Benefits of milk powder for skin, this is why you need it

One of the oldest ingredients used in skincare is milk. Milk has been used by many including Cleopatra.

Cleopatra used it to achieve her amazing beauty and skin complexion. It is still used today in various skincare products and haircare products.

If you prefer, you can choose to use milk powder on your skin to deliver the essential nutrients and minerals.

If you want to know more about the benefits of milk powder for the skin keep reading

Benefits of milk powder for skin

What is milk powder

Milk powder is simply milk that has gone through the dehydration process. This process is done to preserve the milk and to give it a longer shelf life.

It is used in various food products because using regular milk will make the products too thin.

The milk powder, just like regular milk, has great nutritional value and the nutrients in it can greatly improve the health of your skin if you use the treatment consistently.

The nutritional elements that milk powder contains include  potassium, calcium, proteins, vitamin D, vitamin B6, iron and zinc

Benefits of milk powder for skin

Cleaning/exfoliating:

Milk powder is simply evaporated milk and the powder contains lactic acid. The lactic acid is naturally found in milk products and is great at exfoliating the skin.

Lactic acid is a chemical exfoliant, it will remove the dead skin cells from your face giving you a cleaner face free from dead skin cells.

Brightening:

The exfoliating properties of lactic acid helps to brighten the skin. Dead skin cells collect on your skin and create a barrier of dead skin cells.

This barrier gives you a dull and almost grey looking skin complexion

When you use lactic acid on your face the dead skin cells are removed and the newer fresher skin cells are exposed. These skin cells make your skin look brighter and more glowing

Keeps  you hydrated:

The lactic acid in the milk powder will also help to improve the skins natural moisture factor.

This results in more hydrated skin and this keeps your skin from becoming dry and scaly. Your skin becomes soft and moisturised after using milk powder.

Improve fine lines:

Because the lactic acid in milk powder helps with exfoliating this speeds up the cell turnover rate.

This, in turn, improves the rate that your skin produces collagen.

Collagen is what plums up the skin and maintains the youthful look, this prevents fine lines and wrinkles from forming.

Unclogs pores:

Because lactic acid is a chemical exfoliant it helps to unclog pores. Clogged pores develop when dead skin cells mix with excess sebum (the oil that your skin produces) and clog your pores.

Lactic acid breaks up the contents of the clog and this helps with blemishes such as blackheads, whiteheads and pimples.

Does milk powder lighten skin?

No milk powder does not lighten the skin but it can brighten it. The exfoliating process removes the layer of dead skin cells from your face.

This leaves you with smoother brighter skin but does not change the pigmentation of your skin to make your skin appear lighter.

In fact, if you try to use a harsh exfoliator on your skin this can actually cause patchy pigmentation and aggravated skin.

If you over-exfoliate you can develop post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

This is when your skin becomes itchy and uneven with many dark patches on the skin.

Over-exfoliating can also disturb the equilibrium of your skin and damage the moisture barrier resulting in dry skin.

If you have dark patches and want to lighten those areas you should see a dermatologist. They will find a safe way to lighten your dark patches using a technique that is tailored to your skin and its needs.

Benefits of milk powder for skin

Which milk powder is best for skin?

There are various milk powders that you can use on your skin. You need to choose the milk powder that will suit your skin and its needs.

There are a couple of milk powders you can choose from, they include cows milk, goat milk, buttermilk, camel milk, and coconut milk

Buttermilk powder:

This is a milk powder you can use if you have dry acne-prone skin. It cleans out the pores removing any clogs that cause acne and will leave you with softer radiant-looking skin.

This buttermilk powder is well-loved and widely used.

Camel milk powder:

This milk powder is harder to come by but is an excellent milk to use if you have sensitive and dry skin.

It gently sloughs off your dead skin cells as it contains lactic acid and lanolin. It also helps to maintain and promote the production of ceramides while gently cleansing the pores.

This camel milk powder is well-loved and widely used.

Goat milk powder:

If you have sensitive skin or a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema then this is a great milk powder for you to use.

It contains essential micronutrients that some other milk powders don’t have. These will go a long way in keeping your skin healthy and maintained.

It also boosts moisture as it has a high-fat content and is rich in fat molecules. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

This goat milk powder is well-loved and widely used.

Cow milk powder:

This milk powder is one of the easiest milk powders to find. It is great for oily and acne-prone skin.

The milk contains good amounts of lactic acid which help break up clogs in your pores and remove dead skin cells from your skin.

This milk powder also prevents the dead skin cells from mixing with the oil on your skin and causing acne, it also helps to get rid of current acne.

This cow milk powder is well-loved and widely used.

Coconut milk powder:

If you are a vegan or vegetarian and still would like to use a milk powder then you can. This milk powder is great for people who have dry skin as well as skin conditions such as acne and eczema.

It moisturises the skin bringing relief to your skin and skin conditions. It also contains a plethora of nutrients as well

This coconut milk powder is well-loved and widely used.

Can I apply milk on my face everyday?

Yes, you can apply milk on your face every day.

If you’re using a natural exfoliant on your face every day, like lactic acid in milk, you will get better skin in the long run.

Your skincare products, whether its a moisturiser, exfoliator, milk or anything else, will be more efficient if used daily.

Just as blemishes take days and weeks to form, your skin products also need some time to work on the skin. If you apply the milk to your skin every day you will see results sooner than you would have if  you used it inconsistently

Side effects of using milk powder

No product is 100 percent risk-free.

Many people won’t experience any adverse side effects after using milk powder on their skin but there are a couple of things you should look out for if you are using it and some things you should do before using powdered milk as a full-face treatment.

Sensitivity: Chemical exfoliants are more gentle on the skin than physical exfoliants but they can still give your skin some sensitivity.

When you exfoliate the dead skin cells from the top of your skin the newer fresher skin cells no longer have a protective barrier over them. These skin cells are more delicate and sensitive.

To protect these cells you need to protect your skin from the sun by using a good sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher or by wearing protective clothing like a hat and keeping out of the sun.

You could also choose to use powdered milk at night when there is no sun out.

The sensitivity can show up as redness, swelling, burning, itchy skin or dryness. If these symptoms don’t go away after a short period of time you should go ahead and see a doctor.

Before you use the milk powder on your entire skin you should test how it will react by doing a patch test.

To do a patch test simply apply the milk powder on a small area of your skin and leave it on for 24 hours to see how it reacts.

If no sensitivity occurs you can use the product on the rest of your skin.

That’s it for my article looking at the benefits of milk powder for skin. If you enjoyed it please share it.

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