Hemp Success Story
Symrise organized a “Hemp Day” in August 2019 for the American cosmetics brand Kiehl’s (which belongs to the L´Oréal group). The event, which was mostly intended for lifestyle and cosmetics bloggers, strengthened Kiehl’s brand and demonstrated how the ever-more-important raw material can be sustainably cultivated and processed.
The setting alone was particular: A group of young social media influencers from the USA and the United Kingdom jumped onto a retro bus and headed to a hemp field in Dassel-Deitersen in South Lower Saxony. The cosmetics and lifestyle bloggers talked to organic farmer Kilian Henne, Symrise research and marketing experts, and Symrise CEO Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram there. Also in the field were employees of the American cosmetics brand Kiehl’s. The Hemp Day event celebrates the launch of Kiehl’s hemp-based products. The influencers took videos and photos and were deeply impressed by the variety growing here – Finola. This variety is designed for industrial use and does not contain Tetrahydrocannabinol, whose presence is strictly limited by cosmetic regulations in most countries.
Hemp as a raw material is a trend.
Hemp Day was also memorable for Irina Deloire: “For me, the highlight of “Hemp journey “was working together across divisions.” Irina, from France, works in Paris as Global Account Director in the Cosmetic Ingredients division and has helped write the hemp success story for the past few years. It all started in 2016 with colleagues from market research. They identified this raw material as a robust trend. Then, colleagues from various Departments analyzed where the material could be used in the Cosmetic Ingredients Portfolio. “We also explored regions where we could obtain the raw material and looked into water consumption, effects on the soil, and other environmental parameters,” says Irina, a member of the Sustainability Board in the Scent & Care segment.
Kiehl was keen to initiate a close working relationship with Symrise. The New York company approached Symrise because they wanted to use more traditional and authentic ingredients in their product lines. “Hemp oil has been used for centuries for its positive effects on the skin. It was a perfect match for us,” says Marek Münstermann, Director of Global Product Management Botanicals & Colors in the Cosmetic Ingredients division. “So we were happy to support Kiehl’s brand message, which is also about sustainability and traceability of the raw material.”
For the Symrise manager, hemp is an exciting material. Farmers can cultivate the plant in many different kinds of soil because it is relatively hardy and requires no fertilizer, making organic certification easier. Ideal conditions can be found in Germany, for example, where Symrise gets most of its raw material.
Increasing biodiversity
Hemp is also very bee-friendly, promoting biodiversity. And because the whole plant can be used, its cultivation is very sustainable. Symrise sells the oil cold-pressed from the seeds, mainly to the cosmetics industry. It is rich in fatty acids and has an antioxidant effect, protecting sensitive skin. “We are working on also utilizing the oilseed cake that results from the oil extraction process,” explains Marek. This is often still used as animal feed, “but it contains a lot of proteins that could be used for vegetarian “meat” products or in cosmetics .”Symrise also produces an aqueous hemp extract for cosmetic applications.
The product range is expected to be expanded to other brands. “We want to offer our hemp oil for many exciting cosmetics,” says Irina. “In addition, we are setting up additional studies and trials to understand better how hemp works.” Marek sees the growing importance of this as his colleague does: “The versatile raw material will open up many possibilities for us.
Disclaimer: This article is originally published on https://cr2019.symrise.com/magazine/a-hemp-success-story
