Cleopatra’s Soft Secret: Milk Baths

Throughout history, it has been widely written that Cleopatra bathed herself in milk baths almost every day. The Queen of Nile had the most radiant, soft and young skin and for this, she was known worldwide for her beauty. Today, Cleopatra is still the glowing icon that many women look up to for beauty tips. Even if it means digging in Egyptian BC history. Milk baths however haven’t just been used by Cleopatra. Elizabeth I of England and Elisabeth of Bavaria both have acclaimed the beautifying secret of bathing in milk.

Milk baths utilize lactic acid which dissolves the proteins holding together the dead skin cells and thus, exfoliates the skin. The rejuvenating baths help to exfoliate, soften and smooth the skin, accelerate the skin cell renewal and moisturize and relieve stress. What is crucial though is the use of fresh milk!

Making a milk bath at home is not a hard task and most importantly, it is a misconception that one needs to fill up the entire bathtub with fresh milk. You only need to pour a couple of cups of fresh milk into the tub as the warm water is filling. In general, two to three cups of milk is enough but you may use as much as you want. You may also use milk powder if you would like. For the honey, you may add one or two teaspoons to add fragrance and nutrients to the water. You can also add sea salts, which I love to do, and any other oils you like. You can also add petals and flowers in the tub for that extra sensual luxury and romantic appeal. Definitely worthy of a Queen!

Some people say that the milk baths leave their skin way too oily. You can use fat free milk instead. The oily skin just means that your skin got very moisturized which is a great thing because it cleansed better and you do not need to apply additional moisturizer after your bath.

As an alternative, you can always buy milk powder or milk bath products from beauty stores. Just make sure it is organic and fresh! You may find milk baths in many delicious flavours such as strawberries, vanilla, lavender and the yummy chocolate. I should also note that cleaning your bathtub is a bit inconvenient after your milk bath, but your baby soft skin is certainly worth it!

Natural Beauty: Secrets of the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water in the world. The minerals and salts are so dense that you can actually float on the surface of the sea without sinking - great news for non-swimmer like moi! The Dead Sea is also located at the lowest point on this planet at 400 meters below sea level, making it the closest body to the soul of Earth. For centuries, Queens and Kings have known about the magical secrets of the sea and have fought over the privilege of using beauty products made from its minerals and salts.

The Queen of Ancient Egypt, the legendary beauty Cleopatra was famous for her youthful skin and looks which stayed radiant and healthy even as her age progressed. Cleopatra loved the beauty products from the Dead Sea so much that she went to great expense to have cosmetic factories built on the shores of the sea. Their remains can still be seen today at Ein Bokek and Ein Gedi. Now, this is where I want to go!

The Dead Sea is considered a “natural spa.” It is not only famous for its age-defying, rejuvenating and purifying beauty wonders but it is also known to heal skin ailments like Psoriasis, Eczema, and Acne. There are spas located around the sea and people from all over the world come to this legendary place to experience its beautifying and healing powers.

Luckily for us, if we do not have the time to visit the sea, we can always count on the number of outstanding Dead Sea Cosmetics brands that offer a variety of beauty and spa products worldwide; from brands like SeaOra and Etre to the premium brands of AHAVA and Premier.

The ones that I use are Premier Dead Sea Cosmetics and my favorite product is the soap less gel Facial Cleanser with Micro Grains. It is enriched with essential therapeutic oils and Dead Sea minerals as it reduces irritation, and balances and purifies the skin. It is all natural and can be used every day on all skin types.

Premier also offer amazing face masks. The award winning Miracle Noir Mask is patented innovation! It is a firming mud mask, oxygen mask, purification mask and an exfoliating mask all in one. It contains powerful anti-oxidants, Dead Sea mud and minerals, liposome complex, oxygen and vitamins. And trust me when I say that this is truly miracle and from the first application your complexion becomes smoother and brighter! Note that this mask is not to be applied on irritated skin with pimples or acne.

