At Mylk & Butter.Co, they believe every woman deserves to be able to transform themselves back into the divine and beautiful being they truly are. Their curated range of effective, multi-functional holistic products help bring back your natural glow. Made with 100% clean and natural ingredients to feed your skin, their ethically sourced crystals and gem essences nourish and spiritually balance you from within – and are safer for your little ones too. Here, passionate founder Krishna Chan talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind the business, the challenges they have overcome, and how she balances work and family life.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
There were a number of things that inspired us to start Mylk & Butter.Co.
I have always been a big believer that what we apply onto our skin should be pure enough for us to eat, as what we absorb bypasses our detox systems. They should be safe for our kids to use and nourishing for our bodies.
Having spent many of my early years in India, learning their daily rituals of self-care and seeing my mother weaving in Chinese herbalism, qi gong and acupressure, I have always been drawn to creating my own natural remedies, cooking wholesome and vegan food, especially for my daughter. Now in my 30s, I find myself increasingly drawn back to Ayurvedic practices, incorporating hair oiling and abhyanga massage with our products along with meditation and breathwork.
My passion in learning and living a low-tox lifestyle in my early 20s has led me to dive deeper into natural skincare and eastern herbalism, as well as Reiki, inspiring the range that we now offer. Having learnt various forms of energy work since I was young, I deeply believe we are all energetic beings. I fell in love working with healing crystals and botanical oils, especially essential oils, as they are known to carry one of the highest vibrational frequencies.
Like many women, Emily (previous co-founder) and I have always suffered from very sensitive skin and have experienced postpartum depression in our own journeys of early motherhood. We understand the frustration of finding skincare products that are 100% clean, effective and truly nourishing. We also know how challenging it is as mammas to be able to make time for our own wellbeing when we are exhausted from giving so much to our family. All of this surfaces onto our skin and hair, reflective of the inner state of who we are and how we feel.
We wanted to curate a range that was holistic and gentle, versatile and pure. One that would have the most beautiful aromas and would create a space – a sanctuary for mamas to honour and embrace their divine femininity and feel their daily routines transformed into a holistic ritual that will leave them feeling restored, glowing and confident.
Even though our skin changes with the season, skincare rituals don’t need to be complex – we don’t need a multitude of products to look after our skin effectively. We take the stress out for busy mamas by simplifying their daily rituals with products that are multi-functional, balancing their mind, body and soul.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
We started the idea in September 2020. I remember catching up with my closest friend Emily – who is a wonderful doula – along with her 3 beautiful kids for a picnic one sunny afternoon. As we chatted, we shared our thoughts and ideas on our work and realised that we both felt called to create something together – something that would allow our kids to be around us if we chose to continue homeschooling them.
We started out with a dream of creating nourishing organic bath and body products for families and it has since evolved into something much more than we imagined. Our journey in formulating has brought us back to our roots – our deep love and respect for Ayurveda and Chinese herbalism and their ancient practices.
What was the biggest breakthrough for your business?
Personally, it has been really rewarding seeing our customers fall in love with our products and recommending them to their friends and family. Their genuine love and support, as well as knowing how much it has helped them, is what drives me to continue doing what I do.
Professionally, since working with our amazing business tribe in April this year, it has grown and changed a lot, opening new opportunities for us, connecting and expanding our reach with other businesses that align with ours. I am thrilled to be collaborating and partnering with some beautiful wellness places and boutique stores in Melbourne.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It has been an interesting journey for me over the past few years…I have definitely been through some major changes in my life and it has been a big challenge wearing different hats across my work and family. As a mother who loved being home and homeschooling my daughter in her early years, while managing ongoing music work, I moved into studying skincare and herbalism. This transition has gradually grown into working on 2 full-time businesses. I am very blessed that my daughter loves travelling with me, meeting new people wherever I go and having my family there to offer support.
For the longest time, I have strived for balance between work and family, especially being a Libran! Keeping a balance with everything has always been important to me. Since starting Mylk & Butter.Co, I have poured endless hours into researching, designing, formulating and building our brand with Emily. Over time however, I’ve discovered that it simply isn’t realistic to aim for balance…!
Whenever I think I have created some form of balance, the universe has a way of throwing things my way to throw it out of whack…! So, I’m learning to be kinder to myself, to prioritise time for myself daily, even if it is just 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening and lean my energy into doing one thing at a time so that I can find more joy and less stress. Being more intentional and present has also allowed me to connect with my family deeper and work better.
