Redken

Redken is an American professional haircare brand founded in 1960 by Paula Kent and Jheri Redding [1]. Its name is a contraction of the founders' surnames, Redding and Kent [1]. Built around a scientific approach to hair, the brand sold its products chiefly through salons and licensed cosmetologists rather than retail shelves. It has been part of L'Oréal since the early 1990s and today operates within the group's Professional Products Division [1].

The company began in California and later moved to New York, where L'Oréal's US operations are based [3]. Because it now runs as a brand inside a larger corporation rather than as an independent firm, Redken is best described as an acquired brand rather than a standalone company.

The brand grew out of a personal problem. Paula Kent, a young Hollywood actress with fine hair and sensitive skin, developed allergic reactions to the bleaching products used on film sets. When dermatologists and hairdressers could not explain the chemistry behind those reactions, she set out to make gentler, high-performance products of her own [4]. She partnered with the hairdresser Jheri Redding, and the two launched the company in 1960 with roughly $3,000 and a small initial range of products, paired with a training program for hairdressers.

From the start, the emphasis was as much on education as on the products themselves. Redken paired its early launches with instruction for salon professionals on the chemistry of hair and skin, a pattern that would shape how the brand presented itself for decades.

Redken has long framed itself around science. The company sums up its approach in the formula "protein + moisture + acidic pH = healthy hair," and describes three founding principles: the use of protein technology, an acidic pH of 4.5 to 5.5 meant to match the natural pH of hair and skin, and distribution exclusively through licensed salon professionals. Its stated mission has been described as "Beauty through Science," and its tagline as "Powered by science. Prescribed by pros."

The brand positions itself at the professional tier of the market. According to L'Oréal, Redken is the top-selling brand in the US total hair market and the leading demi-permanent color line globally, citing Kline 2024 data [2].

Redken's range spans hair color, hair care, and styling, with a men's grooming line under the Redken Brews name. Among its signature products are the Shades EQ color gloss, introduced in 1983, along with All Soft Shampoo, the Extreme range, and the One United multi-benefit treatment. In its early years the company introduced protein-based hair reconditioning products for professional salons, which it patented [1].

In 1993, with sales reported at $160 million, Redken was acquired by Cosmair, Inc., the US licensee that operated L'Oréal's professional products business [1]. L'Oréal then took full control of Cosmair the following year, in 1994 [1]. The brand's headquarters shifted from its California origins to L'Oréal's New York offices on Fifth Avenue after the acquisition [3].

Within L'Oréal's Professional Products Division, Redken sits alongside sister brands including L'Oréal Professionnel, Kiehl's, and Lancôme.

Several dates mark the brand's development. In 1974 it held its first "Symposium" for salon professionals, and in 1996 it launched the Redken Exchange as an educational resource. In 2014, the model Lea T became the face of the brand, described as the first openly transgender model to front a global cosmetics brand [1]. Suki Waterhouse followed as a brand face in 2015, and in 2024 the singer Sabrina Carpenter was named Redken's first global ambassador [1].

The company has stated a range of environmental commitments. It says all of its color formulas are vegan and that its shampoo and conditioner bottles use 100% recycled plastic [2]. It also reports that more than 60% of its global shampoo portfolio is at least 90% biodegradable, and that all of its owned factories reached 100% renewable energy by the end of 2024. In 2020, the brand received an "Award of Earth Defender" from the Environment Possibility Award for sustainable development work [1].

Redken remains an active, global professional haircare brand, operating as part of L'Oréal's Professional Products Division since the 1993–1994 acquisition. Recent activity, including the 2024 appointment of a global ambassador and 2024 market-leadership figures, indicates it is fully operational; it is classified as acquired because it continues under L'Oréal ownership rather than as an independent business.