A simple spray-on thin lotion, Cake's Hydrating Moisture Milk is made for all-over-body moisturizing. You can use it after a bath or shower, or during the day to re-hydrate. It's gentle enough for daily use.

The unique ingredients including marshmallow extract, coconut oil and whole milk are designed to interact in a lively way with the dermis to sincerely hydrate you. It's also triclosan and paraben-free, which is good for those of you worried about such ingredients. The Moisture Milk does, however contain a couple eyebrow-raising ingredients. Take a look.

Ingredients.
*Water (aqua)

*Isopropyl Palmitate is a palm oil based emollient, moisturizer, thickening agent, and anti-static

*Caprylic/Capric Trigylceride is an oily liquid made from coconut oil. FDA approved as food-safe. It slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface. It is also used to alter the thickness of liquid products.

*Glycerin forms the backbone of triglycerides, and is chiefly produced by saponification of fats as a byproduct of soap-making. It is also a byproduct of the production of biodiesel.

*Glyceryl Stearate, acts as a lubricant on the skin’s surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. It also slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface. Glyceryl Stearate, and Glyceryl Stearate SE help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

*Polysorbate 20 helps other ingredients to dissolve in a solvent in which they would not normally dissolve. They also help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

*Fragrance (Parfum). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Regulation, the term “fragrance” on a product label signifies "any natural or synthetic substance or substances used solely to impart an odor to a cosmetic product.” The term 'fragance' is a blanket term used to refer to any number of chemicals used to create a scent in a product.
I found information to back up what I've heard through the grapevine on the harmful effects of 'fragance' here.

*Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) nourishes the skin with Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy. Read more about its origin and benefits here.

*Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Extract is used as a medicinal plant and ornamental plant. A confection made from the root since ancient Egyptian time evolved into today's marshmallow treat. Find more information here.

*Milk Lipid AKA milk-fat. Used as a skin-conditioning agent and emollient.

*Inulin Lauryl Carbamate is 100% natural emulsifier. Read more here.

*Xanthan Gum is a stabilizer used to prevent the ingredients from separating. Read more here.

*Phenoxyethanol I found some dirt on this ingredient. On this website it states that Japan and Europe have classified it as toxic due to concerns about damage to the immune system. In those places it is only used in low doses. Canada, where Cake is based out of, ruled those concerns unfounded. As phenoxyethanol is near the end of the ingredients list here, I'm sure it is being used only in small amounts. Still, one wonders.

*Caprylyl Glycol is used as a skin conditioning agent and has some antimicrobial properties.

*Sorbic Acid is a natural organic compound used as a food preservative. Also an antimicrobial agent.

*Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer This ingredient was tough to find information on. It appears to have not been properly evaluated by any particular FDA or otherwise affiliated group. On a scientific level, I did find the following information here: Pre-existing skin problems may be aggravated by prolonged or repeated contact.

*Sodium Hydroxide Wikipedia said this is "also known as lye and caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. It is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents and as a drain cleaner." Take that for what it's worth.

*Tetrasodium EDTA is decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product. It is also a penetration-enhancer, I'm guessing of the product into the dermis, for the purpose of moisturizing. Find information on the questionable nature of its safety here.

This lotion has the very consistency of skim milk, and the appearance of that as well. It sprays on thinly; one pump of the bottle on the back of the hand is plenty. It spreads even thinner, and goes from white to clear almost instantly. It feels rather silky between the fingers, as well as on the skin during application.

It is a bit sticky until it dries on the skin--about 10 minutes dry time are needed for the Hydrating Moisture Milk.

Alright, so I shouldn't have done it. But I licked my finger after applying this. (Kids, don't try this at home. Cake's body products are not for ingestion!)

It doesn't taste too bad, but is a tad bitter and reminiscent of soap. It lingers on the tongue for a long time, with an odd spiciness that makes me feel I've put something in my mouth that I shouldn't have.

The flavor is like the smell--spot-on the fragrance of Cupcake Dolls in the early 90's.





So yes, it has the smell of a child's doll. Artificial candy. Uber-sweetness. Sugar, again, artificial version. It has to be the 'fragrance' in Cake's lotion that's lending this completely off-putting scent to the Moisture Milk. My boyfriend put it appropriately, after I applied some before placing myself in close-quarters with him: "You smell like a 9-year-old."

Luckily, the smell is rather light. But it's still unpleasant.

One pump from the spray bottle is enough to cover about a 3" x 3" area, but the product doesn't do any deep moisturizing. It does leave a bit of drag on the skin, even an hour after application.

It does soak quickly and easily into the skin, which is a definitely plus. Hydrating Moisture Milk is simply too thin to do much deep-hydrating. The inclusion of coconut oil, shea butter and marshmallow do help it along, and add another star to my low rating. If it were thicker, certainly too thick to spray on, the claims of intense hydration would be more believable. As it is, however, Cake falls short with this body product.


Also, the inclusion of 'fragrance' in this can be an allergy concern for many.

Hydrating Moisture Milk comes in a 250 ml nicely-decorated plastic bottle. The bottle is recyclable, which is appreciated.

The bottle features a spray pump. A single pump of the cap releases a nickel-sized amount of the thin liquid. The bottle doesn't spray well when inverted, which is a drawback. The advantage of a pump cap is that you can apply the product more quickly and easily, covering a larger area quickly. You can also get hard-to-reach spots with a twist of the arm and a pump of the cap.

As about 10 pumps are needed per 2' x 4" area of skin (I'm using how many pumps were needed to apply accurate coverage to one arm) the lotion will last a while. With daily use, I'm guessing you've got a least a couple months in this bottle.

The back features a unique, artistically printed product description and ingredient list. Both are in French and English. The bottle features a color scheme of white, pink, and black, and is very feminine and light, just like the lotion. It's a rather attractive bottle.

I will not use this. I don't like the way it smells at all. It'd make a great gift for my 6-year-old cousin, but the bottle is so big and a bit hefty. Too hefty for a 6-year-old, that's for sure. Even if the smell was targeted for her age-group.