How Gisou used the power of honey to create one of beauty's buzziest brands
Bees have superpowers. There are about 20,000 varieties of them on the planet and they are the most important of the insect pollinators. Indeed, some would go so far as to say they are the most important species on earth, since any dramatic decrease in the number of bees on the planet would have catastrophic effects.
The Mirsalehi family can trace its beekeeping heritage back six generations and, when the parents of Negin and Negar Mirsalehi, moved from Iran to The Netherlands in the 1980s, they kept the tradition alive establishing The Mirsalehi Bee Garden. The family had, for many years, used their own special family brand of honey to create hair oil. This, ultimately, inspired well-known beauty influencer Negin to establish the Gisou beauty brand in 2015 with her partner Maurits Stibbe, after many requests from her followers to reveal her healthy hair secrets.
Her sister Negar went on to become Beekeeper in Chief of the Misalehi Bee Garden, playing the essential role of ensuring there is sufficient amounts of the unique family honey to supply the fast-growing brand. Central to this is ensuring the well-being of the bees, who are not harmed during the honey harvesting process.
Gisou has exploded over the past 10 years and has expanded beyond the core hair oil product into new categories, including lip, face and body oils and balms, shampoos, conditioners and masks. One of its most recent launches, the 5-in-1 Styling Cream, is its first venture into hair styling; an area the brand may well expand further.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with the new 5-in-1 Styling Cream
The launch of the 5-in-1 Styling Cream coincided with the announcement of British style icon and entrepreneur Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as brand ambassador and Space NK as a stockist (it could already be found in Sephora, Selfridges, Harrods and more top draw locations). It can only be assumed this will prompt further growth, but Negar says the brand and the bees are up to the challenge.
"All the honey we produce goes into the production of our products, because every product only contains Mirsalehi honey. So we have multiple Mirsalehi gardens where we harvest the honey.
"We only take the excess honey from our bees and they're never harmed in the process. We always make sure that they come first. Our bee centred approach is what is most important to us. It's not just the quality of the honey, but the bee centred approach that makes us only want to harvest our own honey, because we know then that the bees are really at the centre of everything.
"It's a challenge to meet the supply chain requests of honey, but I think it’s something we can manage. We know the demand, how fast we are growing and the honey is growing with it. But the best thing is that we are the ones in charge of it.
"Currently, we can cope with the growth and while it may be a challenge, it's a nice challenge to have, the more demand we have, the more gardens we can create the better it is for the bees eventually. So it's a win-win situation," she explains.
Negar Mirsalehi in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden
One of the fascinating facts about bees is that they have co-evolved with flowers and the characteristics and taste of each honey is different according to the flowers they pollinate, which can vary from season to season. The Mirsalehi gardens contain thistle, white clover, wild blackberry, fireweed and hogweed, among other flowers and these give its honey its unique properties.
"Our family's honey is actually a wild flower mix honey, we plant a diverse blend of flowers to maximise the pollen and nectar sources for our bees. And we can really tell that every batch of honey is different because of the flowers that are blossoming at that time. So this year, for example, our spring honey tasted so different to the summer honey, and that makes it really special," Negar explains.
So why does honey lend itself so well to skin and haircare? “Honey is an amazing product - it’s organic, its clean, and the benefits of honey are amazing.
"It’s the world’s best natural humectant. There is no better natural humectant than honey, actually. It attracts and really retains the moisture inside your skin, and especially in your hair follicles.
"And with our new fermented honey, this process means there are even more nutrients and that the honey is broken down into smaller molecules which makes it even better for your hair and skin. It's not just a humectant, it also contains minerals, it has vitamins, antioxidants. So it's amazing for your skin and hair."
Gisou shampoo and conditioner
The family take this unique honey to create the Mirsalehi Oil Blend, a key botanical complex found in every product in the collection. "We combine this heritage ingredient with advanced beauty innovation, creating formulas that are as effective as they are sensorial, always prioritising sustainability and authenticity," Negar explains.
The bees are the only ones central to the brand's success, the community of fans around is a driving force. Negin Mirsalehi has a staggering 7.1 million followers on Instagram, while the Gisou brand has 2.1 million.
"At Gisou, our community is at the heart of everything we do. We take our audience with us on this journey - always evolving, listening, and creating together. What truly makes us unique is the way we connect: we bring creative, out-of-the-box ideas to life while staying authentic to our roots in six generations of beekeeping," Negar explains.
"Gisou is growing faster than we could ever have imagined, and it’s crazy to think we’re celebrating 10 years this year. It’s been such an amazing journey and I’m so proud of how far we’ve come. Our success is because of the trust and support from our community. Looking ahead, we’re committed to growing in ways that reflect what our community needs. Many have asked for styling products that hold and simplify the styling process – so that’s exactly where we’re headed. I’m so excited for what’s next, and honestly, our community continues to be the reason behind everything we do."
