Serena Williams’ unusual beauty hack sparks debate

Tennis legend Serena Williams recently shared a surprising beauty tip on TikTok, leaving her 1.6 million followers intrigued and somewhat baffled. 

The 42-year-old mother of two, known for her groundbreaking achievements in sports, revealed that she used her breast milk to alleviate sunburn under her eyes, a remedy she claims to be effective.

Serena, who welcomed her second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August, candidly shared her unconventional approach to skincare in a video viewed over 47,000 times. 

Dressed casually in a black crop top and pants, she addressed her fans directly from her Los Angeles home. “So I completely got burned under my eye – don’t ask… I have sensitive skin. I was in the sun. Long story,” she explained.

In her quest for relief, Serena turned to a resource readily available to her – her breast milk. “Anyway, I’m trying some breast milk. It works for my kid. They say put breast milk on everything, and I have a lot of extra, so I’m going to try it for a week or so under my eye and see how it goes,” she said. 

After applying the milk, Serena noted, “I mean, it already feels better because it hurts.”

© TikTok

Promising to keep her followers updated, she playfully added in the caption, “Ok, is this totally weird??? I have to say after a week of using MY breast milk under my eye – it worked! I’m dying to hear your thoughts. Be nice, lol.”

The response from her audience varied, with one fan expressing affection but finding the information a bit too personal: “Serena, I love you so much but TMI…” Another follower, intrigued by the idea, shared their own remedy: “I’m so sorry. I’ve never heard this, genius! I always use honey for burns.” A third was surprised, commenting, “I was today years old. Didn’t know.”

© Getty Images

Serena, who married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian after meeting him in Rome in 2015, is also a mother to five-year-old Olympia. 

Her claim about the healing properties of breast milk finds support in research. Studies have shown that breast milk not only offers complete nutrition for newborns but also possesses natural antibacterial properties. 

© Instagram

This makes it a potential treatment for various skin issues, including cuts and scrapes, as highlighted in the 2019 paper titled “Milk Therapy: Unexpected Uses for Human Breast Milk.”

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