Beauty Benefits of Buttermilk

Beauty benefits of Buttermilk and you don’t have to drink it!

by tamara

Cleopatra was known for her milk and honey baths and from what history reports, she was one beautiful babe.

There are many beauty benefits to buttermilk and luckily, we don’t have to drink it to reap them.  I remember my grandmother drinking cool, thick buttermilk at breakfast on the farm, and although I always turned my nose up at the sour taste and gamey smell;  I have to say that her skin glowed and she had a radiance about her that I just didn’t see in many women her age.
Besides being a natural pro-biotic, buttermilk is rich in lactic acid.  Lactic acid is found in many expensive beauty products and is one of the best facial peels that doctors choose for softening, brightening and exfoliating skin.  Because of it’s highly acidic and astringent nature, it treats age spots, freckles and even tightens skin.  Sound good yet?

Buttermilk is the liquid left over after butter is churned.  Contrary to popular belief, it’s not high in fat at all.  I like to keep a quart of it in my refrigerator,  yet powdered buttermilk works just as well; in fact it’s easier to make a facial mask with the powder since you can control the thickness of your paste.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to use buttermilk;
A cup of dried buttermilk in a hot bath for 15 minutes softens all of the rough spots.  I add 10 drops of lavender oil, light a few candles and check out completely….. re-emerging refreshed, soft and glowing.

A great remedy for dark spots on your face is to grind dried orange peel and combine with buttermilk to make a paste.  Apply daily and let it dry before washing it off.  After 30 days you should see quite a difference and without the use of harsh chemicals.
Treat sunburn with 5 TBS buttermilk and 2 TBS tomato juice.  Mix, apply for 30 minutes and rinse.  Not only will you feel cooler but the sting and redness will be relieved.
I often make a mask of buttermilk, banana, honey and avocado in my blender and apply to clean hair.  Wrap in a plastic shower cap, wrap a towel around that and relax for as long as you can…rinse and wowza will your hair shine!  No need to shampoo, the honey acts as a natural cleanser and rinses out surprisingly easy.

My all time favorite facial mask to use when I really want to glow is powdered buttermilk mixed with honey and egg.  The honey is moisturizing and exfoliating, while the eggs are naturally tightening.  With these 3 simple ingredients I can turn back time a few years for an evening out.
Buttermilk isn’t just for grannies anymore; if you’re not into the many health benefits of consuming it on the inside, you can still enjoy it’s gifts on the outside.
xo
~as always, most photos from freedigitalphotos.net.
Bath shell by Filomena Scalise, cow by federico stevanin, bath shot from www.angelfacebotanicals.blogspot.com, cleopatra eye from www.fi.edu/cle