/oss/taxonomy/term/1998/all en /oss/article/health-history/leave-donkey-milk-donkeys <p>Cleopatra supposedly took a daily bath in milk supplied by a herd of some 700 lactating donkeys. How she hit upon this idea isn’t known, but the legendary beauty may have been familiar Hippocrates’ recommendation that donkey milk was an effective treatment for fever, liver problems, joint pain and poisoning. If it was good for the inside, maybe it was good for the outside as well! Since donkeys don’t produce much milk, lots of lactating females are needed to fill a bathtub.</p> Tue, 05 May 2015 07:49:11 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2256 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere-you-asked/why-did-cleopatra-supposedly-bathe-sour-donkey-milk <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4336"><img alt="" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/03/milk-bath-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>To improve the appearance of her skin by reducing wrinkles. When milk sours, the milk sugar lactose is converted by bacteria into lactic acid. When alpha hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid, are applied to the skin they cause the surface layer to peel off, leaving new smoother blemish-free skin underneath. It is questionable whether sour milk has enough lactic acid to rejuvenate the skin, but modern cosmetics which contain at least 8% alpha hydroxyl acids can reduce minor wrinkles. A truly effective chemical peel, though, requires the application of irritants such as trichloroacetic acid or phenol to the skin by a physician. The corrosive effect causes burning and stinging for several minutes followed by reddening and peeling of the skin over the next few days. As this happens, new skin with a more youthful appearance forms. Chemical peeling is not a pleasant procedure and the unsightly scab formation can be psychologically disturbing. Most patients are not ready for public viewing for several weeks but in the end they tend to be satisfied with the results. <a href="/oss/why-did-cleopatra-supposedly-bathe-in-sour-donkey-milk/">Read more</a></p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:54:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1885 at /oss