HONEY TO THE BEE

Guerlain unlocks the skin's natural power to heal with honey.

- BY ARISSA HA

Every day, the skin endures invisible wounds. Not the kind that draws blood, but tiny, imperceptible micro-tears—the result of environmental aggressors, stress, and time itself. Left unchecked, these microscopic lesions accumulate, weakening the skin’s structure, accelerating ageing. It was this revelation—the striking similarity between how the skin ages and how it heals—that first set Guerlain on its groundbreaking path of research.

“When the Abeille Royale range was conceived, it was built on an observation,” explains Johnny Ribeiro, Guerlain’s chief brand officer. “That every day, just by living, your skin undergoes micro-lesions. And the process to correct these is similar to how a wound heals.” With this in mind, Guerlain’s scientists began an ambitious study into the most powerful natural healers known to humankind—honey.

But not all honeys are created equal. “It is important to emphasise that not all honeys are reparative or regenerative,” Ribeiro states. Some are little more than nature’s sweetener, but a rare few contain bioactive compounds that can trigger healing responses in the skin. The question was—where could these honeys be found?

THE POWER OF BLACK BEE HONEY: A RARE AND POTENT ALCHEMY

The answer lay in one of the oldest and most resilient species of bees—the Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera). Once widespread across Western Europe, this ancient bee has survived the Ice Age, extreme climate shifts, and modern pollution, preserving a genetic heritage that makes it uniquely adapted to its environment. It is also a master alchemist, transforming the nectar of wild, untouched flora into honeys unlike any others in the world.