Natural beauty treatments have always been a pulling factor of spas and well-known beauty establishment. If don't have the luxury of getting a beauty treatment at a spa, here are some easy beauty treatments using milk that you can try out at home:

• Suffering from sensitive skin? Apply some cream or buttermilk and let it dry for a few minutes. Wash it off using a soap-free cleanser. You'll be amazed by the results.
• Want to indulge in a milk bath? All you need is instant milk powder, some sea salt (this acts as a natural body scrub and is a great exfoliater) and a tub of warm water. For an extra moisturizing effect, add a few drops of almond oil. To add to the mood, burn some aromatic candles and switch on some light jazz and you can be guaranteed of a pleasurable evening.
• To minimize large, open pores and lighten the skin on the face and neck, apply sour cream on these areas. Leave it on for about 15 minutes and then thoroughly cleanse your face. You will be able to see the difference almost immediately.
• You can also make facial masks with milk. These masks can work wonders in refining aging skin, reducing blemishes and age spots and to get rid of the impurities that make the skin dull and flaky. Here are some tried and tested recipes:

For oily skin

Mix an equal amount of grinded coffee seeds and milk powder with rose water to produce a paste. Place the paste on your face (avoiding the eye areas) for at least 15 minutes before rinsing it off. The paste, which is rich in proteins, take away impurities like blackheads and the whiteheads, leaving your skin soft and glowing.

For dry skin

Mash a banana with a fork and mix it with milk powder to produce a thick paste. Apply it on the face and leave it on for 20 minutes or until it starts to get a little dry. Rinse thoroughly.

For normal skin

Mix honey and milk powder until they form a paste. Slather the paste on your face and wash it off after 15 minutes. The honey-milk potion soothes the skin and gives it that added moisture it needs.

Women have always been experts when it comes to beauty treatments. Whether it is inborn or nurtured, it is obvious from history that women then and now have always put beauty as top priority in their everyday living. Way back, women used natural products like fruits, flowers and even mud on their faces and skin as a daily beauty ritual. These rituals are fast making a comeback with the use of fruit essences, seaweed, mud and other natural products in our modern beauty treatments.

The use of milk in beauty products. From preventing the bone-crippling disease osteoporosis, to playing an active role in the production of gourmet cheeses, milk is one of Mother Nature's greatest gift to mankind. Cleopatra, the Queen of the Nile was known to have indulged in milk baths, which she claimed was responsible for keeping her skin smooth and fair. Along with other beauty rituals, soaking in camel's milk was the one beauty treatment she could not live without.

Milk contains lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid that reverses the skin's ageing process. It has an exfoliating effect and it removes dead skin calls that clog pores, thus making the skin soft and supple. Lactic acid also contains lactokine, a fluid vital in maintaining an even, fair tone.

The benefits of using milk-based products are staggering. From having a whitening effect on the skin tone or removing impurities, many cosmetic companies are now coming up with milk-based products. Milk is good for relieving skin irritations, calming allergic reactions and it also helps soothe baby rash as well as eczema. Because it is so gentle, even babies can enjoy a milk bath.