Gisou Hair Oil

Overall Summary

Gisou's Honey Infused Hair Oil is composed of its key ingredient, Mirsalehi Honey. Mirsalehi Honey is sourced from the Mirsalehi family owned-Bee Garden. Gisou is founded on the founder, Negin Mirsalehi, generational dedication to bee welfare and responsible beekeeping practices. The brand prioritizes bee welfare by ensuring that honey is harvested only when ecologically appropriate and aligned with the natural harvesting cycle and does not test on animals. The hair oil is encompassed by a glass container, offering a relatively lower environmental impact than alternative materials like plastic. The carbon footprint of honey production is relatively low which makes this a compelling choice for the conscious consumer. As the brand grows It should improve transparency on its labor practices, carbon footprint, and continue to release sustainability reports.

Materials: 🌎🌎

What It’s Made of:

Gisou's Honey Infused Hair Oil’s primary ingredient, Mirsalehi Honey, is sourced from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden in Almere, Netherlands. This hair oil is crafted from the nectar gathered by bees in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, encompassing blossoms such as thistle (Carduus crispus), white clover (Trifolium repens), wild blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), and hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium).

At the core of Gisou's mission lies a profound dedication to bee welfare and ecosystem preservation. The brand prioritizes bee welfare by ensuring that honey is harvested only when ecologically appropriate and aligned with the natural harvesting cycle. They let the bees guide their practices, minimizing intrusion into the bee colonies and promoting natural behavior and interactions among the bees. This approach embodies a sustainable and bee-friendly ethos. To meet demand, Gisou upped the number of bees in their care. If the brand continues to expand, Gisou is ready to acquire more farmland to house Mirsaheli bees. At the core of Gisou's mission lies a profound dedication to bee welfare and ecosystem preservation.

While the Honey Infused Hair Oil does contain silicones, Gisou has addressed concerns about this ingredient in their FAQ section. They emphasize that their decision to include silicones is rooted in their belief that product results and functions are just as important as the ingredients. It's worth noting that Gisou offers silicone-free products like Face Oil, Lip Oil, Beauty Balm, and Scalp Treatments, all of which are over 95% natural. However, there is no information of the natural makeup of product. Gisou published a statement addressing the cleanliness of its products, remarking ”Although our products contain natural ingredients, they are not 100% natural or vegan. We never communicate or promote our products to be 100% natural or vegan. We do, however, promise that our products are created with all-natural, bee-sourced ingredients sustainably derived from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden”. The brand can be more transparent around the chemical makeup of its products and its can be perceived as green-washing to use the words “all natural” when the product itself isn't natural. Despite this obscurity, the brand proudly flaunts its 'Clean at Sephora' status in 2023, representing one of the highest clean beauty standards. To be certified "Clean at Sephora", brands must formulate without Sephora-banned ingredients, must meet at least one of Sephora’s climate goals, use **United States Pharmacopeia (**USP) grade only for petrolatum and paraffin, and use 1% or less of total formulation for phenoxyethanol.

Additionally, Gisou staunchly opposes animal testing, with no testing occurring at any stage of product development. Their suppliers also abstain from animal testing. However, Gisou products are not vegan as they contain animal-derived byproducts, such as honey and propolis.

Gisou also extends its commitment to sustainability to its packaging. The hair oil is encompassed by a glass container, offering a relatively lower environmental impact than alternative materials like plastic. While the glass production process emits greenhouse gases, it is considerably more sustainable due to its recyclability and durability. The brand has taken steps to minimize the impact of its packaging, including reducing the size of packaging and shipping boxes to enhance efficiency. This conscious selection not only reduces the environmental impact but also supports responsible forest management practices. Gisou has downsized the packaging of select products like their Honey Infused Hair Oil and Perfume. This strategic decision optimizes material usage and minimizes waste in the hair oil’s product life cycle.All secondary packaging and shipping boxes are made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper and feature recycling instructions, reinforcing Gisou's commitment to responsible and sustainable practices. The brand is actively developing refillable packaging solutions for its best-selling haircare products, aiming to reduce packaging waste further.

