Since 2021, proud Warumungu and Luritja woman Melissa Cole has been celebrating First Nations culture through her bath, body and skincare brand that pays homage to the incredible women who have shaped her.
Yaye (meaning ‘big sister’) is a 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned, women-led brand that holds a fierce commitment to sustainability, scientific integrity and First Nations storytelling.
“Yaye is my love letter to Central Australia,” Cole tells Women’s Agenda. “I’ve got lots of touch points – from the name of my brand, the colour of my labels is inspired by the ochre pits in Alice Springs, and my logo is a visual representation of a big sister.”
“The ingredients all have additional healing ceremonial applications, and on my website, I have recordings of Elders saying the names of the bush medicines in language.”
Cole says she had the idea for the brand during the Covid pandemic, when she was looking for a hand wash that didn’t contain alcohol. There weren’t many on the market, so she decided to do it herself.
“I knew that there were bush medicine plants that were used for antiseptic washers, and that they had different medicinal purposes. So I was looking for a hand wash that had some of those native botanicals in them, and there wasn’t one on the market,” Cole says.
“And that was the start of sourcing extracts. And when I found a manufacturer, I realised pretty quickly you can’t just have one product. So that’s how the original brand was launched, by trying to solve the need of not having alcohol in hand wash.”
To mark NAIDOC Week, Yaye has released its newest product, Red Ochre Face & Body Oil, inspired by the sacred ochre pits of Central Australia and made with upcycled red velvet oil derived from tomato seed waste.
“We were lucky enough to be one of five brands that are given first dibs on that ingredient, and it’s this beautiful rusty color. And so I’ve paired it with botanical oils to create a really beautiful face and body oil that launched on Saturday,” Cole says.
“We use PT recyclable packaging. My product is 100 per cent Australian made. I work with a provider of extracts that really values working with First Nations growers as a priority.”
Cole says ethical production and caring for Country is paramount for the brand.
“Our brand is for conscientious consumers,” she explains. “The products are beautiful, but you have to want to buy into the story and understand that when you’re buying my brand, I’ve done the hard work to make sure that it’s as ethical as it can be.”
With a background in education, Cole is deeply committed to educating the next generation about First Nations culture.
This NAIDOC Week, she says it’s about celebrating First Nations excellence.
“It’s an opportunity for people that don’t engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to do so, and one of the ways you can do it is to support Blak business,” she said.
“But it’s also about getting behind Aboriginal artists and filmmakers and just educating yourself on the oldest living culture on the planet.”
“There are many of us bringing a modern twist in this botanical space and there are thousands of First Nations businesses right across Australia who you can get behind and support during NAIDOC week.”