Marie Redding, Senior Editor05.20.21
Guerlain is celebrating World Bee Day today—along with the International Day for Biological Diversity, with festivities from May 20th through May 22nd.
Why bees? "Bees are our original perfumer," and "the perfumer of nature," Guerlain states.
Honey and beeswax are used in countless beauty products—but bees are also an important pollinator, helping to provide the beauty industry with the flowers that are used in extracts, perfumery, and more.
The 'Guerlain For Bees' Conservation Program includes six partnerships to help protect bees.
The brand aims to raise up to one million euros by donating 20% of its worldwide sales—plus 20 euros for every repost of Guerlain's World Bee Day Instagram image with the #GuerlainForBees and #WorldBeeDay campaign hashtags.
Guerlain's Iconic Bee Bottles
Guerlain states, "Bees have been inspiring us ever since they first alighted on its iconic Bee bottle in 1853...Now the symbol of the Maison, they continue to inspire Guerlain’s creations and to guide its commitments towards sustainability."Another bottle design inspired by bees is Guerlain's Abeille Royal skincare serum, shown above.
Angelina Jolie & National Geographic Promote #WomenforBees
Guerlain muse Angelina Jolie posed for this portrait shown above—covered in live bees—by photographer Dan Winters. See the video version of image—with bees swarming around the actress—on Instagram by clicking below.The photo "pays homage to photographer Richard Avedon, drawing attention to the plight of bee populations around the world," Guerlain posted.
The photo is via National Geographic's exclusive World Bee Day interview with Angelina Jolie. The interview discusses UNESCO's Women in Bees program, explained below.
A dedicated humanitarian for over two decades, Jolie launched the Maddox Foundation in Cambodia and serves as Special Envoy for Refugees. Now, Guerlain says she is "the godmother of the #WomenForBees initiative."
Jolie states, "With so much we are worried about around the world, [bee conservation] is one issue that we can manage. We can certainly all step in and do our part."
Guerlain & UNESCO Women in Bees Program
Guerlain is supporting UNESCO's Women in Bees program.The program provides a global network for women beekeepers, providing technical support and ensuring that beekeeping activities are developed in a sustainable way.
Guerlain's chief sustainability officer, Cécile Lochard participated in the webinar "Learning from beekeepers in biosphere reserves."
During the webinar, experts explain the importance of pollination and the role bees play—while discussing how the Women for Bees program helps the challenge of pollinator decline and native bee conservation.
Lochard said, "More than ten years ago we introduced bee preservation as a strategic pillar of our commitments." She continues, "Together, we are joining forces with UNESCO for the next five years—with the program Women for Bees — to empower women around the world."
Lochard adds, "And we hope to advance knowledge of pollination and the connection between humans and biodiversity..."
Guerlain will help to share women beekeepers' stories, explaining the important role they play in conservation and biodiversity—while encouraging more women to embrace scientific careers.
