Spa Review Series: Aveda Skin Care Products for Aestheticians

2nd in a Series: Review of Professional Products for Aesthetician Use

Aveda Corporation was founded in 1978 and is today owned by Estee Lauder.  Their product lines include Shampure, Rosemary Mint, Pure-Fume and All Sensitive.  Natural essential oils are key to their quality.  According to the company founder, “Our mission at Aveda 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 leadership and responsibility- not just in the world of beauty, but around the world.”

Aveda  offers education for salons associated with them as a way of assuring that skin care professionals are well aware of the ingredients and the efforts made at the highest quality standards.   Aveda also offers various treatments that are unique  to them only. The Aveda Hydrotherm massage for instance   is a massage which takes place on heated, water-filled cushions and has become  a trademark for the company. All Aveda certified treatments include the exclusive usage of Aveda made and approved products.

Partnerships With Indigenous Peoples

Aveda formed a partnership in the mid 1990’s with the babassu nut breakers of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil.  They began acquiring certified organic babassu to utilize as a base in creating rich, foaming cleansing elements called babassu betaine.  These elements offer wonderful, luxurious results and fit in well with Aveda’s declared mission, to support sustainable organic agriculture, provide ecosystem protection and to form partnerships with indigenous communities to encourage economic independence.  This collaboration has worked out very well for both groups, exceeding initial expectations.  The local collective sells Aveda babassu oil made to the high standards they need and both sides win.

Natural Oils

The rose and lavender oils Aveda uses also have a wonderful story. They come from flowers from the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria.  The valley where they are grown is near the village of Tarmichene, and is home to the Enio Bonchev rose and lavender essential oil distillery.  These oils are extra sweet due to soil botanicals.  The factory was founded over a hundred years ago by Enio Boncev, and ceased operation when the communists took over the country. But, with their new found freedom the distillery reopened.  Bonche’s son-in-law repurchased the land and opened again for business.  The result has been a partnership with Aveda resulting in economic independence for the area and an improved standard of living for the workers, as well as the return of a proud tradition.

Click here to read the previous installment of this blog series on professional skin care products