The full list of Gisou Honey hair oil ingredients:

Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Trisiloxane, Mel (Honey / Miel)*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Passiflora Incarnata Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum (Fragrance), Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Ci 47000 (Yellow 11), Tocopherol, Ci 26100 (Red 17), Coumarin**, Hexyl Cinnamal**, Limonene**, Linalool**

The full list of Gisou Honey hair oil ingredients:

Process: 🌎

How It’s Made:

Honey production is renowned for its sustainability, as it doesn't require large machines, fertilizers, or land clearing, all while preserving soil quality. However, it's vital to be mindful of specific conditions that can impact the environment negatively. Gisou acknowledges these factors and strives to minimize their environmental footprint.

Gisou's manufacturing hub, situated in the Netherlands alongside their headquarters and the Mirsalehi Bee Garden, is powered entirely by clean energy derived from solar roof panels and wind turbines. This reliance on renewable energy sources substantially reduces Gisou's carbon footprint, ensuring a more sustainable production process.

As part of its sustainability journey, Gisou actively collaborates with suppliers close to their production facilities, a strategic choice that minimizes transportation needs and reduces the brand's overall CO2 footprint. This aligns with their mission to become a cleaner and greener business. Gisou’s shipping partners include the United States Postal Service (USPS), AfterShip, and Salaberlanga. It is not clear what preferred mode of transportation is used by Gisou’s shipping partners to deliver its products, but the use of AfterShip is notable. AfterShip is a company that helps businesses reach their sustainability goals through shipment tracking and analytics.

Gisou is a growing business, scaling up quickly, while trying to meet increasing demands. Partnership with big beauty name brands like Sephora have only increased the exposure and demand of Gisou products. As the brand’s growth, Gisou intents to expand its beekeeping support to more cities in both financial support and providing supplies. The brand claims part of its mission is to priotize the welfare of bee’s but i don’t see any further information on how the company plans to balance between the bee’s natural harvesting cycle and the ever increasing demand for their best selling product.

Being that manufacturing occurs in the Netherlands, It seems that transportation of the product might account for majority of Gisou’s carbon emissions as the hair oil is sold in more than 30 countries globally. It is noted that all products shipped in Europe are labeled carbon neutral by their European shipping partner, but there is no information on how the shipping is categorized as carbon neutral. There is also no information on how mode of product transportation. To improve the brand’s ‘how its made score’ It would be beneficial for the brand to report environmental metrics to back up its carbon neutral claims. This lack of information does not benefit the products rating.

People (Rating) Of:

Who Makes It:

As a relatively new and rapidly scaling brand, there is no information on their labor practices. There is no rating provided, because there is no information on the labor required to distribute this best selling product. While there is no information on who is in Gisou, consumers have an idea on what Gisou stands for.

Gisou’s is founded on six key sustainability pillars all of which focus on minimizing their environmental footprint. Of particular interest is their dedication to prioritizing bee welfare in sourcing key ingredients. They advocate for the importance of honey bees and aim to increase transparency from bee to bottle, all while refining product formulations for sustainability. Additionally, Gisou has taken steps to improve the eco-friendliness of their packaging and actively reduce their carbon footprint.

Gisou is unique, as its founder Negin Mirsalehi, is not only a beekeeper but a social media influencer. Therefore, much of the brands marketing and consumer engagement is done via social media platforms like Instagram and Youtube. Gisou's actively engages with consumers to raise awareness about beekeeping practices and emphasize the vital role of bees in our ecosystem. In their quest to connect with their audience, Gisou offers bee learning courses online through their website and extends support to local beekeepers through the Gisou Bees Project initiative, embodying a commitment to responsible and educational consumer engagement. The Gisou Bees Project initiative, which began just last year, supports urban beekeeping practices in major cities globally. By placing Gisou beehives in urban areas, the brand actively contributes to combatting the global decline in bee populations. Their belief that urban beekeeping produces healthier bee colonies underscores their commitment to bee welfare and a healthier ecosystem.

The brand’s stance against animal testing is a clear testament to their ethical values. They assure compliance with European Cosmetic Regulations regarding animal testing and are actively working to secure cruelty-free accreditation from Cruelty-Free International. This not only aligns with ethical principles but also assures consumers that their beauty choices are in harmony with compassionate practices.

In summary, Gisou's multifaceted approach to sustainability, ethical practices, and bee welfare positions them as a brand of choice for environmentally-conscious consumers. They not only produce products with responsible sourcing and packaging but also actively engage in initiatives that address critical environmental issues, making them a compelling choice for those who value both beauty and sustainability.