‘I used my own breast milk as an acne treatment. Here’s what happened.’

As a breastfeeding mum, you’re enlightened very early on about the magical qualities your breast milk holds. 

And while you might be aware of the immunity-boosting, antibody-laden benefits of your breast milk for a sick bub (or yourself), there are some surprising natural uses you might not know about.

For example, some mums will attest that breast milk is a hack for conjunctivitis, an au naturale nipple cream, and even an ointment for those little face scratches (because no matter how much you cut a baby’s nails, they always manage to scratch themselves).

Yep. Pretty impressive.

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Knowing that breast milk contains antibacterial qualities, I wondered if it would work on an adult’s skin, too. 

More specifically, the skin of a postpartum mum who’s breaking out like a hormonal teenager going through puberty. Yay!

So, in the name of investigative journalism, I did it. I used my own breast milk on my face for three whole weeks in an attempt to see if it would help curb my breakouts and heal the acne scars I’ve accrued.

Here’s what happened.

The trial.

Okay, you’re probably wondering exactly how I used breast milk in my skin routine, yes?

Well, over the last three weeks I have been keeping a small stash of EBM (expressed breast milk) in the back of my fridge and using it over the course of three days. FYI: fresh breast milk can stay in the fridge for up to 72 hours before it spoils and the magic dies with it.

Image: Supplied.

I just reheated a small amount for each application (a little goes a long way.) 

I used it on my skin twice daily - morning and evening - after my usual toner. I would let it dry out on my face completely before applying my moisturiser.

The verdict.

After three weeks of trialling breast milk in my skincare routine, here are the before and after pictures of my skin.

Image: Supplied.

Image: Supplied.

Image: Supplied.

Let’s just say I wouldn’t be rushing to find your closest breastfeeding mum to do a dodgy alleyway deal with any time soon (and here I thought I may have found a unique way to make bank while on mat leave - I read somewhere that a breastfeeding mum sold her excess breast milk to a bodybuilder for $6k!).

Although this magic formula works wonders for my kids and you might see noticeable healing on those little face scratches within hours, for me it didn’t prevent further breakouts - nor did it help heal the acne scars I had. 

So, back to the drawing board to see how I can get that baby-smooth skin.

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Feature image: Instagram/@maggie.mcteggart and supplied.

This post is one person's experience and should not be considered medical advice.