Cleopatra’s bath — and the milk that resembles human milk more than any other.

What is donkey milk?

Donkey milk is rare: a jenny gives barely a litre a day, and only while nursing her foal. In composition it is the closest to human breast milk — low in fat and casein, rich in lactose, whey proteins, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and trace elements. Hippocrates recommended it, Cleopatra and Poppaea are said to have bathed in it, and in 19th-century France it was given to infants who could not be breastfed.

What are the benefits of donkey milk?

Its particular feature is its high content of lysozyme and lactoferrin, natural proteins with a protective action, and of essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. On the skin it:

• Helps maintain the natural barrier (omega fatty acids)
• Hydrates and gently exfoliates (lactic acid)
• Nourishes with vitamins and trace elements
• Is extremely mild and well tolerated
• Gives a soft, creamy lather

For which skin?

Because of its mildness it is considered one of the most suitable natural ingredients for sensitive, dry and mature skin, and for the face — where other milks may be too rich.

Where does it come from?

The largest donkey dairies are in Italy, France, Cyprus and Greece, where the donkey was for centuries the animal of everyday life in villages and on islands.