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Organic donkey milk product: discovery of a French farm concerned with animal welfare
Donkey milk products have been a great success for several decades now. And when the milk comes from an organic farm located in France, it’s even better! Known for their benefits for sensitive skin, organic donkey milk products come in all forms. And to guarantee impeccable quality and ethics, a team from Le Secret Naturel visited its partner supplier. The goal: to better understand the issues surrounding this precious ingredient and ensure good living conditions for the animals.
Organic donkey milk products: ideal for dry and sensitive skin
A beauty ingredient beneficial for the skin Beauty products with donkey milk are particularly recommended if you have sensitive skin with a tendency to dryness (redness, eczema, etc.). The richness of donkey milk nourishes the skin, moisturizes it and soothes it in case of irritation and dehydration. Donkey milk has become an essential ingredient in the beauty sector. Rich in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and trace elements such as zinc, it gently regenerates, softens and protects the skin. It has been recognized since Antiquity for preserving the elasticity of the skin, softening it and preventing the appearance of wrinkles.
If you have dry and reactive skin, donkey milk is therefore an ingredient of choice to calm tightness, soften your skin and enhance your complexion. Organic donkey milk products are ideal for mature skin that tends to become increasingly dry with age. Oléanat: the best-selling cosmetic range If you have sensitive skin, you probably want to choose healthy, natural products without potentially dangerous ingredients. All this, without skimping on effectiveness. Created in 2010, some of the Oléanat donkey milk range of products have become essential. The soaps for washing the body and face are historically the most popular. A beauty cream and a cleansing foam, released in 2023, complete the range, now made up of 8 products.
This is the first organic donkey milk cleansing foam on the market. It gently removes impurities and cleanses without being harsh. This foam is perfectly suited to reactive skin since it is formulated without soap and with a hypoallergenic fragrance. Wheat floral water is used as a base for this foam, which is also formulated with aloe vera juice. The organic donkey milk face cream nourishes and soothes your skin while respecting its balance. It is also composed of Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil.
These organic donkey milk products are characterized by a delicate and 100% natural scent that contributes to its success. This perfume combines green and floral notes, with a white jasmine accord, a heart of peach and violet, and a warm vanilla trail.
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Organic donkey milk products from a farm in the Pyrenees
A precious ingredient of optimal quality The milk used in Oléanat cosmetics comes from a French farm located at the foot of the Pyrenees. This farm has been certified organic since 2011, so it is checked every year. This mountainous region and its steep slopes limit the presence of crops and therefore pesticides. The donkeys and their foals have free access to pasture throughout the year. They also have unlimited hay and organic food supplements in the form of pellets during the milking period.
This diet allows us to harvest milk rich in nutrients. It is then filtered, packaged, and then stored with care to avoid external contamination. Laboratory checks are carried out every quarter. The milk is then freeze-dried (reduced to powder) in order to preserve it and dose it as best as possible. Indeed, artisanal production of organic donkey milk products involves more production time than industrial production. In this context, it is therefore impossible to use fresh, defrosted milk, which is difficult to keep for several days. Donkeys as free as the air Part of the Secret Naturel team went to visit this farm to see the conditions in which the animals evolve. An interview with Nicolas, the breeder, is available on the Secret Naturel YouTube channel.
The farm brings together Pyrenean donkeys and grey donkeys with the Saint Andrew cross. They roam freely in 100 hectares of pasture. The herds are made up of female donkeys, foals and a few male donkeys, essential for reproduction. Mating occurs naturally and the gestation of a female donkey lasts 12 to 13 months. The foal is self-sufficient in food at 2 months. It can continue to drink milk until it is 1 ½ years old, but also feeds on grass, brambles, hay, etc. The milk collected comes exclusively from donkeys whose foals have been weaned. It is exclusively reserved for the creation of organic donkey milk products.
A certified organic French farm
Animal welfare, at the heart of concerns The 250 donkeys, donkeys and foals are separated into 2 herds. A first herd of donkeys with their foal under 2 months old lives freely. The second herd composed of donkeys and their foal over 2 months old (weaned) evolves in 50 hectares of pasture accessible via the milking building. Within the second herd, the donkeys and foals sleep in the milking building.
The weaned foals are separated from their mother during the night so that the donkeys can be milked in the morning. The donkey and her foal meet again during milking. They are identified by Velcro bracelets of the same color placed respectively on the leg of the donkey and her foal. Depending on the age of the foal, the separation is shorter in order to avoid any breast retention. Daily milking with the foal A donkey produces about 1 litre of milk per day. Milking takes place in the morning and lasts 5 to 10 minutes. The donkeys are accompanied by their foals who, by trying to suckle, stimulate lactation.
Once milking is done, the donkeys and foals enjoy the 50 hectares of pasture to which they have access. Just after milking, the milk is filtered using a "milk pass" funnel and then packaged in washed and sterilised cans before being frozen to -30°C to eliminate all bacteria. It is then freeze-dried (transformed into powder at low temperature) which makes it easier to dose. An essential format for making organic donkey milk products in an artisanal way. Freeze-drying also allows it to be stored for longer, without risk of contamination. Before 2023, Oléanat organic donkey milk products could be made from milk from the Azores, Italy or France.
But since the manufacture of donkey milk cosmetics has been fully integrated within the Secret Naturel laboratories, there is only one supplier and it is French. If you are looking for nourishing and vegan care, you can opt for formulas based on shea butter. The shea butter used in Oléanat cosmetics comes from fair partnerships. Shea processing is a source of income and emancipation for many women in Ghana or Burkina Faso.
