When you think of breastmilk, the first thing that comes to mind is baby food. So why or how would you use milk in any other way, right? Well, you’d be surprised at all of the ways you can use breast milk – from medicinal purposes to beauty and beyond.
Breastmilk is one of the most powerful yet natural substances we know of and it all has to do with it’s proteins that have infection-protection properties. So what’s breast milk made of? Nearly 60% of breastmilk is made of whey protein while the remaining 40% is made of casein. Alternatively, formula is made largely of casein, which is harder to digest.
With the perfect combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates, there really is nothing better for the health of your baby. It’s the antibodies, living cells, enzymes, and hormones that make breast milk ideal and these cannot be added to formula. Along with it’s anti-infective properties, it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help make it possible to use for more than just a source of food for infants.
Now we’re not suggesting you use up your baby’s daily supply of milk, but if you’re pumping and dumping, you can store the milk instead and use it for the ways we discuss below:
1. Get Rid Of Diaper Rash: 
Notice diaper rash or redness on your baby? You may run for the baby powder or rash cream…instead, opt for breastmilk which is a more natural and won’t cause any allergic reactions. If you notice any of the symptoms above, just place a couple of drops in the affected area and let dry before you put clothing or diaper back on.
2. Circumcision Healing:
If you want to help speed up the healing process, just apply breast milk to your baby’s circumcision. This is going to speed up the entire process and help prevent infections or allergic reactions to any other product.
3. Painful Feeding
Don’t get discouraged after you try breastfeeding your baby and it really hurts your nipples. This pain is temporary and you must remind yourself that it will eventually fade in a matter of days or sometimes a couple of weeks. After that period, you sort of just get used to it and it becomes quite routine to feed.
To help with the pain, you may turn to other balms and lotions to help your dry, cracked and sometimes bleeding nipples. Next time, try rubbing breastmilk in that area and you’ll start to soothe and repair the damages.
4. Eczema
You’re going to notice all sorts of things on your baby’s skin after he’s born. Eczema is something that will appear as patches of dry skin on your baby’s skin. It’s estimated that half of all infants are affected by atopic eczema, which causes red, itchy, swollen and cracked skin.
You may consider lotion as the first option because you’ve been so used to using it on your own dry skin. While some lotions may help, just be weary of the chemicals and fragrance which can lead to the problem getting worse. It may even irritate the skin and cause an allergic reaction. This is when breastmilk comes to the rescue with it’s natural moisturizing quality.
In a 2015 study published in the International Journal of Dermatology, breastmilk was deemed an equally effective treatment for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema, compared with hydrocortisone.
5. Eye infections
Believe it or not, it’s not uncommon for babies to get eye infections or what is also known as pink eye. Because their tear ducts have just developed, they can sometimes get blocked and develop infections. Of course doctors will recommend the use of antibiotics, but before you go down that path, you can try using breastmilk.
Here is a video of what a baby’s eye infection looks like:
Simply drop some breastmilk into the corner of each eye and let it’s natural antibodies help clear up the infection so your baby can go back to being his happy self.
6. Insect bites
You’ve just come home from a stroll and notice you’ve got pesky mosquito bites all over you and your baby… Don’t opt for any moisturizers or balms, just use a couple of drops of breastmilk will do the trick. Spread it on the areas where you and your baby have been bit and feel itchy. You’ll notice it’s soothing affects right away.
7. Ear Infections
Another tricky issue to deal with is if your baby develops ear infections. Here’s how you can spot it:
To help clear up the infection, drop a couple of drops into your baby’s ear canal only once a day until he get’s better. Not only safe and natural but you’re also avoiding antibiotics that would otherwise be needed.
Share And Inspire Others ❤️ Re-Pin This NOW! 👇
8. Relieve Itching
Breastmilk can be used to help relive and soothe itchy skin not only from mosquitos, but itching or all sorts. Even if your child gets chicken pox, just place a few drops of breastmilk on a cotton pad and apply gently to get relief on the skin and also kickstart the healing process with it’s antibodies.
9. Sore throat
While salt and water can work wonders to help with your sore throat, you can even try gargling or swirling some breastmilk around in your mouth speed up the recovery process. All of the antibodies in the milk help to reduce the infection.
10. Cradle cap
Cradle cap is a skin condition in babies that’s caused by excessive production of sebum, which can appear as a yellowish or brownish scales on top of your baby’s head.
