MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aveda, the high performance, plant-infused hair care brand with a mission of care, today further cements itself as a leader in sustainability and environmental advocacy with a dual sustainability announcement: the brand has named model and climate activist, Arizona Muse, as its first-ever Global Advocate for Sustainability and has today shared that the brand is 100% vegan, now and forever.
A pioneer in cruelty-free beauty and environmental responsibility, the brand sets sustainability milestones that will help to further help to decrease its impact on the planet every year. It is fitting that Aveda’s first global brand ambassador will be focused on advocating for sustainability: in this newly created role, Arizona will work alongside Aveda to champion the brand’s sustainability initiatives, educating around conscious choices that individuals can make to help foster environmental change; leading conversations with other thought leaders and sharing sustainability news on behalf of the Aveda brand, including its transition to 100% vegan formulations by removing all beeswax and beeswax-derived ingredients from its products.
Aveda Global Brand President Barbara De Laere said, “today marks a really exciting moment for our brand as we share with the world our continuous commitment to sustainability. Aveda was founded by a world class hairstylist, environmentalist and activist who strongly believed that you shouldn’t have to compromise high-performance for vegan, sustainable ingredients, or decide between creating beautiful products or being more environmentally and socially responsible. Our announcements today are a continuation of our mission: we are thrilled that we can now further decrease our impact on the planet by offering 100% vegan products, and for our partnership with Arizona Muse, an authentic ambassador who is both a pioneer and a force for change.”
A Sustainable Face for the Brand
Arizona Muse is a world-renowned fashion model and climate activist who has been the face of campaigns for some of the world’s most acclaimed brands. She devoted herself to the cause of environmental sustainability in 2016 after realizing that, as a model, she didn’t know where the clothes she was wearing and helping to sell came from.
Since then, she has delved deep into self-education about the climate crisis we face, learning as much as she can and recently started applying this knowledge as a sustainability consultant. As a stalwart of the industry, she acts as a bridge between the worlds of fashion and environmental activism, using her platform to educate, engage and take action for change.
Aveda’s partnership with Arizona is uncanny; not only has she been using Aveda products since childhood, she also shares many of the brand’s core values around environmental responsibility and giving back to society. Together, they will work toward a goal of impacting the world, but limiting their impact on the planet.
Arizona Muse said, “Aveda is a company that I have long admired for creating the most beautiful products that work for my hair, smell amazing and are also responsibly manufactured. I believe wholeheartedly that you don’t have to compromise luxury or performance for planet-friendly products, and Aveda delivers on that. Being named their Global Advocate for Sustainability is such an honor for me and I am proud to be working with a brand that shares my values. I also love changing my hair, and look forward to debuting a few new looks throughout our partnership!”
Transition to Vegan
Vegan products are defined as those that are created without any animal or animal-derived ingredients. Aveda has been cruelty-free since the brand was founded in 1978 and was largely vegan with the exception of some products that contained honey, beeswax and beeswax-derived ingredients in a limited number of products. It was no easy task to remove them.
“Removing beeswax was one of the biggest challenges for Aveda formulators because it helps to create texture, structure, color payoff, and smoothness,” explained Christine Hall, Aveda’s VP of Research and Development. “One common alternative to beeswax for lip products specifically is synthetic beeswax, a wax that is petroleum derived. But at Aveda, because we are committed to maximizing our use of naturally-derived ingredients, we opted instead to create a unique blend of plant-based butters and waxes that are strong enough for application, but also feel good on your lips.”
To learn more about Aveda’s vegan products and sustainability initiatives, visit aveda.com/sustainablefuture.
About Aveda
Founded in 1978 in Minneapolis, MN, Aveda creates high-performance hair, skin and body products for beauty professionals and consumers. Aveda innovates in botanical technologies, combining the principles of modern science and Ayurveda, the ancient healing art of India, to develop performance-driven hair, skin and body products—made with pure flower and plant essences—that are created with respect for the Earth, and a comprehensive menu of ritual-based treatments for holistic beauty.
Throughout the years, Aveda has pioneered new benchmarks of environmental responsibility in beauty. It was the first company to sign the Ceres Principles in 1989—a nonprofit organization mobilizing business leadership on climate change, water scarcity and other sustainability challenges—and the first beauty company to manufacture products with 100 percent wind power through renewable energy credits and carbon offsets. In June 2020, Aveda unveiled a 3.6 acre, 900kW ground-mounted solar array at its primary facility, which provides up to 50% of the annual energy demand for manufacturing, with the remainder powered by wind. This array offsets more than 1,100 metric tons of CO2 annually.
Aveda was also the first beauty company to receive a Cradle to Cradle charter for its commitment to sustainable products, packaging and production. In 2013, Aveda was honored with the first Legacy Leaders Award from Cradle to Cradle for its pioneering role in environmental leadership. Aveda received the Sustainability Leadership Award in 2017 during the Sustainable Beauty Awards organized by Ecovia Intelligence for its leadership in packaging, green formulations and sustainable ingredients and was a finalist for the same award in 2020. Since 1999, Aveda’s annual Earth Month campaign, held each April, has raised nearly $65 million to support environmental projects around the world.
Aveda products are available in Aveda Experience Centers and more than 9,000 professional hair salons and spas in more than 45 countries and at aveda.com.