Jamie Matusow, Editor-in-Chief05.02.24
Kiehl’s Since 1851 “has been committed to the health of skin and the well-being of the world since their founding.” Today, overarching sustainability trends have taken that effort much further.
When developing their products, Maggie Kervick, Kiehl’s Global Head of Sustainability and CSR, says they focus on eco-design principles, meaning “they evaluate the overall environmental impact, looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle.”
Dealing with consumer confusion and making ‘sustainability cool’ (and tangible) for the everyday consumer is a top priority. Read on for our Q&A.
Jamie Matusow: How has Kiehl’s Since 1851 evolved to become a leader in sustainable beauty? Can you provide a brief history?
Maggie Kervick: Kiehl’s Since 1851 has been committed to the health of skin and the well-being of the world since our founding. Born as an apothecary in New York’s East Village neighborhood, Kiehl’s Since 1851 utilizes over 170 years of skincare expertise to offer personalized service and efficacious skincare for all, under the highest standards of quality, safety, and sustainability.
A few key milestones throughout our history include:
As we look toward 2030, Kiehl’s Mission Renewal is our commitment to drive a more circular economy by respecting resources, designing out waste, and empowering our community to join us in action.
JM: What is your role at Kiehl's?
MK: As the Global Head of Sustainability, I have two main responsibilities:
MK: On our imperfect journey to drive a more circular economy, Kiehl’s focuses on reducing material components, reusing materials by incorporating post-consumer recycled materials when available, offering refillable product packaging for customer favorites, and collecting empty products back in-store to provide our customers with an option to drop packaging that isn't accepted in their recycling bin at home.
When developing our products, Kiehl’s focuses on eco-design principles, meaning we evaluate the overall environmental impact, looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle. The choices we make around the packaging of our products play an important role in reducing environmental impacts.
Two key accomplishments that Kiehl’s is proud of include:
Once the consumer has refilled their jar, we invite them to bring the empty pouch back to stores, and we reward the consumer with loyalty points for their participation in our Recycle + Be Rewarded program.
This Earth Month, Kiehl’s took a portion of those empties collected by our consumers + household items, and worked in partnership with artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong to create “Single-Use Reflections,” an art installation that lived on NYC’s Highline. (See photo.)
Visited by over 280,000 people in a two-week period, the installation aimed to raise awareness about single-use plastic and the urgent need to pivot towards refill and reuse behaviors.
MK: We consistently observe in consumer studies a strong desire by individuals to act more responsibly, but have found there is consumer confusion on how to make more sustainable choices.
Refills provide a concrete solution for consumers, while also saving them money. Kiehl’s doesn’t want you to rebuy, but rather refill, and by doing so mitigating plastic consumption by -61-81% depending on the product.
Consumers are not only embracing refills, but the content we create to promote them on average performs 24%+ better than industry averages on engagement.
JM: What other sustainable guidelines does Kiehl’s adhere to in addition to packaging?
MK: At Kiehl’s, we see nature as a resource and recognize we need to give back to the environment, not just take from it.
As part of our journey to drive a more circular economy, we are committed to sustainably sourcing ingredients, using green transformation and formulation processes, and producing products in facilities that use renewable energy and reuse water in a manufacturing loop. Sustainability is embedded into our key processes, starting at product conception.
Kiehl’s evaluates the overall environmental impact of every product in our portfolio looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle, from ingredient sourcing, packaging production, manufacturing, to consumer usage, biodegradability, and disposal. The 14 planetary impact factors are weighted according to the Planetary Boundaries, a widely accepted scientific framework established by the Stockholm Resilience Center.
This allows us to look beyond certifying a single aspect of the supply chain and/or product and drives a holistic and data-driven approach to selecting raw materials, formulation processes and packaging when launching new products and updating customer favorites.
JM: Any particular lessons learned along the way about “greening” your packaging?
MK: Sustainability is a complex topic, but packaging is something easy for the consumer to understand. As a brand makes improvements, it is important to be transparent with consumers by communicating how it benefits them.
For example, by light weighting our jars it changes the size impression on shelf. We were fearful the consumer would think they are getting less product for the same price. But actually, we have found consumers celebrate the reduction (which is communicated on pack) and unexpectedly expressed favorability because the lighter formats felt easier to transport and store.
MK: Kiehl’s is most energized by our opportunity to influence consumers to change their behaviors. Our current assortment of refills will expand to include top formulas, making it easier for consumers to replenish their favorite products. In a world driven by convenience, unlocking solutions that influence more responsible decisions and make ‘sustainability cool’ (and tangible) for the everyday consumer is a top priority.
Maggie Kervick is the Global Head of Sustainability and CSR for Kiehl’s Since 1851. With over 10 years of experience, she uses environmental, social and governance (ESG) as a new management approach to drive operational excellence, a resilient value chain, and more meaningful connections with consumers and employees.
When developing their products, Maggie Kervick, Kiehl’s Global Head of Sustainability and CSR, says they focus on eco-design principles, meaning “they evaluate the overall environmental impact, looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle.”
Dealing with consumer confusion and making ‘sustainability cool’ (and tangible) for the everyday consumer is a top priority. Read on for our Q&A.
Jamie Matusow: How has Kiehl’s Since 1851 evolved to become a leader in sustainable beauty? Can you provide a brief history?
Maggie Kervick: Kiehl’s Since 1851 has been committed to the health of skin and the well-being of the world since our founding. Born as an apothecary in New York’s East Village neighborhood, Kiehl’s Since 1851 utilizes over 170 years of skincare expertise to offer personalized service and efficacious skincare for all, under the highest standards of quality, safety, and sustainability.
