IT’S BEEN said that Mark Antony was so stunned by the beauty of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt that he forgot about his wife Octavia back in Rome. Among the so-called beauty secrets of Cleopatra was her supple skin and radiant complexion, aided by bathing regularly in milk from 700 donkeys.
Not just an old wives tale or myth, milk baths and their benefits do have scientific basis. Dermatologists say milk is good for “moisturizing dry skin, skin whitening, repairing aged skin, calming sensitive skin, soothing sunburn…,” among others (https://bit.ly/2rn9Gqm).
That’s because milk contains lactic acid, which belongs to a family of acids called alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). “In lower percentages, lactic acid has a moisturizing effect, reducing transepidermal water loss through the increased production of the skin’s natural fats and oils…. In higher concentrations, lactic acid can gently break down the ‘glue-like’ bonds between epidermal cells, creating an exfoliating effect on the skin’s surface…” (https://bit.ly/2pHjlvK).
In honor of Cleopatra’s time-honored beauty secret, Mandala Spa & Resort Villas in Boracay has created “Cleopatra’s Milk Bath”, a ritual that allows one to luxuriate for about 25 minutes, in a tub of milk, plumeria flowers, rose oil, virgin coconut oil, all-spice, cinnamon, honey and pearl powder.
It was the perfect remedy for my sunburned skin. Yes, once more, this beach princess stayed too long under the noonday sun (stupid, stupid!), exchanging stories with the familia while wading in the waters off Boracay. The chitchat was too engaging, so despite the sunblock I had slathered on generously before going for a swim, I turned scarlet. Even my eyes, I noticed later, were blood shot. I swear I was glowing red all over; a heat-seeking missile would have zeroed in on me even in a crowd.
As I eased into my milk bath, assisted by my therapist Jezzah, the warm lactose-filled water engulfed me, inviting me to forget my worries. The milk was gentle on my skin and as the pink plumerias floated serenely on the water surface, I closed my eyes and leaned back, resting the back of my head on the tub’s edge. I did my yoga breathing exercises—inhaling through my nose (at the count of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), then exhaling again through my nose (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
This helped me slide into a state of semiconscious meditation, thinking of nothing, but still half-aware of my surroundings. The tinkling ambient music with whistling bird calls pushed me further back into relaxation, as I felt the light cool breeze of the late summer afternoon find its way into the bathroom to caress my face.
All too often, in our rush to get to work, juggle a thousand and one meetings or projects, or do household chores, our response has been to take quick showers to prepare for the day’s conquests or to wash away the day’s stresses when we get home.
Long ritual baths, however, can help not only in keeping us clean but also in recharging us, giving us the positivity that we need to carry on our life’s work, whatever it may be.
“Thirty minutes of relaxation, or however long it’s going to be, can profoundly affect how you’re going to deal with the rest of your day,” says Dr. Michael R. Irwin, director of UCLA’s Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and the Mindful Awareness Research Center, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2014. “When you become present in the moment, a profound relaxation occurs. It actually resets your physiology, regulates some stress hormones, helps with concentration and reduces tension,” he adds (https://lat.ms/2pV1qgf ).
A nice touch was the small tray with chunks of ice, which I proceeded to pat on my equally sunburnt face, and slices of cucumber to put on my eyes as I continued to lay still in relative silence. On the side, there was a chilled glass of mango milk shake—yum! So healthy and rich in vitamins.
After 25 minutes or so, I got up from my bath, feeling refreshed and with my skin soft and supple, walked into the shower to wash away the milk and the oils that may have clung to my body.
I then had Mandala’s Asian Signature Massage, which employs the principles of acupressure, with the therapist using cross fiber strokes and gentle stretches. It’s like a combination of the spa’s Signature Massage and the Deep Tissue Massage, and designed for deep relaxation and to relieve physical and emotional blockages, aiding one’s body into equilibrium.
And soon enough, I was snoring away as I submitted myself to Jezzah’s expert kneading of my tired muscles. The acupressure points she focused on were primarily on my shoulders and above the buttocks because, she explained later, these are the points where most of us busy people feel pain the most. I was amazed she was even able to relieve the nagging crick on the right side of my neck—possibly a pinched nerve from an incorrect sleeping position—and pain on the right shoulder blade that had been bothering me for weeks.
(Ahhh…this was the life, I foggily thought. Queen Cleo never had it so good. Every day of this and I’d have a slew of my own Mark Antonys banging on my door. Hahaha.)
Alas, my period of reverie was over—much too soon! I thought. But I was grateful for those two hours which nourished my body and helped tweak my mood—bitching and cranky as I was the last two days because of my torched, tortured existence—into a joyful, well-relaxed, radiant queen, ready to rule her loyal subjects. Hahaha.
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Mandala Spa and Resort Villas is the Philippines’s leading spa resort in the World Travel Awards for 2015-2016. For inquiries on its treatments and holidays, visit https://bit.ly/1Uf02Si.
Image credits: Freida Dario-Santiago