Aveda

Aveda™, The Art and Science of Pure Flower and Plant Essences™, was founded in 1978 with the goal of providing beauty industry professionals with high performance, botanically based products that would be better for service providers and their guests, as well as for the planet.

When it comes to beauty care and anti-aging formulas, Aveda stands at the top of a very long list.  The Aveda Company is currently part of the Estee Lauder Company Inc, although it maintains its standing and independence as a separate entity, and although Aveda's formulas are funded by Estee Lauder.  They started making waves by being one of the first corporations to come out and openly endorse an attitude of greater environmental responsibility, making it quite popular with socially responsible, ecologically aware people.

The company’s “green” ingredients policy requires the use of “renewable, sustainable, or organic, plant-based ingredients and non-petroleum mineral ingredients in our products.” Aveda markets a wide variety of skincare products.

Aveda offers natural hair products, natural make up, skin care products and other cosmetic products for men and women while being environmentally safe.   As a manufacturer of plant-based hair, skin, body, aroma, make-up and lifestyle products, Aveda stakes its long-term business model on safe and all natural alternatives to the chemical laced products which many other beauty product companies use. All of the Aveda shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, make-up and skin care products are made from natural plant-based ingredients.

Skin-Deep Rating from 2 – 7

A number of Aveda products have a low ranking of 2, but others go up to 7 on the scale.

Stacy Malkan with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says those higher toxicity rankings on Aveda products derive from ingredients the Skin Deep Web site says can irritate the skin, harm the reproductive system, or disrupt hormones.

But the Skin Deep Web site leaves some gaps.  It does not indicate what dose levels are harmful. And Aveda says the database sometimes draws on formulas no longer in use.

As it turns out, the company has been phasing out an ingredient associated with hormone disruption, parabens, even though the Food and Drug Administration says parabens are safe. Aveda's Suzanne Dawson says about half the company's products no longer contain them.

Benefits of Aveda Skin Care Products

Aveda skincare products are available for all skin types, and do contain a complete anti-aging treatment selection. They are available in simple, clean packaging, and the line contains three 'featured' collections that target specific skin conditions. The Botanical Kinetics collection offers refreshing, aromatic formulas to soothe, hydrate, and balance the skin. The Tourmaline collection is designed to recharge and refresh dull or tired skin, while the Outer Peace collections designed to calm and soothe irritated or inflamed skin.

One of the key advantages of Aveda skin care products is its availability at local spas, salons and the internet. Over 7,000 salons and spas nationwide carry the Aveda brand, and some even offer Aveda-only products. Aveda spas are also launching around the country, and are designed to feature only Aveda's premium products and unique formulas. This can be a welcome treat for any spa-goer, and offers a chance to try the products firsthand before making a commitment to purchase.

Another benefit is that the Products include “non-petroleum mineral ingredients”.

Drawbacks of Aveda Skin Care Products

In a word, Aveda skin care products are expensive. When compared to other leading brands at the beauty counter, Aveda skin care products cost significantly more.

Another drawback of Aveda skin care products is the lack of flexibility to customize your skin care regiment. Aveda consultants do recommend a complete 'allegiance' to the brand, and this makes it difficult to mix and match different products to get results. Aveda skin care products are not available in sets or kits at this time, so purchasing the full size bottle of each product is required.

When it comes to the Aveda Anti-aging products, it seems to contain fairly weak components, does not include the ingredient Hyaluronic Acid and does not appear to contain Collagen.

This is a botanical line, so you should be careful of allergic reactions.

Bottom Line:

Aveda sources ingredients using fair trade business practices, and takes extra steps to manage its business operations as ethically as possible. It has made a commitment to responsible packaging and renewable energy, and has even published this formal safety statement on its website.

Still, the extra costs of these initiatives are shared by the consumer. Aveda skin care products are priced significantly higher than the competition, and consumers may simply be purchasing the brand. However, the skin care products are made with quality ingredients and may help some manage troubled skin.

Best Sellers for Skincare

Find an Aveda Spa