I would say that 70 percent of my time in 2016 so far has been spent exhaustively searching for camel's milk. While Brooklyn may not have camels cluttering the streets, you would think that every health food store would be stocked up. I'm not super interested in drinking milk from a camel, but the beauty benefits of camel's milk made me relentlessly hunt down the best stuff I could find. Finally, thanks to Desert Farms, I was able to get my hands on some and start excitedly playing around with these milky DIY beauty recipes.
Not that it's a competition or anything, but camel's milk is higher in iron than cow's milk. It's naturally moisturizing while having the ability to improve the elasticity in our skin and loaded with vitamins C and B. According to XOVain, it contains lanolin, which is deeply moisturizing and absorbs additional moisture around it. Have you ever washed your face with a product that left your skin feeling slightly tight? Camel's milk is going to do the opposite because it is absorbing the natural moisture of the water into your skin! According to a report on NPR, the antibodies of camel's milk have been tested and showed improvement in acne cases, which makes sense since the soothing properties can treat inflamed skin.
You can be a total normal human and purchase some amazing pre-made skin and hair products with camel's milk or you can be a weirdo like myself and come up with some seriously soothing recipes. As always, I prefer to DIY so I can completely customize the end result to my specific skin needs.
Before making my own, though, I tried some amazing products from Desert Farms for inspiration.
Moroccan Lava and Camel's Milk Mask, $35, Desert Farms
I was delighted to try a new mask, even if it did require 15 minutes of my time to set. However, my face didn't feel dry while I was using it or after I rinsed it off, unlike other store bought masks I've tested. I've been using camel milk on my face at least once a day, so introducing the mask into the equation didn't yield any irritation. This mask is definitely worth the investment!
Lavender Camel Milk Soap, $7, Desert Farms
There are many reasons I gave up on soap, the biggest being that I found traditional formulas very drying on my skin, but the other reason is that even natural soaps seemed to make me more prone to yeast infections. I know I'm not alone in the sensitive-vagina front, so I have to let you in on this camel milk soap. It's incredibly gentle; I've used it for a week with absolutely zero irritation.
Feeling thoroughly inspired, I made some of my own products using the brand's pure camel milk.
1. Camel Milk Hair Rinse
Raw Camel Milk, $10, Desert Farms
Giving your hair a refreshing milk bath is as old as time, but once you've experienced a camel milk rinse, you'll be ditching those adorable cows for good. I found my camel milk rinse was moisturizing and left my hair feeling super shiny — a break from the usual matte look my afro-textured hair usually has. I followed up my rinse with a leave-in conditioner. A week later, my hair still felt incredibly soft.
2. Camel Milk & Oatmeal Exfoliate
I decided to substitute my usual coconut milk for camel milk in an old favorite exfoliate recipe of mine. I used 1/3 cup of plain, organic oatmeal, 3 tablespoons of camel's milk (you'll need to tweak these portions depending on the oatmeal you're using to form a thick paste). Next, I added a teaspoon of citric acid to preserve my mask and then I threw in a few dried rose petals for good measure. Blend your mask up and apply on damp, makeup-free skin for about five minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and apply a moisturizer.
3. Camel Milk & Rose Body Wash
Apparently, camel milk's antimicrobial properties make it a natural cleansing agent. That means that when you mix this potent milk with raw honey you've got yourself a gentle cleanser you can use on the regular. For my body wash, I used camel milk, rose water, raw honey, and a few drops of essential oils to make me smell and feel edible AF. Blend your ingredients together and store in a dark sealable container. I added citric acid, but I still feel more comfortable keeping my wash in the fridge so it doesn't go bad.
4. Camel Milk & Nutmeg Micro Wash
Another favorite recipe of mine is milk and nutmeg; it's super gentle, super easy, and super affordable. All the things we love about DIY recipes. Just use a teaspoon of nutmeg with your camel's milk and gently massage onto the face and neck for a very gentle exfoliating experience. Rinse with lukewarm water when you're silky smooth.
5. DIY Camel Milk Soap
Follow an easy soap-base tutorial or order a no-lye soap base online to add camel milk to a homemade soap recipe! Be sure to add some citric acid and essential oils to preserve the milk and as always, add flowers and your fave essential oils to make it your own. I used added fresh lavender buds, oatmeal, and camel milk to my own no-lye soap base.
Sorry cows. I'm officially a camel girl now.
Image: Kristin Collins Jackson (6)
