COSMOFACTORY

89 - Donkey Milk as a Signature Ingredient, featuring Woo & Joo Inc. Global Sales Manager Yoon Tak Ok
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Deanna: [00:00:00] This episode is about K beauty. It's about consumer appreciation for non-vegan skincare and body care ingredients. It's about formulating product and creating a brand around donkey milk, and it's about the history and efficacy of a luxury skincare ingredient. Today here on Cosmo Factory, I'll be speaking with Yoon Tak Ok Global Sales Manager at Yoo and Joo Inc.

Yoon. Welcome to CosmoFactory.

Yoon Tak Ok: Hi Deanna. Uh, it's my honor [00:01:00] to be on the CosmoFactory Podcast.

Deanna: Yeah, no, I'm so glad you're here, especially because there is a lot going on in beauty right now with milks and milk proteins. Uh, just as one example, CosmoFactory listeners will have heard my conversation with the team at Velos Bio back in November. That's a company that uses plants to produce Cains as cosmetic ingredients.

The company you work with, Yun brought donkeys into Korea and established a ranching operation. I'm hoping you can start by telling us about the Donkey Ranch. If we were visiting, what would we see? What would you want to show? The beauty industry.

Yoon Tak Ok: So if you visit our Donkey Ranch, you'll see a direct, uh, directly managed CareFirst farm operations designed to, uh, protect both the animals' wellbeing and the integrity of the raw materials. What we want the beauty industry, uh, to understand is that our donkey milk is not something that exists only on paper.

It is a fresh dunk milk obtained from our own farm. [00:02:00] Process through a carefully controlled system to ensure quality, safety, and consistency. We operate a structured care program throughout the, uh, lactation period in, uh, intentionally limiting daily milking volumes to register stress on the animals and preserve the nutritional volume.

The milk is then processed with, uh, within a short time window to maintain his freshness and bioactive properties. Um, so this far two formula approaches. Uh, the reason we developed the, the Dkm X are patented donkey milk complex instead of relying on imported like finished ingredients or powder donkey milk commonly, uh, commonly used in the industry.

So basically, our core ingredients comes directly from our own farm. And this commitment to origin care and traceability is not a marketing story. It is the, the heritage and foundation of our branch.

Deanna: Mm-hmm. No, and I appreciate hearing that because there are a lot of details in what you just shared that we might not always think about, um, [00:03:00] especially when it comes to animal derived ingredients. So that's, that's very important. I'm glad you, you shared so. Watch U and Ju Inc owns two different brands.

One is a skincare brand, uh, the other is what we would call a family brand. So this is products in multiple categories for people of all ages. Can you describe these two brands a bit more? What, what makes the formulations in one brand any different from those sold under the other brand?

Yoon Tak Ok: We do have the, the two different brands called the Sky Milk and also the Deer Auto. So the Sky Milk is a gentle family, safe skincare, and, uh, the living brand that began with the father's desire to help his, uh, child's extremely sensitive skin. The core idea is that the comfort first per uh, and uh, the performance.

Is a mild, uh, non-rotating, um, use experience with products designed to be used by kids through autos in the same household. And Sky Milk, uh, r and d focuses heavily on skin comfort, barrier care, and low rotation testing. And the line also [00:04:00] extends into living care, uh, such as, um, the fabric, um, the refreshers and, uh, even the, the, the longer detergent.

Deanna: So like home care products is, is I think, uh, the term I often hear. Yeah.

Yoon Tak Ok: Right. And the other one that Dear Auto, you saw originally we have came up with the idea of like, um, we had, uh, we've been receiving a lot of like, um, desires from our, uh, actual customer base asking that how about we, how about, uh, our company when to make the dedicated like products for the, the, the autos, not just for family.

So that's how we came up with the Deer Auto. And Deer Auto is a functional skincare brand. Built for the busy modern consumers, often like 30 cent sixties, who want the visible, reliable result with simple routines, especially around aging concerns, uh, radiance, uh, skin radiance, pore and elasticity. So it's more like, um, scopic is more towards the [00:05:00] protecting the skin for the kids and all for the entire family.

And their is their own is more for the, the. Active use, like a functional use for the skin, targeting the the daily concerns, their skin, skin troubles, and.

Deanna: Yeah, no, that makes good sense. You know, when we hear about donkey milk in beauty, we also expect to hear about Cleopatra. Um, of course, she ruled the Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 bc This is quite some time ago. I'm hoping that you can share insight into the traditions, wisdom, cultural knowledge that comes along with donkey milk as a cosmetic ingredient.

What has history taught us?

Yoon Tak Ok: Yeah. Uh, so historically in certain parts of the Europe donkey milk was often referred to as the white gold because, uh, Itali comes from a simple reality. The donkey milk could never be mass produced, and the daily yield is extremely limited, which means that, um, it was accessible only to a very small number of.[00:06:00]

Such as Cleopatra, and that rarely is well known even beyond the skin. Um, donkey milk has been used to product, uh, produce the worst, most expensive cheese recognized by the the Ness work records too. And this perception is also our appears invention with George like, um, in natural is his history by the plin, the elder.

