Aveda Enters Men’s Hair-Care Market With Aveda Men Pureformance

Aveda will support the July launch of its new Aveda Men Pureformance hair-care collection by arming its salon staff and retail locations with the knowledge necessary to market hair care to men, according to Aveda's VP-Global Marketing Suzanne Dawson.

"Aveda has made an extensive commitment to this launch - not just from a product standpoint but from an education standpoint as well," Dawson told "The Rose Sheet" June 20.

To prepare its salon staff to care for men's hair, Aveda is offering a "comprehensive range of men's education programs designed to equip salon staff with the technical know-how," she said.

The programs are to "help salon staff excel at the art of cutting men's hair" while also teaching them how to cater effectively to male customers. "We are committed to bringing mastery back to the craft," Dawson said.

Aveda also has created Aveda Men Business Manual to motivate and educate salon staff about serving male customers and optimizing the salon environment "to best appeal and cater to the male guest."

Overall, the manual is meant to help Aveda's salons "effectively market" the Aveda Men Pureformance line to male and female consumers alike.

"Think of it as a complete strategic guide to developing and maintaining a new male guest base," Dawson said.

The new collection - which comprises a shampoo, conditioner, composition, grooming cream, grooming clay, pomade and liquid pomade - is Aveda's first venture into the men's hair-care category.

"For Aveda, this launch was a no-brainer," Dawson said. "Although Aveda has never been exclusive to women, we have - throughout most of our history - been focused on the female guest."

According to the exec, men's personal care is a booming market.

"Men, like never before, are placing greater importance on the way they look," she said, attributing the phenomenon to a growing desire to "stay competitive at work and stay attractive to women."

Currently, only 8 percent of Aveda's salon revenue - in both service and retail - comes from men. "We believe it can and should be much higher," Dawson said.

The company hopes that Aveda Men Pureformance will appeal to two consumer groups.

The first audience being targeted consists of men who already use prestige hair, skin and body products as well as Aveda's existing female customers looking to purchase products "for the men in their lives," according to Dawson.

"We feel confident that we will be a natural choice for these men who are already openly indulging themselves in the world of beauty/grooming products in their daily efforts to look good," she said.

The secondary audience is made up of men who "may not yet completely embrace a multi-dimensional grooming routine but could be introduced to a more sophisticated grooming regimen."

These men will lean towards products that are easy to use and developed specifically for their needs, Dawson added.

Customizing Men's Hair Care Based On Science

It was a desire to bring male consumers onboard, coupled with a "discovery" made by its R&D team, that moved Aveda to enter the men's hair-care market.

According to Dawson, Aveda Men Pureformance is "grounded in extensive research ... show[ing] that men's scalps are thicker than women's and can produce twice the level of oil. This is a biological fact. This can make men more prone to sensitivity, dryness, redness, irritation and other unpleasant scalp conditions."

The revelation inspired the concept and development of Aveda's new collection, which is formulated with the brand's proprietary Phyto-Active Blend to soothe and relieve men's scalp and hair, the exec said.

To appeal to masculine tastes, the line is scented with the signature Aveda Men Pureformance Aroma, "a rich, spicy, refreshing aroma" made with kunzea and certified organic essential oils of spearmint, citrus, vetiver and lavender, according to Aveda.

The line is formulated with boswellia serrata, which is clinically proven "to help visibly reduce skin irritation and redness" and is used in Ayurvedic medicine to help support skin's overall natural function, the firm says.

Other ingredients include licorice extract to soothe and calm skin, phycosaccharide (seaweed), which acts as a protective barrier for skin and scalp, and plai oil, a member of the ginger family that is "a centuries-old folk remedy for helping relieve skin irritation."

Tamanu oil sourced from the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific helps restore moisture balances within the hair and scalp while ursolic acid (sage extract) acts as a "highly-active anti-oxidant," Aveda adds.

The shampoo and conditioner are designed to be used together to soothe, protect and relieve the scalp, the firm says. Eighty percent of men who used the products in combination for two weeks said their scalp "never felt so refreshed." Seventy-two percent experienced a reduction in oiliness and greasiness, and 65 percent experienced a reduction in scalp dryness and itchiness, according to the firm.

Designed to be applied to the hair and scalp prior to cleansing, Aveda Men Pureformance Composition is "a multi-functional blend of essential oils to soothe and rejuvenate scalp, body and hair."

Grooming Cream provides hold and control while delivering "natural, healthy-looking shine"; the item is ideal for fine hair, Aveda says. For a thick, textured, matte finish, the firm offers its Grooming Clay, which contains lightweight micro-fibers for a pliable yet strong hold.

The pomade also promises "strong, pliable hold and control" while the liquid pomade offers moderate hold, "lightweight control and high shine."

Aveda Men Pureformance is packaged in bottles that contain a varying percentage of post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene. The labeling is printed with soy ink, according to the company.

The items will retail for $18 to $22 at Aveda salons and spas and online at the brand's Web site.

- Melina A. Vissat ([email protected])