Cream kefir makes a nourishing face cleanser, moisturizer, exfoliating mask and offers a wonderful boost to your overall skincare regimen. Combine it with lavender essential oil, or any other desired oil, and you’ll not only feel pampered you’ll get plenty of beneficial microbes in the process.
What makes dairy kefir so beneficial?
Each one of us carries a unique set of microbes on our skin. An imbalance in this microbial community can lead to all sorts of disorders such as psoriasis, acne, seborrhea. The more we are learning about this hidden garden of living organisms, the more we see the value in nurturing them as opposed to stripping them away with harsh chemicals. For more on this topic, see the website Skin Microbiome.
In addition to the 30 or more strains of probiotics, kefir is loaded with lactic acid, which is one of the alpha hydroxy acids. Many expensive skincare products contain AHAs because these acids, naturally derived from foods, increase blood flow to the skin helping to minimize fine lines and wrinkles. (see which foods contain AHAs here.)
To make cream kefir blend 1/4 cup homemade dairy kefir with 2 cups raw or store-bought cream (avoid ultra-pasteurized as it will not hold a culture as well.) Allow to ferment for 24-48 hours, stirring several times. (For more specific directions on making dairy kefir see this previous post.)
Directions for skin care:
Apply cream kefir directly to skin. You may wash it off or leave as is. The sour milk will continue to work its magic if you leave it on. Feel free to apply your regular moisturizer after kefir is applied.
No kefir available? Use store-bought or homemade yogurt instead.
Have you tried sour milk on your skin? I’d love to hear!
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I make water and milk kefir along with kombucha. After deaths in the family, I had repeated problems with strep throat and various flu, colds, sore throats, etc. until I just went months being sick, would be well for a week or two and then be sick for months all over again. I took all the dry probiotics and tried everything. I will say now that after making my own kefir, etc. I can get a few cold symptoms, that these disappear right away. I know that the probiotics are working.
That’s awesome, Kathy. I applaud your determination to find different options.
I’m new to the world of kefir and wanted to clarify if this recipe is made from cream or milk since you refer to it as cream? Thanks for your blog it has been helpful and educating! I am working to change my husband and I’s lifestyle and start our 9 month boy off the right way! My husband is type 1 diabetic as well so it was interesting to read how the changes in the family diet has effected your son positively!
Brittany,
For skin I like to use cream simply because of the fat content. Our skin LOVES good, healthy fats and oils. For consuming I use either milk or cream. Thanks for the encouragement! You’re smart to go down this road as a young family.
Hi there,
I live in South Africa and have started to give my 31 year old daughter the kefir whey to use as a toner on her acne prone skin.
She has found it to be very beneficial.
I put 2 drops of T-Tree oil in it and we keep it in the refrigerator. It lasts for more than a year without going off.
We use the curds, or cream cheese part as a skin mask and apply it over the eye area as well, it is excellent and leaves the skin soft and rejuvenated.
Greetings from South Africa
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Caromien! All the best to you and your daughter.
I make kefir at home with kefir grains, raw cow’s milk and a splash of cream, double fermentation. I drink a small amount daily and apply it to my face and skin like lotion after showering, the cheesy fragrance only lasts a few minutes!
Re: the addition of essential oils – e.g. tea tree E.O. – this is an antimicrobial – it will kill the beneficials in the kefir. There are two methods – fighting harmful microbes by killing them with alcohols, essential oils, soaps or keeping harmful microbes in balance with beneficial microbes as in kefir. Combining both methods cancels out the beneficial microbes.
That’s interesting, Mary. I appreciate you sharing that. I question whether the tea tree oil would eliminate all of the beneficial microbes as it still tests to be very fermented after blending the two. You raise a good point and it’s worth a true lab experiment to find out!
Thank you Mary, have also found this very interesting, as was just going to make a homemade cream by mixing kifer with avocado oil, and lavender oil.
Maybe rose petals would be better.
Hello,
I was interested in making the skin care Homemade cream kefir mixed with lavender moisturiser.
How long do you think this can be kept before going off and does it need to be refrigerated after,please.
Hi Dawn!
I just put several drops in the cream kefir and refrigerate for a couple of weeks. It seems to last just fine. I haven’t kept it for longer. I make enough for two weeks.
I make Skyr (Icelandic yogurt/cheese) at home, and it is I believe similarly high in probiotics as well as the alpha-hydroxy acids as the kefir. I eat this yogurt daily for its probiotic benefits (and protein) but lately have begun to run about a teaspoonful on my skin. I let it dry, then wipe it off with a warm washcloth. The results have amazed me: far fewer lines on this 45 year old skin, skin is very soft and exfoliated “dewy” I’d almost say. It even appears to have some bleaching abilities on sunspots -I’m a believer!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this, Noelle! This is great feedback.
I just started using kefir as a cleanser, face mask and added a drop of jojoba oil as moisturizer. Turned 62 and almost all the lines
Around the eyes, neck and lips almost disappeared. I am from South Africa and also take 3 glasses of kefir per day.
Thanks for sharing your experience Lorainne!
Can i make kefir body scrub? How would i do it? My son haves terrible acne on his back
Hmmm…maybe add some ground oatmeal to it…sure couldn’t hurt to try.
Thank you so much for this article! I especially like the comments afterwards and I also wonder about essential oils nullifying the probiotics in kefir. If you find anything out about this in particular please update so we can learn along. with you . 🙂
Ti tree oil, otherwise known as manuka oil, is a known antibacterial. Bees feed on the same bush to make manuka honey. This doesn’t mean that all essential oils have antibacterial properties.
Hi Andrea
I have started drinking Kefir every morning sometimes straight or with some honey and berries I have started to put the residue from the jar on my face every morning or leave on overnight I am interested to make,a face cream will try with lavender but wondered what you mean by raw cream to add to Keffir
Can you use thickened cream please advise?
Thankyou
Leanne
I think raw cream or even pasteurized cream works the best. Simply ferment the cream and add essential oil and it should work fine.
Hi, I would like to make a lotion with kefir cream…if I added Shea butter and some essential oils, do you think this would harm the bacteria of the kefir… So I have to store it in the fridge or would it be OK in a dark corner.?
As long as you don’t melt the shea butter with the kefir which might kill some of the beneficial probiotics.
Hello! I’m thinking of doing my own face cream. The ingredients I am going to put is: Chea butter, jojoba oil, carrots sead oil and kefir whey. Do you think it’s a good idea with the whey? How long this cream could last? The oils are preservatives for the whey. Thank you in advance
I’m not sure! It’s worth a try. I would definitely keep it refrigerated.
Hello,
I have just followed the instructions to make the kefir cream. It is now fermenting.
What happens next?
Do you add essential oils?
Do you put it in small jars?
Do you keep it in the fridg?
I am very new at this and would like some answers plese.
I make my own kefir and realise that I need to make much more.
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, you definitely keep it in the fridge in whatever size container(s) you would like. Add essential oils once it’s fermented.
Thanks Andrea.
I guess the fermentation process happens on the bench and not in the refrigerator?
How long does the cream last once in jars, and refrigerated?
Appreciate your help.
Muriel
Yes, it’s fermented at room temperature and preserved in the fridge. Not sure how long it lasts!