Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda, created and lived the Aveda mission to “care for the world we live in from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society.” Horst recognized the opportunity to use the art and science of pure flower and plant essences to develop products that are committed to social and environmental responsibility. Horst founded Aveda in 1978 with his first product, a clove shampoo he created in his kitchen sink.
The name Aveda was derived from the Sanskrit word Ayurveda, which means “science of life.” Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic, whole-body healing systems; developed thousands of years ago in India. It is based on the belief that beauty and wellness are dependent on the balance between mind, body, and spirit. By basing Aveda wellness on Ayurveda’s holistic approach, Aveda has successfully created high performance, botanically based products that are safer for your personal well-being, as well as for the planet. Horst’s motto was, “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t put in your mouth.”
Characteristics of Aveda products include the following:
- 90% of the tonnage of essential oils we purchase for use in manufacturing our products is certified organic or biodynamic
- 89% of our raw herbal materials are also certified organic
- Complete traceability of certified organic ingredients, from the raw source to our finished products
- Shampoo bottles made with a minimum of 80% post-consumer recycled content, are made from recycled milk bottles, and can be recycled after use
- 100% of the electrical usage at Aveda’s corporate office, distribution centre and primary manufacturing facility in Blaine, Minnesota, is now offset by its wind energy purchase
- No animal testing
- Through fair compensation, we positively impact the people and economies from which some of our products’ ingredients are source
Click here to discover the properties of some of our favorite naturally derived ingredients.
In addition to creating earth-friendly products, Aveda takes actions to be a leader in environmental responsibility. Each year, the month of April is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of our world during Earth Month. Since 1999, Aveda has raised more than $44 million to help support organizations that directly affect environmental change. These efforts include the sale of the Light the Way Candle, the Love Composition Oil created as tribute to Horst, and fundraising events such as Catwalk for Water to promote clean water awareness.
Horst Rechelbacher’s respect for the world was the foundation for the success of Aveda. As a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us, take a look at some of these images that capture the love that nature provides.
