Bodylicious | Yak Milk Mugwort & Strawberry Soap 100g

Bhaley Dhunga Studios is a Gangtok-based small business enterprise that deals in lifestyle products such as soaps, incense and tableware. All products are handcrafted by the founder and owner, Niha Pradhan. At the Studio, we seek to use products of the highest quality, sourced from local businesses, and hope to be a sustainable, ethical brand that can also help our partners grow with us. With this objective in mind, we propose this collaboration with the yak herders of Sikkim wherein we would buy yak milk directly from the local farmers and use them to create a product line of handcrafted soaps. The herders will also be entitled to a percentage of the sales. Our soaps, currently sold under the name- Bodylicious is our best-selling product and well loved by its patrons for their 100% organic and chemical free nature. Introduction and use of yak milk would bring added value to our product as its milk is considered a far superior alternative to those that are more commonly used in the beauty industry. But, more importantly, we hope that through Project Yak we can help encourage yak husbandry in the valley by building a business relationship with the herders, which in turn, would help raise yak population that is momentarily at a rapid decline. For this project, Bhaley Dhunga Studios is partnering with an established veterinarian- Dr.Sonam Diki Lepcha who is equally concerned and passionate about the yak population. She is a recognized face amongst herders and already has an ongoing relationship with them which is foundational to the success of this project. Through initial research, we have been able to pin-point two major factors in the current decline of the yak population: 1. Global warming- the impact of which was witnessed by the Sikkimese Himalayas like never before leading to the deaths of more than 500 yaks in the valley. The effect of which will reverberate for years to come. 2. The highlanders opting for a different and a more convenient lifestyle- traditional Yak herding can be a harsh process with poor economic returns due to the unavailability of a proper market for yak-based products, which deters the younger generation from continuing to practice yak husbandry. While tackling the effects of global warming is a long-term effort, we understand that the need of the hour is to create a viable market for yak-based products. The Yak has always been closely associated with the Sikkimese culture and social life, many still depend on the animal for their livelihood, therefore, it is requisite that we work towards their conservation and make the effort to encourage the highlanders to continue practicing yak husbandry.