Khiron got its start in 2012 and is at its core a medical cannabis company. A recent press item describes the current business: “With a focused regional strategy and patient oriented approach, the company combines global scientific expertise, agricultural advantages, branded product market entrance experience and education to drive prescription and brand loyalty to address priority medical conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, depression and anxiety in the Latin American market of over 620 million people.”
First Colombia
While the company is headquartered in Canada, Khiron’s core business is in Colombia. In June Khiron brought Chris Naprawa in as president and in July announced they’d received authorization to make, sell, and export 4 skin care and body care products formulated with CBD.
And so in September the company formally announce a wellness business unit and its first beauty brand, Kuida. There are 7 products in the Kuida portfolio: Body Mist Relax, a Body Lotion, a Facial and Body Scrub, a Regenerative Night Cream, a Moisturizing Day Cream, an Eye Contour cream, and a Step 0 Fluid (for day and night skin barrier protection and elasticity).
Adding to the free-from phenomenon, the brand’s site notes that all Kuida products are not only paraben free but also THC free.
Explaining the general skin care benefits of CBD, a press release about the brand launch reads, “Kuida advances CBD and innovative cosmeceutical ingredients to create our proprietary CBDERM technology, which is proven to be three times more antioxidant than vitamin E, with anti-aging properties, quick absorption and light textures to improve the skin penetration of CBD.”
Then Mexico
In July, former Mexican president Vincente Fox joined the Khiron board of directors. And early this month that country’s current government made progress toward the legalization of cannabis by outlining sanitary control guidelines for cannabis and cannabis extracts.
“These guidelines, which were announced today by the Federal Commission for the Protection of Health Risks (COFEPRIS), establishes a framework for the Government of Mexico to form a licensed cannabis market for over 120 million residents of Mexico,” asserts a Khiron press release.
Fox also commented on the progress, saying, “With today's announcement we are gradually seeing the move towards a much-needed framework for legalized cannabis in Mexico. This is something I have long advocated for; It's good for business, for health and importantly for the social fabric of our country, which is why I applaud the announcement today from Commissioner Julio Sánchez y Tepóz.”
Now Peru
Now this week, Khiron has received approval from the from Peru's executive director of the Directorate of Medical Devices and Health Products of the General Directorate of Medications, Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID) to bring 4 CBD beauty products to market in Peru.
“With today's announcement to commercialize our Kuida brand in Peru we expand our reach into an important new market,” Alvaro Torres, co-founder and CEO of Khiron tells the press.
“Peru,” he says “is a region with a fast-growing cosmetic sector and an established legalized cannabis environment, which provides us with a strong foundation on which to build the Kuida brand.”
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
