A bit about Aveda

Last night, I went to an interview to learn a little about an Aveda concept salon in town called Jon Alan. I knew there was this one at Nippers Corner by my house, but I actually didn't know there were 3 in total! The first opened up in Bellevue in 1988, so they've been around for a while and Jon, the owner, seems to have a recipe for success. She says, "Success is a planned event," and in the interview we speak a bit about what it takes to be successful. She also gives us a packet including an article on how to find the best job for you in cosmetology. She is not shy about saying that her salon may not be the right fit for you, and they only want people who are totally committed to their vision. Sounds like our culture at Paul Mitchell so far... Her husband introduces her as the "American Tabitha", which intrigues me, as I have an understanding of the way I work that leads me to believe I need strict guidance. In the packet are also pages about Aveda's concepts, the salons concepts, and a few general words of advice to the new stylist. My favorite of which is this quote at the bottom of a page about Aveda's shaping beliefs;

Make a COMMITMENT to yourself backed by INTEGRITY, guided by MENTORS, to develop a PASSION for your art, striving for EXCELLENCE, which will lead to SUCCESS, followed by FULFILLMENT in your own expression of CREATIVITY. -Geno Stampora

So now I am a bit intrigued with Aveda and it's structures. This blog-post is born of an exploration into Aveda's history and culture and a need to download and process that information for myself, so apologies if it is not as interesting as some... :)


The beginnings of Aveda are quite interesting, (although this information was gleaned from Wikipedia and the link to the official information no longer works... :/  ) founded by a man named Horst Rechelbacher in 1978. (poor guy! lol) Apparently, on a trip to India in 1970, he discovered the healing properties of Ayurveda (the Hindu science of longevity)  and suddenly his vision for his company (thus the name Aveda) was born. 

The translation of Ayurveda is "the complete knowledge for long life". It is a form of holistic or alternative medicine. Ayurveda deals elaborately with measures of healthful living during the entire span of life and its various phases. It's rather fascinating, and if I was to continue to talk about it, this blog post would be miles long! So instead, here's a link where you can learn all about Ayurveda and it's principles!


Today, Aveda is a part of Estée Lauder Companies Inc., based in New York. Rechelbacher sold Aveda to Estée Lauder in 1997 for $300 million, although Aveda continues to be run as a separate entity. This is one thing that bothers me... as Paul Mitchell is still owned by hairdressers, and will be for at least the next 300+ years. (Jon Paul DiJoria and Angus Mitchell just put the company into a trust.) I am worried about joining a company that is owned by a makeup manufacturer. According to the company's website, "Aveda" is Sanskrit^, but in fact means "no knowledge". Whoops. Also, HOLY CRAP! Estee Lauder is owned by the president of the Jewish National Fund, which is heavily involved in developing illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands. Double whoops... I'll let you do your own research there, but there's a lot of scary info to be found on that front. for "all knowledge"


This is all information gleaned from the internet, which is a semi-reliable source if at all. Also, it doesn't mean there aren't good things about this company... Aveda's mission is "to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental ledarship and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world." They are heavily involved in philanthropy, thay raised more than $2.1 million in 30 days for Earth Month in support of clean water rights. They were the first company to manufacture with 100% wind power. The first to incorporate 80-95% post-consumer recycled (PCR) high density polyethylene (HDPE) in all of its retail shampoo bottles (made from recycled milk bottles), reducing use of virgin HDPE by 300 tons annually. 89% of the total tonnage of its essential oils are certified organic. The Company purchases in excess of 30 tons of certified organic essential oils in one year. And Aveda formed a partnership with a women's cooperative network in Morocco to sustainably source certified organic argan oil and help the women to provide for their families and communities

^{All of this in consideration, the only real beef I have with Aveda is that they are owned by Estee Lauder. Not because of the president's involvement in the Palesitne/Jewish issues, but because it is not a hairdressing company. However, all the information I have found states that they continue to run separately, and  are doing well for hairdressers worldwide. Estee Lauder also owns two of my other favorite lines, Clinique (makeup) and Bumble and Bumble (another high-end hair care line). The have a great culture and create brilliant stylists. They are more involved in philanthropy than most, and I would work for them if given the opportunity, but I have to say, my heart belongs to Paul Mitchell :)}