I mentioned the, the belief associated with the Donkey Milk's ability to keep skin soft and well cared. Speakers such as, um, the, the, what we were mentioning about the Cle Patra are often linked to Don milk in longstanding stories and legends related to beauty. Um, so the, what we know is that, um, um, the Cle Patra used to have the, the large herd of the donkeys and when they're, when she's like traveling around, she used to bring the donkey, hers for her skincare.

Deanna: I love it. We often think about portable skincare products. Right. I love it. Just bring the herd. [00:07:00] That's amazing. Yeah, I want, I wanna think about contemporary science as well. If we sort of consider the question of product or ingredient benefits. I'm, I'm curious to know what clinical testing data shows us about donkey milk.

What are the most remarkable benefits of this ingredient?

Yoon Tak Ok: So from the, the skincare perspective, the most, uh, consistent benefit of don milk to the skin, comfort, hydration, and the barrier support. So, uh, from the recent studies, what we have like found out is that, um, the donkey milk case is more similar to the, the maternal milk, the, I would say it's human breast milk.

And it suggests that the donkey milk can help support more, um, even looking skin tone. And also it is so gentle because of the similarity to the, the per human breast milk regulating the, the melanin production at the, the, the core level. This points to a brightening supportive effect that does not really, really rely [00:08:00] on harsh exfoliation or the irritation too.

And also the research has shown that the suiting and the antiflammatory potentials of the donkey milk and also about the skin recovery and the ation process because, um, um, we are like, um. Uh, doing a lot of like studies with the, partnering with the, the Korean universities studying about the, the, how the donkey milk can like, um, act towards the, the actual skin bile.

And from there we also found out that, um, the donkey milk has, uh, one of the highest EGF of the Yeah. And the EGF is means like epidermal gold factor, which is a skin hill infected. So, so overall the, the most reliable takeaway is that, um, donkey milk works as a gentle, skin friendly ingredients that supports the hydration, comfort, and long-term skin balance.

And that's how I will [00:09:00] define it.

Deanna: Excellent. No, that's very helpful. Can you go ahead then and describe the, the mechanism of action or, or what you understand about the mechanism of action of this ingredient? I guess I really wanna know how does this work with skin biology?

I.

Yoon Tak Ok: So the donkey milk works with the skin from few simple, but uh, interconnected pathways. First, uh, it support the, the skin barrier. Healthy skin, um, depends on the steam barrier. And donkey milk helps maintain hydration and the comfort. Key factor in keeping the skin resilient, uh, over time. And the second one is that, um, the health, calm stress skin studies suggest that donkey milk can reduce the irritation and also inflammation related responses, which is why it is, uh, particularly suitable for sensitive skin or skin exposed to the environmental stresses.

It also plays a role, uh, in helping skin tone look more even. And I think this is the most, uh, one of the most like famous like, uh, the properties of the donkey milk. Most of [00:10:00] our like competi, uh, competition like products. It also shows that, um, the donkey milk creams are really, uh, works well for the, the skin brightening actions.

So rather than the relying on the aggressive actions, uh, the donkey milk, um, gently influenced melanin related processes. Supporting, uh, uh, brighter and more balanced skin appearances. So in addition, um, research points to benefits in skin recovery and the re reservation I also mentioned about the EGF. Um, so, so document contains the components related to the growth factor signaling, such as the EGF, which are widely associated with the skin repairs and the renewal once again.

Um. Epi growth factor. Uh, this helps explain its relevance, uh, in barrier focused skincare. Even as scientific research, um, continues to evolve. So, so overall, don't milk support the skin that by forcing the rapid changes, but by helping restore and [00:11:00] maintain the healthy skin like biology.

Deanna: No, that's, that's good. And I, I like that you said, you know, science and research continues. We always have more to learn and I, I think the. True even for, you know, a legacy ingredient such as this, um, it strikes me that both Sky Milk and Dear Onne could be designated really as what we think of as non-vegan brands, but also as K beauty brands.

My question for you here is how much do these two movements inform your product development, your marketing, or, or anything else going on at at u and j Inc.

Yoon Tak Ok: We always want to, I mean, we would love to follow the K beauty trends and, uh, some of the non-vegan movements. But, um, but the thing is that the most k beauty trends and the growing interest is, uh, non, uh, in the non-vegan beauty are like important movements in today's like, global market. But, um. We respect both, but we do not build our brands by reacting to the trends alone.[00:12:00]

So what, what we want to mention is, uh, what we want to focus is the heritage. So, KBD has, uh, influenced us primarily on the technical levels. Formulation, collect precision, texture, refinement, daily usability, and the expectation that, um, skincare should deliver visible result while remaining comfortable for long-term use.

In that sense, K beauty is a, um, foundation is not just like, uh, the fashion, but, uh, and also the non vegan movement, in our view, reflects a broader shift towards intent. Um, intentional choices in today's concierges are no longer searching for single universal standards. It's more they're looking for products, uh, products that genuinely suit their skin.