To get rid of cradle cap, just apply breastmilk on your baby’s scalp 3 – 5 times a day. Leave it in until his next bath time, which is when you can wash it off.
11. Mouth Ulcers or Canker Sores
When mouth ulcers or canker sores strike, they can happen at anytime and they feel so uncomfortable that it would make you try anything to get some quick relief. Well, look no further. Breastmilk is the perfect topical that you can apply anywhere or even swirl in your mouth to treat the affected area. Do this 2 – 3 times a day until you notice the sore going away.
12. Leg Ulcers
Breastmilk not only works on mouth sores, but you can also use them on your leg ulcers by putting a couple of drops on a cotton pad and then dabbing the area. Let the breastmilk completely dry before you wrap any type of bandage over it.
13. Cold Sores
To get rid of cold sores quick, forget chapsticks and all the other temporary fixes. Dab a little breastmilk on your lips where the affected area is and let dry. Because of how natural and safe breastmilk is, you can repeat as often as possible. Slowly you’ll notice that the area will begin to dry and clear up.
14. Warts
While warts are a bit tougher to deal with, breastmilk’s natural antibodies can help to dry it up if you use it regularly. Just a couple of drops every time can do the trick.
15. Cancer Patients
This one may seem a little odd. Individuals who go through chemotherapy treatment typically experience nausea and the natural antibodies in your breastmilk help. When ingested, breastmilk can help aid in boosting a weakened immune system.
“There’s promising research that would indicate that in the future the solution for not only preventing cancer, but even treating and curing cancer might be in human milk,” said Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey.
You can read the full article “Fighting Cancer with Daughter’s Breastmilk?” to learn more.
16. Burn patients
We all know burns are painful and there are several treatments out there that can help heal your burns. But if you have nothing on hand, breastmilk is a perfect alternative to help heal and offer comfort from burns because it contains antibodies and fat which are ideal natural skin soothers. Breastmilk will also help in reducing the appearance of scarring.
17. Makeup removal
Instead of using harsh chemicals on your sensitive skin to remove makeup, next time try applying some breastmilk as a makeup remover. It is 100% safe, gentle on your skin, and it will never clog your pores. The secret in breastmilk is it’s antibacterial properties that help to keep your skin clear. You can apply the breastmilk directly onto your face with a cotton pad or chill it as a cold cream.
Breastmilk can also help to heal acne – especially helpful when you experience an influx of hormones during pregnancy. The key ingredient in breastmilk for acne is lauric acid, which is known to help treat and prevent acne from forming in the first place by fighting the bacteria on your face.
18. Puffy Eyes
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties of breastmilk, you can try dabbing a couple of drops of breastmilk onto a cotton ball and pat around your eyes. This will help to significantly reduce swelling and puffiness in the area. You’ll notice your puffy eyes begin to improve fairly quickly.
19. Sunburn
Breastmilk is perfect for when you’ve been out in the sun too long. It gently soothes your skin without drying it and can even work as well if not better than even aloe vera. Any discomfort will go away after applying just a few drops in the affected area.
20. Rosacea
While a lot of research hasn’t been conducted on how breastmilk can help treat Rosacea, there is some evidence from people who have used it and swear by it. The lauric acid and antibacterial properties can help to clear it up all naturally without the use of chemicals. Just gently rub the breastmilk onto your skin.
21. Dry cracked lips
Breastmilk is an incredible moisturizer. Whether you or your baby both have chapped lips, you can apply a couple of drops to your lips and watch them get soft and hydrated immediately.
22. Dry skin
If you dump and pump often, then save some of that breastmilk to use for your dry skin as it will go to work instantly to give you glowing skin – no matter where you use it on your body.
23. Soap
Breastmilk can be used in all sorts of soap recipes. While some doctors claim that while process of making the soap itself could destroy the beneficial ingredients, some swear by it and say it works wonders on their skin.
Check out “How To Make Cold Process Milk Soap” here to learn how you can make your own soap.
24. Ice cream
It may come to you as a surprise, but many chefs around the word have taken to breastmilk and have used it in various recipes such as breastmilk pops to breastmilk sherbet. The taste has been described as sweet so it’s no wonder why many people will even use it for pancakes, butter, yogurt, smoothies and even custard.