- Transparency: One of the first companies to proudly list ingredients on product labels in 1924, 43 years before FDA regulations.
- Scientific Expertise: Aaron Morse, the second-generation owner, formulates an early form of penicillin and supplies the U.S. government with a special Aloe Vera cream for use on radiation burns.
- Extreme Adventure: Sponsored the 1988 Expedition at Mount Everest — the first ascent of the mountain’s east face without supplemental oxygen — taking along several Kiehl’s products to support them on their heroic journey.
- Advocating for LGBTQIA2+: Support of the community started in 1989 through donations to support HIV/AIDs. We now focus our attention on youth homelessness, because LGBTQ youth represent as much as 40% of the population in places like the US.
- Take-Back: One of the first beauty brands to take back empty products from consumers in-store in 2009 in exchange for rewards
As we look toward 2030, Kiehl’s Mission Renewal is our commitment to drive a more circular economy by respecting resources, designing out waste, and empowering our community to join us in action.
JM: What is your role at Kiehl's?
- 2030 Goals: Operationalizing sustainability across all functions to deliver Kiehl’s 2030 goals on ingredients, formula, packaging, and engagement of all stakeholders.
- Consumer Engagement: Amplifying storytelling around our brand values and key product attributes across our channels.
MK: On our imperfect journey to drive a more circular economy, Kiehl’s focuses on reducing material components, reusing materials by incorporating post-consumer recycled materials when available, offering refillable product packaging for customer favorites, and collecting empty products back in-store to provide our customers with an option to drop packaging that isn't accepted in their recycling bin at home.
When developing our products, Kiehl’s focuses on eco-design principles, meaning we evaluate the overall environmental impact, looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle. The choices we make around the packaging of our products play an important role in reducing environmental impacts.
Two key accomplishments that Kiehl’s is proud of include:
- Design Optimizations: 54% of our products are in jars, making them a key strategic area of focus on how we can reduce materials needed and integrate post-consumer recycled content (PCR). Kiehl’s is phasing in jars that have been light-weighted, starting with our 125ml jar, reducing plastic by -40% compared to its prior version.
- Refill Formats: Offering customer favorites in refill pouches for select body, hygiene, and moisturizer SKUs, helping customers reduce their plastic footprint by 61-81% depending on the product.
JM: What has been your most successful package development—and how did it evolve?
Once the consumer has refilled their jar, we invite them to bring the empty pouch back to stores, and we reward the consumer with loyalty points for their participation in our Recycle + Be Rewarded program.
This Earth Month, Kiehl’s took a portion of those empties collected by our consumers + household items, and worked in partnership with artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong to create “Single-Use Reflections,” an art installation that lived on NYC’s Highline. (See photo.)
Visited by over 280,000 people in a two-week period, the installation aimed to raise awareness about single-use plastic and the urgent need to pivot towards refill and reuse behaviors.
Embracing Refillables
JM: Kiehl’s is strong in its refill efforts—both in pouches and refilling stations. How are your customers reacting to this?MK: We consistently observe in consumer studies a strong desire by individuals to act more responsibly, but have found there is consumer confusion on how to make more sustainable choices.
Refills provide a concrete solution for consumers, while also saving them money. Kiehl’s doesn’t want you to rebuy, but rather refill, and by doing so mitigating plastic consumption by -61-81% depending on the product.
Consumers are not only embracing refills, but the content we create to promote them on average performs 24%+ better than industry averages on engagement.
JM: What other sustainable guidelines does Kiehl’s adhere to in addition to packaging?
MK: At Kiehl’s, we see nature as a resource and recognize we need to give back to the environment, not just take from it.
As part of our journey to drive a more circular economy, we are committed to sustainably sourcing ingredients, using green transformation and formulation processes, and producing products in facilities that use renewable energy and reuse water in a manufacturing loop. Sustainability is embedded into our key processes, starting at product conception.
Kiehl’s evaluates the overall environmental impact of every product in our portfolio looking across 14 impact factors measured at every stage of a product’s lifecycle, from ingredient sourcing, packaging production, manufacturing, to consumer usage, biodegradability, and disposal. The 14 planetary impact factors are weighted according to the Planetary Boundaries, a widely accepted scientific framework established by the Stockholm Resilience Center.
This allows us to look beyond certifying a single aspect of the supply chain and/or product and drives a holistic and data-driven approach to selecting raw materials, formulation processes and packaging when launching new products and updating customer favorites.
JM: Any particular lessons learned along the way about “greening” your packaging?
MK: Sustainability is a complex topic, but packaging is something easy for the consumer to understand. As a brand makes improvements, it is important to be transparent with consumers by communicating how it benefits them.
For example, by light weighting our jars it changes the size impression on shelf. We were fearful the consumer would think they are getting less product for the same price. But actually, we have found consumers celebrate the reduction (which is communicated on pack) and unexpectedly expressed favorability because the lighter formats felt easier to transport and store.
Future Goals
JM: What are your future goals—where do you see Kiehl’s sustainable efforts two years from now?MK: Kiehl’s is most energized by our opportunity to influence consumers to change their behaviors. Our current assortment of refills will expand to include top formulas, making it easier for consumers to replenish their favorite products. In a world driven by convenience, unlocking solutions that influence more responsible decisions and make ‘sustainability cool’ (and tangible) for the everyday consumer is a top priority.
