Yak Milk Soap: A Guide to Mongolian Yak MilkHigh on the Mongolian steppe, where winters fall below -30°C, nomadic families keep yaks for their thick wool, their strength and their rich milk. Yak milk is part of daily life in Mongolia: in milk tea, yogurt, butter and dried curds. At Lhamour we also use it to make soap.
Here is what yak milk is, how it compares with goat milk, and how to use a yak milk soap.
What is yak milk?
Yaks are long-haired cattle that live at high altitude in Mongolia, Tibet and the Himalayas. They graze on open mountain pasture and are milked mainly in summer, so yak milk is produced in small amounts. It is thicker and creamier than cow's milk, with more fat.
Yak milk vs goat milk
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Where it comes from: goat milk is farmed all over the world. Yak milk comes from herds at high altitude, mostly from nomadic families.
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Texture: both are creamy. Yak milk has a higher fat content than goat or cow's milk.
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In soap: both give a soft, creamy lather. Yak milk soap is far less common, because so little yak milk is produced.
Why put milk in soap?
Milk soaps are a traditional craft. The fats and sugars in milk make a creamier lather than water alone, and many people find milk soaps feel mild on dry skin. Our soap is a true soap: oils turned into soap with lye, with yak milk in place of some of the water.
How to use yak milk soap
- Wet the bar and your skin with warm water.
- Work up a lather in your hands and wash your face, hands or body.
- Rinse well and pat dry. Avoid the eyes.
- Follow with a moisturizer if your skin is very dry.
- Keep the bar on a draining soap dish so it dries between uses and lasts longer.
Lhamour Yak Milk Soap
Our Yak Milk Soap ($12, or 3 bars for $30) is handmade in small batches in Ulaanbaatar. It has five ingredients: olive oil, beef tallow, yak milk, coconut oil and sodium hydroxide (used to turn the oils into soap). No fragrance is added. It ships from Texas.
For very dry skin after washing, try our Sea Buckthorn Body Butter, a dense tallow balm.
FAQ
Can I use yak milk soap on my face?
Yes. Use a gentle lather and rinse well. Patch test first if your skin reacts easily.
Is it vegan?
No. It contains yak milk and beef tallow.
Read more: The complete guide to Mongolian tallow in skincare.
High on the Mongolian steppe, where winters fall below -30°C, nomadic families keep yaks for their thick wool, their strength and their rich milk. Yak milk is part of daily life in Mongolia: in milk tea, yogurt, butter and dried curds. At Lhamour we also use it to make soap.
Here is what yak milk is, how it compares with goat milk, and how to use a yak milk soap.
What is yak milk?
Yaks are long-haired cattle that live at high altitude in Mongolia, Tibet and the Himalayas. They graze on open mountain pasture and are milked mainly in summer, so yak milk is produced in small amounts. It is thicker and creamier than cow's milk, with more fat.
Yak milk vs goat milk
- Where it comes from: goat milk is farmed all over the world. Yak milk comes from herds at high altitude, mostly from nomadic families.
- Texture: both are creamy. Yak milk has a higher fat content than goat or cow's milk.
- In soap: both give a soft, creamy lather. Yak milk soap is far less common, because so little yak milk is produced.
Why put milk in soap?
Milk soaps are a traditional craft. The fats and sugars in milk make a creamier lather than water alone, and many people find milk soaps feel mild on dry skin. Our soap is a true soap: oils turned into soap with lye, with yak milk in place of some of the water.
How to use yak milk soap
- Wet the bar and your skin with warm water.
- Work up a lather in your hands and wash your face, hands or body.
- Rinse well and pat dry. Avoid the eyes.
- Follow with a moisturizer if your skin is very dry.
- Keep the bar on a draining soap dish so it dries between uses and lasts longer.
Lhamour Yak Milk Soap
Our Yak Milk Soap ($12, or 3 bars for $30) is handmade in small batches in Ulaanbaatar. It has five ingredients: olive oil, beef tallow, yak milk, coconut oil and sodium hydroxide (used to turn the oils into soap). No fragrance is added. It ships from Texas.
For very dry skin after washing, try our Sea Buckthorn Body Butter, a dense tallow balm.
FAQ
Can I use yak milk soap on my face?
Yes. Use a gentle lather and rinse well. Patch test first if your skin reacts easily.
Is it vegan?
No. It contains yak milk and beef tallow.
Read more: The complete guide to Mongolian tallow in skincare.