25. Teether Popsicles
For a quick and healthy treat for your little one, just freeze the breastmilk in your favorite plastic popsicle container. Use it anytime to help soothe pain or help with teething.
Here’s a simple teether popsicle recipe you can use below to make your own:
4 ounces of breastmilk
1/2 container baby food – any flavor
Pacifiers
Ice cube tray
Simply combine the breastmilk with the baby food and pour it into your ice cube trays. If you are using your baby’s pacifier, just put it into the individual ice cube bock. To keep it from getting contaminated, just place the tray into a freezer Ziplock bag and let it freeze for a couple of hours until it sets.
26. Mesh Feeder
When you want to give your baby a treat that they will think is too good to be true, you can make little ice blocks from your ice trays and place them inside a mesh feeder for your little one to bite on as they’re teething.
Here are some mesh feeders you can use.
27. Baby Food
To incorporate more nutrients into your baby’s food, try to mix in breastmilk to your baby food puree. It will also add a touch of sweetness to any meal.
28. Coffee Creamer
While this one is a little different, some people have taken to using breastmilk even in their coffee to get those extra nutrients and still get that little bit of sweetness without adding any more sugar.
29: Donate it
There are women out there struggling to produce breastmilk but unfortunately are unable to do so. A great use of your own stash is to donate it when possible. This helps tremendously to help those moms in need.
If you’re interested in knowing more about donating milk and where you can donate it, check out milkbank.org.
30. Jewelry
This one is obviously not for everyone. But some women choose to cherish their special time with baby by wearing a piece of jewelry with her milk from the time she fed her child.
Here is where you can order a breastmilk ring using your own breastmilk on Etsy starting at $60.
Breastmilk jewelry will often have accent stones or a centerpiece that is filled with a mother’s milk by solidifying the casein content artificially and creating a design in a mold. This kind of jewelry can run from $50 – $600
31. Hair Dye
You wouldn’t believe it, but if you ever get stains on your skin from getting your hair dyed, you can use breastmilk to remove the dye stain from your skin.
32. Bee Stings
If you or your baby ever get stung by a bee and you don’t have anything on hand, you can simply use your breastmilk on the affected area to help reduce the pain and swelling. Most of the inflammation should disappear in a day or two.
33. Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac
Poison ivy can be treated with breast milk and is as good a remedy as any Calamine lotion. To reduce itchiness and also to help heal sores or blisters, apply some breastmilk to the affected area.
34. Chicken Pox
We’ve all been there with the terrible case of the chicken pox when you were younger. It was no fun at all, but it could’ve helped to know about the wonders of breastmilk on those itchy red dots. Applying breastmilk to the affected area helps soothe your baby’s skin and helps with the healing process. The best thing about is that the breastmilk will help to reduce the appearance of scarring.
35. Insect Bites
From mosquitos to most other insect bites, breastmilk will help to relieve the discomfort and pain by soothing the affected area by dropping a few drops on it. If there is any pain persists for more than 1 to 2 days, you should consider contacting your healthcare provider to get a better diagnosis.
36. Plant Fertilizer
If you like growing veggies and your compost bin isn’t ready with composted materials, you can try breastmilk and you don’t have to buy that fancy prefab organic fertilizer! The proteins from the breastmilk helps make the soil nitrogen rich and this is great food for your veggies.
How to Make Breastmilk Plant Fertilizer: You can mixed 1 tbsp coffee grounds, 1 tbsp breast milk, and 4 tbsp water, and fertilize whatever you’d like with the mixture.
37. Contact Lens Solution
This may seem sort of odd but it’s really works. If you ever find yourself without contact solution, breastmilk will keep them clean and ready for use again.
38. Deodorant
As a natural alternative, you may want to consider using breastmilk for deodorant since it’s not very safe for you to use regular deodorant while you’re breastfeeding. This is because of the types of chemicals that are used to make the products, particularly aluminum, which is known to enter the blood stream and potentially taint the breastmilk. Many women swear by breastmilk for deodorant and say it works well on days that aren’t too demanding.
39. Lubricant
Trying to have sex after giving birth can cause anxiety for many women. You have to make sure you’re fully recovered, not in pain and hopefully your hormones are stable enough to feel sexual enough to engage. While you’re worried about all these things, you can worry about one less thing by choosing a natural lubricant compared to over the counter lubricants. In fact, some doctors even recommend using breastmilk.