But don’t worry, Premier offers the Problematic Skin Mask which feels just as soft and luxurious on the skin. It speeds up renewal and balances the skin from within. The mask is enriched with Dead Sea minerals mud, Musk Rose oil and Ginko biloba extract, natural beta carotene, and vitamins A and E.

Love Picks: Etre Nail Care Kit

Many people are shocked when they find out that I have never been to a manicurist in my life and yet I have long, healthy nails! My answer to that is we can completely take care of our nails by ourselves and get outstanding results as long as we use natural products. This is by far my favorite little secret to spoil my nails and give them literally a “shine.” Trust me, you nails really do shine when you are finished with the four easy steps and the shine lasts for a couple of weeks! Etre is a natural Dead Sea Cosmetics brand and you can be sure of its quality and effect. The Dead Sea was a favorite of Cleopatra’s and she even built a spa there to take advantage of its beauty effects all the time. More about the Dead Sea Cosmetics tomorrow, but now let’s look at the magical nail care kit.

The Etre Nail Care Kit is a complete manicure and pedicure kit to give your nails a healthy and natural looking shine. Whether you have short, bitten, or cracked nails, this is your best natural medicine to transform them and cure them completely. The kit comes with 4 sided Nail Buffer, Cuticle Oil, Shaping Nail File, Hand and Body Lotion and instructions.

Step 1 Buff your nails with the light black side (the solid black is for your toe nails) on the Nail Buffer. It is coated with Diamond Dust and cleanses your nail reducing discoloration and smoothing out the nail surface. Do this for about a couple of minutes.

Step 2 Polish the nail with the white side on the Buffer using a back and forth notion on each nail. Repeat this for about a minute. This helps to stimulate circulation and faster nail growth.

Step 3 Now this is where the magic happens! Use the grey side of the Buffer to give your nail a natural glossy shine. Rub it back and forth for about a minute or two, or until you see the shine. This grey side works with the natural oils in your nails which are similar to those found in your hair and skin.

Step 4 Now take the Cuticle Oil and nourish your nails and skin with two drops on each nail. This will strengthen and revive the cuticles as it is rich with lots of vitamins.

You can then rub the Hand and Body Lotion which is available in 4 scents. My favorite one is the Milk and Honey and I use it all the time for my body - it smells deliciously and leaves skin very soft. The lotions are enriched with Aloe Vera and Dead Sea minerals which are particularly high in Vitamin A and E.

Other helpful tips for nail care is to not use nail polish all the time and moisturize your hands and cuticles regularly. Keep away from harmful chemicals, tools and nail hardeners! Always strive to use natural products on your nails such as this one.

You can find Etre Nail Care Kit on amazon.com, Ebay and selected display stores. For more information, go to http://www.etrenails.com.

24-Karat Gold Spa Therapy

This is the ultimate luxury-spa therapy. Just like beauty-queen Cleopatra slept with a gold mask every night, today more luxurious spas are offering 24-karat gold treatments. Gold is known for its beautifying and healing properties. Not only did Cleopatra use pure gold to maintain her youthful skin, but in Ancient Rome gold was used to treat various skin problems.

Gold treatments today can be facial or for the full body, with the facial starting at around $175 for a sixty minute treatment. Be certain that gold has many benefits. Gold slows down collagen depletion to prevent sagging skin and stimulates cellular growth to regenerate healthy, firm skin cells. Gold reduces wrinkles, fines lines, and the appearance of sun damage. And its most famous benefit, the basis for Cleopatra’s beauty, gold fights off damaging radicals and keeps skin looking young and incredibly soft.

Unfortunately, the gold spa treatments are not as spread yet, but you can always do some home therapy on your own. You can buy a Gold Revitalizer that will deeply purify and moisturize your skin. Gold reaches even the deepest keratin layers, known also as the “barrier zone.” The revitalizer uses a Gold ion formula, which does not damage the skin as most peeling masks, but instead, moisturizes to the fullest. Your skin will be glowing, just like Cleopatra! The revitalizer is priced at $80 per 1.8 oz.