Simple Skin Care from the Land of Milk and Honey

by Christine Pressler, CA

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Enhance Your Complexion with Milk and Honey Skin Care

Coming out of the drier days of Winter we’re likely to notice the beating our skin has taken over the past season. It’s time to start a natural, moisturizing skin care routine! And since it’s St Patrick’s Day week, we’ll be using ingredients that celebrate Ireland, the Land of Milk and Honey.

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Ireland: The Land of Milk and Honey…and Oats, too

Honey: For centuries, beekeeping has been an important part of Irish history. In fact, the earliest legal code in Ireland, called the Brehon Law dating back to the 7th Century, dedicated 20 pages to bees, beekeeping, and honey!

Milk: Irish milk has an even longer history in Ireland, possibly dating back to 4000 BC!(1) And by the 4th Century, the worth of a piece of land was determined by how many cows it would support.(2) Milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt have historically been an important Irish pantry staple—mmmm, I love Irish butter!

Why are Irish milk products so rich and creamy? Ireland’s temperate climate is perfect for a long growing season, producing lush grazing pasture. And Irish cows enjoy outdoor pasture grazing for much of the year, which directly influences the quality of the milk they produce. Happy cows = superior milk!

Oats: The Irish have been sowing their oats for thousands of years. The original Celtic people brought oat seeds with them when they migrated from Europe around 500BC(3), and oats became a staple of the early Irish diet. Even today, some of the world’s best oats come from Ireland, where they benefit from the long, wet, growing season and mineral rich soil.

So, let’s use these three historically important Irish ingredients in two skin care products to incorporate into your skin care routine. Like magic, Oats with Milk and Honey will reveal that you are truly the “fairest of them all.”

⭐️Milk and Honey Face Mask Recipe

This gentle cleansing face mask removes surface impurities without stripping your skin of its natural oils while providing hydration and moisture. It’s safe for all skin types as part of a daily skin care routine.

• 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Whole Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon plain Whole Yogurt

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine Milk and Yogurt. Stir until uniform. Add the Honey. Stir until uniform.
2. Apply to your dry face with fingertips, avoiding the eye area. Massage using small circular motions for several minutes.
3. If desired, apply to your neck and décolleté, too.
4. Relax for 10-20 minutes.
5. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
6. Discard any leftovers.

A Bonus Irish Ingredient

For extra nourishing, massage a few drops of Rosehip Seed oil into your skin while it’s still damp.

Rosa canina, also known as the “dog rose,” is a 5-petaled species of rose common in Ireland. It creates the beautiful hedgerows covered white and pink flowers that are seen throughout Ireland.(4) Its hips are cold-pressed to produce the skin-nourishing rosehip seed oil.

⭐️Milk and Honey Skin Care Scrub Recipe

This recipe makes enough for face, neck, and décolleté—if you have very sensitive skin or rosacea, avoid using this scrub on your face. It’s great as part of a skin care routine for the rest of the body, too. For a full body scrub, double or triple the recipe below.

• 2 teaspoons Raw Honey
• 1 teaspoon Whole Milk
• 1 teaspoon Whole-Grain Oat flour/powdered Oats
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered Rose Petals

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Powdering Your Oats & Herbs

If you wish, you can powder the oats and dried rose petals yourself. I suggest using a dedicated herb coffee grinder, then pouring the powder through a small sieve to remove larger particles.

Use these powders right away or store them short-term in a tightly sealed jar to reduce exposure to moisture.

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine Milk and Honey. Stir until uniform. Add Oat flour/powdered Oats and Rose Petal powder, stirring until uniform.
2. Apply to dry skin using a gentle touch. Massage using small circular motions for several minutes.
3. If applying to your face, avoid the delicate eye area.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
5. Discard any leftovers.

About These Skin Care Ingredients & Some Substitutions

Each of these ingredients, especially milk and honey, have been used for centuries in skin care routines in cultures around the world.

Milk

Use whole milk, cream, or full-fat yogurt in these recipes. These are the most cleansing and nourishing of the percents.

Whole milk contains the most lactic acid, a gently exfoliator that removes dead skin cells to reveal a brighter, smoother complexion. Additionally, milk is rich in free-radical fighting antioxidant vitamin E and is a natural source skin soothing of vitamin A. Milk is also extra nourishing to sensitive skin, which is why cream is one of my “secret” skin care ingredients! (I love it in my Brown Sugar Scrub.)

For an extra boost of lactic acid, try buttermilk!

Want to go vegan? Try full-fat coconut milk instead.

Honey

Use raw local honey in these recipes. It’s the most nutritious and you support local small businesses!

Honey is one of Nature’s best humectants—it attracts moisture to the skin. When used in skin care, honey boosts the hydration of our skin, enhancing its softness. Honey is also rich in antioxidants which help combat the free-radicals responsible for skin aging.

Want to go vegan? Try glycerin instead.

Oats

When used in an overall skin care routine, oats can soften and smooth skin, head to toe. They have naturally anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to their skin soothing nature.

The gentlest oat for skin care is oat flour. I prefer to use whole-grain oat flour. If you want to powder your own oats, the first choice is steel-cut oats, as these are the least processed type of oat. However, rolled oats are fine, too.

💚Final Thought: The key to a milk and honey complexion is consistency. Incorporate these simple, cleansing, skin-nourishing blends as part of your regular skin care routine. Your skin will thank you!

Sláinte!

Mom’s Shopping List

Since I don’t use a lot of whole milk, I like to purchase small bottles from my local grocer so the milk or cream I use on my skin is the freshest it can be—without milking a cow, that is! I buy yogurt and oats from my grocer and oat flour from my grocer or Amazon.

I purchase honey from a couple of beekeepers in my area. Believe me, there’s a definite difference between raw local honey and basic store-bought honey. The color, aroma, and, of course, taste is absolutely superior. Look for a local honey seller using the National Honey Board’s tool (USA).

• Rosehip seed oil (Rosa spp):
  • Cliganic, organic (Direct and Amazon)
  • Plant Therapy, sustainable (Direct and Amazon).

• Whole-Grain Oat Flour (Avena sativa):
  • Bob’s Red Mill (on Amazon)
  • Or local grocer.

• Steel-Cut Oats (Avena sativa):
  • Anthony’s Goods, organic (on Amazon)
  • Or local grocer.

• Powdered Rose Petals (Rosa spp):
  • Anima Mundi Apothecary (on Amazon).

• Rose Petals (Rosa spp):
  • TooGood Botanics, organic (on Amazon)
  • Starwest Botanicals, organic (on Amazon).

• Looking for a grinder for your oats and herbs? This is the grinder I use (on Amazon).

• Need a fine mesh sieve for your skin care creations? This is the sieve I use (on Amazon).

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is for educational purposes only.
All recipes provided are for personal use and are not designed for re-sale or large-scale manufacturing.
Please consult your doctor, naturopath, herbal practitioner, or other qualified health professional for medical advice and before starting any herbal regimen, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have any existing medical conditions, or are taking any medications.

Chris P | Author, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator

Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)