Kiehl’s is one of my all-time favourite brands. I first fell
in love with it when I worked at Space NK in the UK and clearly remember
splurging on my first product from them which was the large pump Crème de Corps
(still one of my favourite body creams).
Anyway, given this you can imagine how chuffed I am to be a
part of Kiehl’s latest campaign called Pioneers by Nature. This is a campaign
that Kiehl’s have run internationally and are now doing a local version of it.
The programme is all about putting the spotlight on local pioneers who shine in
their industry (and this is any industry, not specific to beauty or lifestyle).
I love this campaign as, even though some of the South African pioneers are
well-known, others aren’t that known (well to me, at least), so it’s such a
great way abnout learning about this inspiring people and what great work they
are doing. These pioneers include:
Craig Jacobs, Jackie Burger, Elvis Blue & Prof
Mamokgethi Phakeng (all South African) and Solange Knowles, Phillip Lim, Rachel
Zoe, Dustin Yellin, Reshma Saujani and Robert Hammond (all international).
In partnership with these influencers, Kiehl’s will be
making a donation of $150,000
(Internationally) to support organizations that serve the
Environment and Children. In South
Africa, Kiehl’s aims to donate 15,000 meals to Stop
Hunger Now Southern Africa, a non-profit
organization which has been a partner of Kiehls since the
launch is Sandton in 2012, which focuses on the nutritional needs of children
in early childhood development phase (below the age of 5) in
disadvantaged areas.
Today I want to share the Kiehl’s history to give you a
better understanding of this iconic brand that has been around for 160 years (I
know!!!):
The precursor to the original Kiehl Pharmacy, ―Brunswick
Apotheke‖ first served patrons in New
York’s East Village neighborhood at the corner of Third
Avenue and Thirteenth Street—an
historic location fondly known as ―Pear Tree Corner.
1921: One of the
1st known Musk Oils
Kiehl’s Original Musk Oil was first introduced in 1921.
Originally created by the ―nose at Kiehl’s
in the early 1900’s - Prince Karl from Russia – Kiehl’s
Original Musk Oil, was a first of its kind
and considered ―too risqué for the times. The formula
was subsequently hidden in the
basement of the pharmacy until Mr. Morse and his team
re-discovered it in the early 1960s.
1920’s: Pioneers
in Sampling
Kiehl’s founding family member, Irving Morse valued the
personal relationships he had with his
customers and encouraged them to experiment with the
remedies before choosing those that
would best suit their needs. ―Try before you buy became
the pharmacy’s motto, and the
principle of personalized customer service plus sampling,
established by Morse has remained a
Kiehl’s practice for over 90 years. Kiehl’s sampling
practice has inspired many sampling
programs of today’s beauty industry. One of the things
that I love most about this brand!
1920’s: Pioneers
in Informative Packaging
Kiehl’s was among the first beauty companies to proudly
list ingredients on its product labels,
even before the US government mandated it, to help
customers make more informed and
confident purchasing decisions.
1960’s: Pioneers
in Men’s skincare
Founding family member, Aaron Morse noticed that when
couples would come into Kiehl’s, the
gentlemen did not have an interest in cosmetic products.
It was at this time that Mr. Morse
began displaying his collection of vintage Harley
Davidson and Indian motorcycles throughout
the store, establishing a comfortable experience for both
men and women alike.
1988: Pioneering
in Adventure Testing
In 1988, Kiehl’s sponsored the 1st ascent expedition of
Mt. Everest’s East Face without
supplemental oxygen. The climbers wore the company’s
formulas to help protect and keep their
skin hydrated throughout the expedition’s extreme
conditions.
1990’s: Pioneers
in Charitable Giving
Giving has always been central to the Kiehl’s Mission,
long before ―corporate giving became an
industry term. Beginning in the 1990s, Kiehl’s offered
several formulas dedicated to raising
funds for research and prevention of HIV/AIDS, among them
―Hand Care for a Cure to benefit
the American Foundation for AIDS Research and ―Magic's
Elixir for the Magic Johnson's AIDS
Foundation.
2005: One of the
1st Stabilized 10.5% Vitamin C Serums
Drawing upon the company’s expertise in ingredient
stability, Kiehl’s introduced Powerful
Strength Line Reducing Concentrate. Featuring highly
potent levels of Vitamin C, the formula
was one of the first of its kind to offer stable Vitamin
C at the high 10.5% level while ensuring
complete tolerance on the skin. Ten years later,
formulating with Vitamin C at 10.5% in a stable
form is still considered an industry achievement.
2008: 1st Beauty
Product with Cradle-to-Cradle Certification
Kiehl’s ―Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser
was introduced as one of the first
beauty products to achieve Cradle to Cradle
Certification. In partnership with actor and
philanthropist Brad Pitt, 100% of net profits from sales
of the formula benefited JPF Eco
Systems, a charitable foundation created with Brad Pitt
to support global environmental
initiatives.
2009: Pioneers in
the Facial Oil Category
Affectionately referred to as ―Midnight Magic by
customers, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery
Concentrate
was a pioneer in the facial oil category well before the recent ―oil trend explosion.
The formula is a highly potent concentration of botanical
extracts specifically formulated to
biologically replicate skin’s natural lipids for optimal
skin repair throughout the night. With over 1
million bottles sold and 46 beauty awards, this powerful
concentrate quickly earned cult status
and remains a leading beauty product in the industry. One
of my all-time favourites!!
2014: 1st Beauty
Product Launched into Space
Kiehl’s has always searched the planet looking for the
most effective ingredients for its products.
When developing the company’s Oil Eliminator Collection,
Kiehl’s chemists went a bit further by
utilizing Aerolite Technology – an advanced material
historically used in space exploration.
True to the company’s spirit of adventure, Kiehl’s set
out to take the formula where no other
beauty product had been before – to outer space!
2015: A Pioneering
Milestone
This year marks a milestone in the company’s pioneering
heritage as Kiehl’s celebrates the 10th
Anniversary of Dermatologist Solutions and the
collection’s 1st serum Powerful Strength Line
Reducing Concentrate. This formula set the stage for
Kiehl’s subsequent pioneering serums
that following, including Clearly Corrective Dark Spot
Solution, the 1st clear, fully stabilized
whitening serum and Hydro-Plumping Retexturing Serum
Concentrate, the 1st serum to address
age-related dehydration.
I will also be sharing my (and other Kiehl’s lovers) most
raved about Kiehl’s products as well as some insight into the pioneers I find
most inspiring.
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