Gisou

Gisou makes haircare and skincare products with honey as their signature active ingredient.

Highlights

• Some sustainable packaging efforts
• Pollinator advocacy

Sustainability

Packaging

Gisou's primary product packaging is made often from glass (a forever recyclable) with some components made from plastic. It's unclear if plastic packaging and packaging components are made using virgin or PCR materials. There is reference to the use of FSC-certified paper and vegetable-based inks for secondary packaging.

Ingredient Sustainability

Gisou uses mostly low-impact, plant-based ingredients in their formulations. These include plant oils, natural emollients, botanical extracts, and natural structuring agents like xantham gum and citric acid. There is, however, a number of petro-chemicals included in their products. These include multiple synthetic polymers that are non-biodegradable and persist in aquatic ecosystems. A number of products also include parfum (fragrance), the composition of which cannot be assessed for sustainability. Products contain Cetearyl Alcohol and Glyceryl Laurate, both of which are common palm-derivatives. Gisou does not specify the use of RSPO certified palm.

Energy Use and Footprint

There is one reference to the use of renewable energy to power the brands HQ, though the exact percentages are not given. There is little to no information regarding energy use and footprint when it comes to production and manufacturing, though one source claims the use of 100% renewable energy in production. The unverified claims and lack of readily available information leaves room for improvement in transparency.

Waste Management

There is little to no information available regarding efforts to mitigate waste in production or on the consumer side.

Business Model

Gisou's business model includes a mostly evergreen selection and limits products that are seasonal or trend driven, but slow consumption practices or multi-purpose products are nevertheless limited.

Non-Toxic

Gisou formulations are largely non-toxic par some minor ingredients. These include PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, which may be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen, unless fully purified. Other synthetic ingredients, like Polyquaternium-10 or Benzyl Alcohol can lead to irritation. Many Gisou products also include parfum (fragrance), which are undisclosed mixtures that could contain harmful ingredients.

Gisou products range from 3-6 (moderate hazard range) in the EWG Hazard Score system.

Social Responsibility

Gisou is an avid advocator for the importance of pollinators and their preservation. They give out seed backs with orders to promote growing pollinator gardens and have worked with several initiatives to promote sustainable beekeeping. Still, the brand is not certified cruelty-free and exists in a sort of grey area when it comes to animal welfare.

There is little information available regarding fair labor practices. If all products are indeed manufactured in the Netherlands, then we can assume adherence to local labor regulations, which are strong.