Discover how Guerlain’s honey-powered skincare line is making a difference – for your skin and the worlds bee population.
For centuries, honey has been revered not only as a sweet treat but also as a powerful ingredient for health and beauty. As far back as 3000 BC, there the ancient Egyptians recorded the use of honey in their skincare routines. This golden substance was prized for its ability to heal, hydrate and rejuvenate the skin – and these benefits have stood the test of time.
Luxury fragrance and cosmetics house Guerlain has long embraced the extraordinary properties of honey – and, of course, the B – as a symbol of their commitment to nature, beauty and sustainability. Since 1853, the B has been the emblem of the House of Guerlain, and it’s honeycomb design is a future on many of their iconic fragrance bottles. But the connection to bees goes much deeper than just design – it’s at the heart of their innovative skincare and environmental initiatives.
The science behind honey’s beauty benefits
Guerlain’s passion for bees and honey is more than symbolic. Backed by extensive research, the brand’s team of scientists has leveraged honey’s rich content of fructose, glucose, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and minerals. All these natural components make honey a powerful ingredient for skincare, offering hydration, revitalisation and healing properties.
In 2010, Guerlain introduced their Blackbee Repair Technology, a revolutionary innovation in skincare that harnesses the full potential of honey’s nourishing properties. The company sources this honey from bees living on the pristine French island of Ouessant, known for producing some of the purest honey in the world. In recent years they have also been using honey varieties from parts of Corsica, Greece and Finland.
Guerlain’s Abeille Royale range, powered by Blackbee Repair Technology, and enriched with royal jelly, includes a wide variety of products designed to smooth, firm and hydrate the skin. These include the Day Cream, Double R Renew and Repair Serum and the popular Advanced Youth Watery Oil.
Recently, Guerlain expanded the Abeille Royale line to include haircare products, blending the power of honey and royal jelly to nourish both the scalp and hair. The Abeille Royale Shampoo, Scalp & Hair Youth Oil and Repair Mask are just a few of the luxurious hair products that have taken honeys benefits beyond skincare.
Guerlain’s commitment to bee conservation
As Guerlain deepened their exploration into the benefits of honey, they also recognised a critical issue: the rapid decline in bee populations worldwide. Bees are essential to the health of our ecosystems, pollinating flowers and plants that sustain much of our food supply. In response, Guerlain launched the Bee Conservation Programme in 2011, in partnership with UNESCO. This initiative focuses on protecting and restoring bee populations through education and conservation efforts.
One of the standout components of this initiative is Bee Schools, which educate children around the world about the importance of bees and how to protect them. Since 2021, these programs have expanded globally, with a dramatic increase in the number of Bee Schools in Australia, where the initiative has a waiting list of schools eager to participate.
In 2020, Guerlain also introduced Women for Bees, a global program aimed at teaching women how to become beekeepers and restore bee populations in their communities. This program not only helps protect bees but also empowers women by providing them with valuable skills and contributing to the economic development of their regions. So far, Women for Bees has been rolled out in France, Spain, Mexico, Japan and Cambodia, with more countries set to follow.
Guerlain’s bee conservation efforts are further highlighted by their involvement in the UN’s World Bee Day, celebrated every year on May 20th; each year over $1,000,000 is raised to support bee preservation efforts and further conservation work worldwide.
