Donkeys & Co

Donkey's milk and its virtues

Known for a long time, donkey milk is used in cosmetics and beauty for its eternal youthful properties. It is not for nothing that the famous Cleopatra bathed in donkey milk. It is said that she owned a herd of 300 donkeys only to satisfy her thirst for beauty!

In antiquity, the virtues of donkey milk were already well known. Hippocrates, a Greek doctor, already recommended him to his patients for all sorts of ailments (scars, wounds, poisoning, joint diseases, ...). On the side of the Romans, we find the donkey milk in the field of beauty but also as a luxury drink! In Pompeii, donkey milk was used as a treatment for the skin.

Later Pauline, sister of Napoleon, uses donkey milk for her skin care. This milk will also replace breast milk in orphanages until it is forgotten.

The Donkeys & Co brand



Donkeys & Co is a brand of cosmetics and soaps made from donkey milk. It is Christophe Gauquelin, passionate about the sea and the nature and, in love with the beautiful work that decides to develop an original range of sophisticated products based on donkey milk. Former merchant navy captain, he decides at 30 years to launch a new challenge! For 10 years, Christophe travels the oceans on his sailing boat. His stopovers awaken an awareness of the fragility of our planet and trigger a passion for scents. Back in Europe, he takes care of a Swiss cosmetics company. For 5 years, he will be able to appreciate the rich virtues of this white gold which is the milk of donkey. What Christophe loves under all? It is the artisanal and timeless side of the product. He then goes in search of the best specialized craftsmen. It was only in early 2011 that his project started with soaps and cosmetic creams.

To this day, its brand Donkey's & Co and its company The Donkey Company offer a qualitative alternative to all those who want an olfactory and sensory journey in the world of cosmetics.

The commitments of Donkeys & Co

The brand Donkeys & Co's first commitment is an awareness of our responsibility and dependence on a healthy planet. The brand undertakes various actions for the protection of the planet and animals in order to minimize their impact on the environment:

1 / Palm oil

Problems with palm oil have prompted Donkeys & Co to buy BIO certified Ecocert oil and CSPO guarantee in Colombia. It has turned away from that of Indonesia and Malaysia (85% of global production) who participate in deforestation and the disappearance of many species. This oil is necessary for the development of the products since it appreciably improves the quality of the soap, cleans and nourishes the epidermis smoothly.

2 / The respect of donkeys



The Donkeys & Co brand works exclusively with a friend producing donkey milk in South West France. This Gers breeding farm is certified Organic Farming by Ecocert France and is a center for the rehabilitation of the Pyrenean donkey, a small local breed. The production of donkey milk is extremely complicated, making it a rare product. As with any mammal, lactation is triggered by the birth of the baby. However the animal has only 2 udders, has no pocket and therefore milking must be done 3 times a day in general, to obtain between 1.5 liters and 2 liters of milk. And this for 4 to 5 months only, because we leave all the milk to the donkey during the first 2 months.

The milking is done manually and the presence of the baby is necessary if the donkey does not give milk. Indeed lactation is triggered by the secretion of a hormone, oxytocin, caused by the stimulation of the donkey. We are far from intensive breeding and all the producers work in a traditional and reasoned way, always in the respect of the animal. Of course, the donkey continues to breastfeed her cub during the whole period of milking and little by little the donkey diversifies its diet.