Values and the lifestyle. What we have like realized is that, um, there are so many brands around the world right there. There's, I think there's more than like 30 skincare products. And from those brands, um, [00:13:00] the customers are looking for the what, which product or which brand that suits them the most. Our core values that, um, built around the, the, the fresh don milk sourced directly from our own farm.

This means our products are not vegan by definition, and we are transparent about that one. And rather than positioning ourselves against any movement, we focus on the, in the ingredients in integrity, animal care, traceability, and the scientific formulation. So ultimately, um, we believe modern beauty is not about following the loudest trend.

About offering clear, honest choices and earning trust from the customers who share our perspective and values.

Deanna: Mm-hmm.

Yoon Tak Ok: And we wanted to keep in the Yeah.

Deanna: Excuse me. Go ahead. You can finish your thought.

Yoon Tak Ok: Uh, uh, yeah. So we want to just focus on what we believe is best for our company and also for the customers. And we're going to wait on, [00:14:00] um, we're going to see.

Find we're going to look for the consumers like who, um, who thinks that are going to them the best.

Deanna: Mm-hmm. Hearing you say that, um. You know, you're focused on transparency. You're focused on communicating how you care for the animals, how, um, you know, the ingredient obviously benefits the skin. That's, that's something everyone is focused on. But I think, um, that idea of really just sharing candid information is becoming so much more common as we think about, you know, traceability and transparency throughout the industry.

So it's, it's interesting to hear you speak to that. Um, it, it. Probably goes without saying. And, and you mentioned there are quite a number of, of brands in this space, but the two brands we're talking about today are not the only ones formulating with donkey milk. There are really too many to mention and certainly brands from several countries use this ingredient.

I, I would note however that. A number of brands using donkey milk as their hero ingredient are made in [00:15:00] Greece. You mentioned competitor brands, um, and this the importance of the benefit of, of skin brightening or even skin tone. I'm wondering if you can say more about your direct competitors, the type of brands that consumers might compare, sky Milk or Deere Oul too.

Are they necessarily donkey milk brands or are they more, are they in another sort of category or, or benefit class?

Yoon Tak Ok: I'll say the, the, the, the products that we have been like, um, finding in the, through the internet or through our research. Said, um, many of the companies are using, uh, the donkey milk as one of the, the ingredients for the certain product, for the skin brightening and so on. Yeah, so, so some donkey milk brands may be viewed as a category neighbors, but, uh, in real consumer behavior comparison usually happen by the problem and the need not by the ingredients alone. So the sky milk gum, and also for the deer onal, we do use the, the, [00:16:00] our patent ingredient called the DK max test, the antiinflammatory and also antioxidation skin brightening properties that we got.

Sky milk is most often compared with the gentle kids family skincare brands, and I think I also mentioned before as well. Um, so, and that the one is more often compared with the, the functional anti-aging, poor care and the other common skin problems. So while the donkey milk brands can be competitors are stronger, different, uh, the differentiation is that, um, the combination of the.

Directly farm fresh, um, donkey milk sourcing and patented DK mix complex that I've mentioned, and product level testing and ing by user needs. Because I mean, for each product that we develop, we intensively go through the whole, the clinical studies for, uh, we have like total 10 SKUs and for each SKUs we go through about three to four clinical studies and we [00:17:00] try to like, um.

Prove that the donkey milk is one of the, the key, I mean the, the main ingredients it can be compared to, yeah, to the PDR ends of the, or even for the niacinamide or even the other ingredients, I think.

Deanna: Yeah. No, that's, that's definitely, um. Interesting to think about competitors, but also, yeah, the, the, um, the clinical testing there again that you're doing. I'm curious to know if there are plans to launch additional brands or, or new products. You mentioned it's a relatively small product portfolio. Um, if there are future plans that you can share with us, I would love to hear that.

Yoon Tak Ok: Yeah, so we are working on, for the deal owner side, uh, we're trying to launch the, the mans line. Not just, uh, caring for the ladies and also for the, the face mask and the face miss that, um, the product that we were missing, we are trying to launch, I mean, was it this year? And even for the body lotion for the and Scott Milk side, we [00:18:00] believe that, that we have the, the full SK is ready just for, for the whole family care.

So not just like a bike, like expanding the SKUs, we're trying to, working on like getting the, um, the CPS ps done for the existing sunblock product and the renewal like processes going on for the sunblock cleansing tissue. I think, uh, in Asia these days is, um, the people are more focusing on to the, the, uh, the caring about the, the song blocks.

And also we saw that, um, I mean there's a, like growing demands about, um, how to properly like, um, cleanse the, the, the existing sunblocks on their skin, even for the kids or even for the autos. So sunblock cleansing tissue.

Deanna: Yeah. No, that's fantastic. It's a very interesting. What you just made about cleansing sun care, um, products off the skin, um, but in general, a lot of exciting developments it sounds like coming from your company. And I, I always love hearing about what's coming next. You know, it's, it's, it's no secret that I, I'm passionate about the entire [00:19:00] beauty industry, of course, But what listeners may not know is that I really like donkeys. Uh, so this was an especially fun interview for me. You and I thank you for being my guest here today on CosmoFactory.

Yoon Tak Ok: Yeah. Once again, it's my honor to be on here and.