Soak away the dark nights with those glorious craft soaps created from unpasteurised Dorset cow’s milk, says Carol Burns

I feel not unlike Cleopatra - she may have soaked in bath’s full of asses milk - but she didn’t have these stunning artisan soaps created by Silton-based Emma Malleson.

Her moisturising range of soaps are gloriously chemical-free and made from unpasteurised Dorset cow’s milk. Emma uses milk from her farmer husband’s Jersey cross cows.

I’m loved up - or should that be lathered up for her lavendar milk soap, but I also covet the sweet orange and spearmint one... decisions, decisions!

Living on a dairy farm Emma had always dreamed of having a little cottage industry of her own that would fit around her already busy farm life. She discovered literature on milk soap making in a farming magazine and from there her business The Milk Soap Company was born in June 2013.

By using milk instead of distilled water to make her soaps, Emma adds to the quality of the product, making it more nourishing to the skin. Cleopatra was well-known for her love of bathing in the milk of the ass due to its anti-ageing properties. Now we can all take advantage without the tragic ending with the asp and lather up with Dorset cow’s milk.

You can buy these marvellous soaps on my new favourite website Elsie & Fleur which showcases a whole host of gorgeous things created with love by artisan crafters and makers based in the West Country. It’s aim is to offer people the chance to buy unusual, handmade, yet affordable items from the comfort of their own homes. Mission accomplished!

Find out more at elsieandfleur.co.uk

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