Niche Beauty
Every tree, a beautiful beginning: BAUM makes its travel retail debut
Sustainable beauty brand BAUM is on a mission to share its respect and reverence of trees to travellers across the globe. The brand, which recently launched at the Mitsukoshi Ginza Department Store, seeks to carve out a niche in the beauty sector by offering nature-driven beauty products that nourish both skin and mind.
Shiseido Travel Retail recently launched the prestige Japanese skincare and mind brand Baum in Japan travel retail by opening its first counter in the Mitsukoshi Ginza Department Store in Tokyo. The striking 25sq m counter was opened in partnership with Japan Duty Free Ginza and Japan Airport Terminal Company Limited. BAUM’s travel retail launch drives Shiseido’s ‘Beauty Innovations for a Better World’ mission and its goal of becoming a top skincare player by 2030, the company said.
BAUM is bringing a Shinrin-yoku Biyo or Forest Bathing experience to shoppers at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Ginza, Tokyo
The Power of Trees
Founded in 2020, BAUM is a unisex sustainable beauty brand whose mission is to coexist with nature. Its brand concept, ‘Every tree, a beautiful beginning’, embraces the power of trees through natural formulations and nature-inspired packaging. The name BAUM was inspired by the growth rings of trees and represents the constant cycle of development towards a more sustainable future.
BAUM celebrates the integral role that trees play for people and planet. The brand is inspired by the Japanese tradition of ‘Shinrin-yoku Biyo’ or Forest Bathing which is a form of mindfulness meditation surrounded by trees. In the practice of Shinrin-yoku Biyo, it is believed that trees have the power to create a sense of calm and are a source of mindfulness to help relax the brain and enhance sleep. This serves as BAUM’s driving force as the brand formulates ingredients from every part of a tree including trunk, bark, leaves, fruit and roots.
Trees are present throughout BAUM’s natural range of beauty products which are designed to soothe, relax and balance both skin and mind. All its formulations are free from parabens, silicones and synthetic colourants and made with a minimum of 90% natural-origin ingredients.
BAUM’s nature-loving ethos continues onto its packaging which uses upcycled oak repurposed from wood furniture offcuts, sourced from Japanese furniture manufacturer Karimoku. Its sleek wooden packaging extends the life cycle of the wooden furnishings, creating naturally varied yet striking pieces of art that can be used for a very long time. The brand also offers refillable products and reusable bags.
In addition, a bio-based PET is partially used for BAUM’s plastic bottles, while its glass containers and outer packaging are made from recycled glass and FSC-certified materials respectively.
The milestone opening was graced by (left) Shiseido Travel Retail Japan Vice President Tatsuya Nagai and (right) BAUM Global Brand Manager Ayami Nishiwaki
BAUM Perch
The new counter offers a distinctive ‘BAUM Perch’ experience on the eighth floor of the Mitsukoshi Ginza Department Store. The experience invites travellers to embark on a mini Forest Bathing multi-sensory journey while relaxing with the scents and sounds of the forest. The store conjures the power of trees through healing natural woods, with black and white accents that add a contemporary aesthetic feel.
Green shelving and podiums are decorated with tree rings to reinforce BAUM’s deep connection with trees. A self-trial podium encourages travellers to try out its products, while a dedicated iPad and educational panelling inform shoppers of the brand’s offer, ethos and efficacy.
Travellers can enjoy beauty consultations using BAUM’s Shinrin-yoku beauty ritual, which is a bespoke skincare regime that evokes the tranquillity of forest bathing.
BAUM’s hero lines are on display at the counter including the BAUM Hydro Essence Lotion, BAUM Moisturising Oil and BAUM Eau de Cologne. The BAUM Hydro Essence Lotion penetrates deep into the skin to infuse vitality, moisture and translucence, improving water retention and environmental defence.
BAUM’s travel retail debut underscores Shiseido Group’s mission to become a top skin beauty player by 2030
The BAUM Moisturising Oil combines distinct oil layers that relax and soften the skin without excess moisture, while the Eau de Cologne is formulated with 97.1% natural, tree-derived ingredients that evoke scents of forest bathing. The Eau de Cologne is available in the Woodland Winds, Forest Embrace and Symphony of Trees scents.
BAUM's three fragrance variants – each characterised by sandalwood, cypress or guaiac wood – all contain cedarwood oil, which is rich in phytoncide. Phytoncide is a volatile substance released by trees that emits an aromatic fragrance that is deeply relaxing.
Commenting on the milestone opening, Shiseido Travel Retail President & CEO Philippe Lesné́ says: “BAUM’s addition to our prestige portfolio in travel retail is an important development that reinforces Shiseido’s ambition to become the global leader in skin beauty by 2030. We have evolved with consumers’ needs for responsible products, and BAUM carves a new standard in Japanese beauty with its sustainable tree-powered proposition. We look forward to introducing travellers to a new generation of skin beauty innovation, in collaboration with our key partner, Japan Airport Company Limited .”
Shiseido Travel Retail Vice President Marketing Siv Chao added: “BAUM is a new type of next-generation skincare brand that today’s younger consumers are looking for in the shift towards conscious beauty. We are happy to address consumer needs with the launch of BAUM in global travel retail, offering travellers the opportunity to experience a new form of skin and mind care. The new counter in Ginza, Tokyo has attracted strong interest from consumers and shown the enthusiasm towards BAUM, so we are confident about the brand’s growth potential. We are proud to plant the first seed of BAUM in the duty free channel as international travel recovers, and hope to see its continued success in the months and years to come.”
Crafted from luxurious curved oak, the ‘perch’ counter provides a relaxing environment for BAUM Beauty Consultants to offer beauty consultations and rituals inspired by forest bathing
Getting to the root of BAUM
BAUM is a brand that is rooted in trees. For the brand, trees are a symbol of sustainability that nurture and protect life.
In Japanese architecture, trees have been used – and reused – for thousands of years. In fact, some of the oldest wooden structures in the world can be found in Japan, where a deep respect for trees is ingrained into the country’s culture and lifestyle.
For example, the Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu) has an architectural history that dates back to 4BC. Every 20 years it undergoes a complete rebuilding process, known as Sengu, whereby mature trees are cut down and used in the rebuild, and new trees are planted. This constant, sustainable cycle not only maintains the longevity of the shrine, but it also rejuvenates and breathes new life into the forest. It also serves as the inspiration for the brand’s own approach to skin beauty.
Inspired and empowered by trees, it is the brand’s mission to share the extraordinary power of trees through sustainable, nature-driven products that balance both skin and mind.
BAUM Forest Bathing
The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan-Gillies got a first-hand experience of the BAUM Forest Bathing ritual. With clean skin, she began by toning the face with the BAUM Hydro Essence Lotion.
Afterwards, the BAUM Moisturising Oil deeply nourishes her skin through rich oil layers, followed by the BAUM Eau de Cologne which instantly enveloped her in relaxing forest scents.
“The BAUM Forest Bathing Ritual is a relaxing skincare and fragrance ritual that instantly evokes a sense of calm,” Tan-Gillies said. “It is a great way to forget about the stress of the day and really does make you feel like you are walking through a lush alpine forest.”
Partner's message
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 323 | 5 May 2023
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 14 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com