40. Stuffy Nose
When you’re baby come’s down with a stuffy nose, you can turn to over the counter treatments or better yet try a natural alternative such as breastmilk. Just squirt a couple of drops into your baby’s nose while he’s laying down and watch the milk work it’s magic.
41. Homemade Cheese
This may sound a bit strange, but if you think about it, milk from all kinds of animals have been used to make milk such as cows, sheep and even goats. It turns out that breastmilk can be used if you’re up for a slightly sweeter cheese taste with all the benefits. There are even some renowned chefs such as Daniel Angerer who have used breastmilk to make cheese with success. Here is his recipe if you want to make your own breastmilk cheese.
42. Eye Discharge
Blocked tear ducts for newborns are definitely no fun and while the symptoms typically go away on their own, they can potentially lead to bigger issues such as infections or discharge if you don’t tend to it. Often times your doctor will tell you to gently massage the tear ducts to help loosen up the nasal passage that may be clogged. Other things you can do to alleviate this issue is using a damp wash cloth or soft cotton pads to keep the affected area clean to increase the speed of healing.
One really useful tip is to drop some breastmilk directly into your babies eyes a couple times a day until his eyes clear up. “If the baby has a bit of an eye infection or a goopy eye, it can help to clear that up,” says Esther Willms, a registered midwife at The Midwives’ Clinic of East York. “Usually, I just tell people to squirt it in, but if that seems weird, you can take a little eye dropper and have some expressed milk and draw it up in the eye dropper.”
43. Colds and Flu Immune Booster
When you’re feeling down and you don’t want to use over the counter medicine, a great alternative is to give your system a super boost full of antibodies by drinking breastmilk. It will speed up their recovery process and you’ll feel better sooner so you can get back to taking care of your baby.
44. Measles Cure
Just as you could use breastmilk for chicken pox, you can use it to treat and cure measles once and for all. Here is an article called “Measles antibodies in the breast milk of nursing mothers” where after the study was concluded they even recommend mothers in Nigeria to breast feed their infants to protect them against measles infection.
45. Stuffy Nose
There are quite a few ways to help your baby with a stuffy nose. Saline drops or breastmilk is your best bet when it comes to clearing your baby’s nose congestion. According to Dr. Meera Gupta of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, “The best way to relieve congestion in babies and infants is to use a combination of saline drops that are available over the counter and bulb suction.” You can try to lay your baby on his back and tilt back his chin. Carefully drop or spray two to three drops of saline or breastmilk into each nostril to help alleviate the symptoms.
Other things you can try are taking a steamy bath, running a cool humidifier, making sure that your baby is properly hydrated, as well as keeping him upright as much as possible.
46. Breastmilk Bath
If you find yourself pumping and dumping or have a stash of milk that you otherwise would have thrown away because it was tainted, you can usually salvage it and save it to use during bath time. Breastmilk is nutrient rich and is perfect to keep your baby’s skin looking healthy and to lock in moisture so it doesn’t get dry.
47. Stretch Marks
Here’s a secret tip! Applying freshly expressed breast milk on your stretch marks after your showers, and the color will go from bright red to dark burgundy in about a week.
48. Surface Cleaner
Only in the event that you don’t want to use chemicals to clean the surface of a specific area, you can use breastmilk and it will clean it right up without any streaks.
49. Irritated Neck, Arm and Groin Folds
You may notice that your baby’s neck appear red and irritated as well as in his arms and groin area and even some gunky looking stuff hidden in the folds. This can be treated by applying some breastmilk in the affected area and it will help the inflammation and heal any redness.
50. Disinfectant
If you have a scrape or a cut, you can apply a few drops of breastmilk to an open wound to disinfect it and allow to air dry. All of the antibodies will help to begin and speed up the healing process.
So there you have it! With all the things breastmilk can do, you’ll begin to wonder what it can’t do. I suppose that’s why people often refer to it as liquid gold.
If you enjoyed this article, check out these below to help you find your perfect bib or unique product that’s a must have for any new parent:
– 5 Best Baby Bibs That Solve Your Drool And Spit-Up Problems is an easy guide to help you find solutions to your baby’s drooling and spit-ups troubles.
– 5 Surprising Things New Moms Need For Their Baby will increase your confidence as parents by helping you discover unique products for your newborn baby.
As always, we’re here to help you relax and enjoy spending time with your baby instead of stressing out!