8th July 2020
In the second instalment of ‘brands I admire’, I want to start by addressing why I haven’t included Wella and Tigi in the blogposts.
I spent approximately 28 years working for Wella professionals and Tigi, just over 20 with the former and 7+ with the latter. Having dedicated a great part of my working life to these two industry giants, they will always have a special place in my heart and my memory …. and I still admire how they keep pushing the boundaries and forging ahead, but they do not feature in these blogs because [they] would lean toward being biased … naturally.
This post is about brands that have taken a serious interest in the environment and the catastrophic damage we as humans are causing, and they have taken hair care to a new dimension with some incredible results.
SO!
I can’t really remember how I stumbled across o’beehave, if memory serves me well (which these days it doesn’t always do so) we ‘met’ via Facebook approximately 5 years ago. I seem to recall reading something about ‘the beehive project salon and it’s unique product offering created exclusively in house for their clients. We spoke at length on Facebook messenger and then I was very kindly sent some of their ‘home made’ products which were absolutely outstanding. I was genuinely gobsmacked at the performance of this ‘cottage industry’ hair care. Since that day I have followed the story of O’beehave closely and seen the brand grow in strength and relevance, whilst competing in a market that is every growing with some big big players getting involved. Wella, L’oreal, Matrix and many more now have organic lines as standard elements of their portfolio. But, and I love this fact, Jeanine, the founder and owner of O’beehave and the beehive salon says “I’m happy to report that the refill project have served over 1 million liquid answers of product, without ever putting a plastic bottle on the market” …. yes, not only is the product kind to the environment from an ingredient perspective, it’s also plastic free!
I love that an independent salon and a salon owner can turn a dream into a reality.
Want more info, I’m pretty sure Jeanine would love to hear from you.
The Beehive Salon 32 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon NY 11702 631-422-0590/ 917-755-5357
About 4 years ago I was very fortunate to be taken on a whirlwind trip to the head office of Oway
An Italian company with headquarters tucked away in the gorgeous region of Bologna. It was a flying visit, with a UK distributor and members of their team, in and out of Italy within 24 hours. My reason for being there was the possible opportunity of getting involved with the brand in some way as an educator. Unfortunately this never came to fruition, but it didn’t stop me continuing to be fascinated by the company and what it stood (and still stands) for.
Ortofficina is Oway’s farm estate in the hills of Bologna, where they use a biodynamic method to grow and harvest medicinal herbs that are distilled locally, transforming them into Organic Way ingredients.
Whilst visiting Ortofficina we were taken to this exact field (above) and told about the process that happens once the plants planted there had grown to sufficient status to be cultivated,
We were then taken to the Oway production plant to watch the process of essential oil being extracted from the plants, it was genuinely fascinating to witness, and it made me realise that, no matter how small or big a company is, they can make a difference to the planet with their production methods.
The fact that all the products produced by Oway are sold in glass bottles or aluminium tubes shows the level of commitment this brand has made to the planet, as well as to the hairdresser, because the performance of the ranges is fabulous! I absolutely adore the way they encourage salons and clients to be creative with the packaging once the product has been used.
Hairdresser friends in Scotland check out the instagram feed @oway.scotland
One brand I have admired for many years is Davines
I suppose I became aware of Davines because of the incredible hairdresser Angelo Seminara and his stunning creations created for the brand, they really did blow my mind, as does most of his work.
I then actively began watching Davines as a product company and visitors to my previous website will remember competitions that happened with lots of stunning Davines Christmas gift packs available. An old friend from my Wella days Jim Wardle who now runs a distribution company ‘Premium Salon Brands very kindly sent mrhaircare lots of goodies to give away, and to try myself. I remember distinctly that the competition generated so much interest because the products and the gift packs looked so beautiful. I also remember being very impressed with the product performance myself ….. and as most of you know, I’m fussy when it comes to haircare. One friend who shall remain nameless, because she works as an educator for a hair care brand, told me that Oi was quite simply yet best product she had ever used on her own hair.
What I love about Davines is their USP’s, they have such a different approach to hair care and how it is marketed to both the hairdresser and their client. Whilst (naturally) the model images produced are beautiful, it’s more than that, there is a quirkiness and a naivety in their product imagery that appeals to everyone. In a world where everything has to be super sleek and stylised, I admire the bravery taken to place an advert in a hairdressing magazine that looks like this …. by the way there are lots of other version and all of them look super cool.
Take a look at the image above, there’s just no way you can say it’s like other manufacturers advertising, because it isn’t. It’s bold and brave because it doesn’t say anything at all about the brand, but it makes you very curious to find out about it.
Another Italian brand, Davines shouts out about exactly where its ingredients come from, it even goes as far as to tell you the farmland from where specific ingredients come from. the names of the care range are fun, almost frivolous, Oi, Love, DeDe, Minu, Mele, NouNou; I could go on but I suggest you check out the full range here DAVINES PORTFOLIO
I was very impressed when I sat in on a presentation from Jim Wardle to one of his top counts, Evolve in York and listened to the explanations of the names… which, when analysed, actually make perfect sense!
By the way, it’s not all graphic drawings that support the brand message, check out this blogpost about a recent collaboration with an Italian artist who has been working alongside Davines creating some beautiful new imagery, Blogpost.
Davines is a complete product company from hair care to skin care and colour, offering everything for a salon with a conscience, and with its commitment to responsible sustainability, it really is a brand worth looking at.
In a world where we are currently looking at increasing our plastic waste immeasurably due to all the PPE required to operate in salons, it’s worthwhile looking at what companies who strive to do ‘better’ can offer your business.
Note: I am not paid to endorse any company I mention in this blogpost.
