Famous for her smooth-as-satin skin (despite living in the sunbaked desert), Cleopatra is said to have bathed in milk, which contains lactic acid, a gentle exfoliator and skin softener.
It is also believed she moisturized her skin with raw honey. Sticky, for sure, but honey “supports the skin-renewal process, can strengthen collagen in skin, and is a natural skin softener and cleanser,” says Betty Bellman, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Miami. To steal Cleopatra’s beauty secret, makeup artist Shalini Vadhera, author of Passport to Beauty (St. Martin’s Griffin, www.amazon.com, $15), recommends adding two cups of powdered milk to your bath water before you step into the tub.