DAIRY QUEEN

The legacy of Cleopatra, the last Egyptian royal, has spanned medieval literature, Renaissance art, Victorian popular culture and Hollywood film. Legends of her beauty routine are still discussed today, although they are steeped in much speculation. Many historical sources cite her having bathed in goat or donkey milk to maintain a clear complexion, although some historians believe it was the Roman Empress Poppaea who set the trend, after Cleopatra’s death.

Either way, the practice has scientific legitimacy, as milk contains lactic acid which exfoliates, and fats which moisturise. These benefits have been discussed for as long ago as Pliny the Elder, who wrote in his Natural History, “It is generally believed that ass milk effaces wrinkles in the face, renders the skin more delicate, and preserves its whiteness: and it is a well-known fact, that some women are in the habit of washing their face with it seven times daily, strictly observing that number.” Today, milk continues to be a popular ingredient in cleansers, serums, masks and creams for these precise properties.