Just as the world is focused on Taiwan’s most dynamic industry, semiconductors, a local brand of fragrant personal care products named Blueseeds has been quietly infiltrating the North American market.

Boasting natural farming methods and no added artificial chemical compounds, Blueseeds sells 200,000 bottles of essential oils a year, and sets itself apart from the flood of other Taiwanese scented product brands.

 

“Everyone tends to immediately associate aroma­therapy with Western brands, but the agricultural sector in Taiwan lends itself nicely to the production of some great essential oils.” Shelley Chang, Blueseeds’ COO at the time of our interview, sits in her office in Neihu and hands us several bottles of essential oil with the Blueseeds logo.

The exquisitely-packaged dark bottle in her hands contains a blend of essential oils extracted from aromatic herbs from Taitung. “This blend sells very well in Canada.” Noticing the curious looks on our faces, Chang encourages us to try a few drops on our hands. “It’s a water-in-oil emulsion. The tiny molecules absorb instantly into the skin, which is perfect for Canada’s arid climate.” When coming in close for a sniff, you are treated to an elegant floral scent.

Many of the ingredients in Blue­seeds products, like jasmine and rose, come from farms in Tai­tung which utilize natural farming techniques. In order to create products with zero chemical additives, Blueseeds grows their own soapwort to use natural saponins in lieu of chemical surfactants.

Natural farming

“Our essential oil products are ­really reinvigorating.” Shelley Chang explains that the top-grade essential oils that go into Blueseeds’ products are extracted and blended by the company from aromatic herbs that it grows itself. This is in line with the aims that Stephanie Chan, founder and CEO, has pursued from the outset.

A former prominent figure in the technology industry, Stephanie Chan once fell seriously ill due to work fatigue. When she recovered, she realized the dangers chemical carcino­gens pose to our bodies and our soil. She thus set out upon a new course, turning to nature for healing power.

After some searching, Chan decided to set up a base in Taitung. She teamed up with local farmers in order to control the source of her ingredients, and used a production-­line method seen in the technology industry for Blueseeds’ own operations. She oversaw everything from propa­ga­ting the herb seedlings to planting, extracting, blending, marketing, and packaging. In doing so, she created a unique global supply chain for aromatic herbal products.

Blueseeds essential oils have buyers from places as far away as Canada. This is not only because the company practices natural farming, but also mainly due to the fact that their aromatic herbs grow in a unique environment. “We like to observe various ecologies and plant aromatic herbs specifically where weeds and insects are prevalent.”

This survival-of-the-fittest approach means that the aromatic herbs must compete with the insects and weeds. The weaker strains will be eliminated in two or three years, but “the ones that survive are the strongest amongst the plants.” This concept of plant communities that Shelly Chang speaks of means that every plant they use is a winner in the battle for natural selection.

The local farmers have learned about the subtleties of ecological processes from growing different plants together. Their knowledge has proved highly beneficial to Blueseeds. For example, if mint is planted beneath okra, the okra plants will grow especially well; planting lavender under tangerine trees will lend the lavender a sweet aroma. Blueseeds saves its own seeds in order to keep control of its aromatic herb cultivars.

Restoring and revitalizing the land

The respect for the land inherent in natural farming makes it perfect for local farmers. Their partnership with Blueseeds boosts the local economy while also supporting placemaking, which capitalizes on local resources. This approach to land restoration caught the attention of the Canadian government, who invited Blueseeds to assist the Indigenous peoples in Canada in learning how to extract essential oils.
 

Blockchain for traceability

Stephanie Chan spared no expense to go to Britain and France to study fragrance blending, eventually becoming qualified in the UK as a professional perfumer. Her techniques interested many companies, who asked her to compose unique proprietary perfumes for them.

“Blending is something of an innate talent,” Chan says as her hands flit between the essential oils to the side. She swirls a crystal-clear liquid in a beaker, and soon enough, “Taitung #1” is made. This fragrance caught the fancy of a sports car manufacturer, who uses it as the brand’s desig­nated perfume and later introduced other best-selling products with that fragrance.

Stephanie Chan’s background in tech led her to use blockchains for product tracing. Blueseeds uses the blockchain Ethereum in its supply chain during harvest­ing, blending, shipping, and other phases in order to keep complete records of the ingredients used in their products, and of the products’ storage. Thus, you can trace all the way back to the origins of every product, even to the point of knowing precisely where and on which day a particular herb was harvested.

Hi-tech business model

Blueseeds uses a virtual economy based on blockchains, and has issued its own cryptocurrency called “Blueseeds Token.” Corporate clients, suppliers, and farmers may all use this currency to complete trans­actions. Blueseeds also uses the blockchain technology known as Brackets in tandem with Blueseeds Token to offer customer loyalty rewards, make online sales, and even crowdfund for agricultural investment.

“Technologically, we are most similar to TSMC [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] as we control our own key manufacturing processes and raw mater­ials. However, our business model is more akin to Apple, as we also control our own intellectual property (that is, our fragrance blending know-how).”

Stephanie Chang is creating a model of a business ecosystem that she hopes can be transferred to other countries. The ultimate goal is for her brand to break into the international market.

Using business to strengthen the community

Blueseeds supports small farmers, carries out land restoration, and promotes a zero-pollution lifestyle. Accord­ing to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, Blueseeds already meets the criteria for “No Poverty,” “Sustainable Cities and Communities,” and “Responsible Consumption and Production.” Accord­ingly, many businesses view Blueseeds as their premier partner for socially responsible business gifts.

Recently, the National Museum of History authorized Blueseeds to use the art of the painter Sanyu to create the “SanYu Woman in Bath” co-branded spa giftset. Blueseeds specially designed the packaging for this col­labora­tion, creating a sense of immediacy by allowing the user to open or close the curtain for the bathing woman.

“Just as you cannot go about your daily activities without [the electronic components made by] TSMC, you cannot go without water to cleanse your body and your environment.” With every person in Taiwan using an average of about 200 liters of water a day, Stephanie Chan feels that if we all use only natural products as far as possible in our daily routine, then there will be less chemical residue that ends up in our soil and our oceans. She sincerely hopes we understand that “a responsible consumer does not cause harm to the planet.” 

As the world is galvanized by the coronavirus pandemic, Blueseeds recognizes the urgency of protecting the environment while also taking care of one’s health. Every one of us has a social responsibility for the earth. Loving the earth starts with you and me.