oldest moisturizers in the world," says Roslyn Griner, vice president for the bath and body division of Coty Beauty U.S., which recently launched a line of honey-based organic skin-care products under its Healing Garden label. Honey's unique texture holds the key to many of its benefits. "Because it's so thick, it's occlusive and locks moisture in," explains Day. It's also a great exfoliator.

(1) Zia Age-Defying Body Buff Normal/Dry ($15; zianatural.com) combines honey with brown sugar for extra-sweet sloughing.

(2) The Healing Garden Organics Wild Honey Body Scrub ($9; healinggarden.com) contains hydrating organic honey, and salt to help you scrub away dead skin.

(3) Propoline Shampoo for Sensitive Scalp ($15; apothia.com) is infused with rosemary water, oats, balsam, and honey.

(4) Bella Lucce Manuka Honey Drizzle ($28; bellalucce.com) combines New Zealand honey with citrus extracts to create a fragrant bathtime.

(5) Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm ($9; lush.com) tastes like white chocolate, and has beeswax and shea butter to protect lips.

(6) Bath Petals Greek Honey Mint Body Butter (530; bathpetals.com) is super-thick, and rich in shea and cocoa butters, coconut oil, and beeswax.

(7) Benefit "Honey ... Snap Out of It" Scrub ($23; benefit cosmetics.com), with honey, vitamin E, and crushed almonds, turns into a mask if left on for three minutes.