Donkey Milk’s History

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Donkeys belong to the Equidae family,

which also includes horses and

zebras. Various breeds of

domesticated donkeys live all over

the world, and like many other

mammals, female donkeys, known

as jennies, have been raised for

thousands of years for their milk.

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Donkey milk may sound like a trendy

newcomer to the cosmetic market,

but in reality, it has been around for

thousands of years.  Egyptian Queen

Cleopatra used to bathe in donkey’s

milk to keep her skin soft. Poppaea and Messalina knew about its youth-giving properties. Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, is reported to have used donkey milk for skincare.  Hippocrates was the first to write of the medicinal virtues of donkey milk and reportedly he used it as a treatment for arthritis, coughs, and wounds.   Pliny the Elder in his encyclopedic work, Naturalis Historia, wrote extensively about its health benefits, but it wasn't until the Renaissance that the first real scientific consideration was given to donkey milk. Subsequently, the Comte de Buffon mentions the benefits of donkey milk in his Histoire Naturelle. 

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