Herbal Essences
Herbal Essences is a global mass-market botanical hair care brand owned by Procter & Gamble, selling shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatments, and hair fragrance mists across 20+ countries through mass retail and regional e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Herbal Essences does
Herbal Essences is a mass-market botanical hair care brand founded in 1971 and wholly owned by Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG), operated as part of P&G's Beauty segment alongside Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and Aussie. The brand sells shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and hair fragrance mists across more than 20 countries spanning North America, ANZ, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with regional e-commerce storefronts and mass-retail distribution through drugstores, mass merchants, and supermarket chains.
The core technology centers on the bio:renew product line, which uses real botanicals certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and supports a portfolio spanning 14+ ingredient families (rose, coconut, lavender, argan oil, honey, avocado, jojoba, hemp, grapefruit, passionflower, eucalyptus, chamomile, tea tree, papaya+citrus). The brand has layered in cruelty-free certification through PETA and is increasingly positioning around sensory fragrance experiences via its Hair Fragrance Mist line and mood-led campaigns.
The business model is conventional consumer packaged goods: revenue is generated through mass-market physical retail plus direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with third-party reported retail price points ranging from approximately $7 to $80 across categories. Marketing is dominated by social-first influencer campaigns (Amaya Papaya, Amaya Espinal) targeting Gen Z and Millennial consumers across paid and organic social channels, with horizontal customer segmentation by use case (color-treated hair, curls, volume, hydration, scalp, fragrance) rather than enterprise customer concentration.
Herbal Essences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Herbal Essences
- Legal name
- Procter & Gamble Co.
- Website
- https://herbalessences.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Herbal Essences is a global mass-market botanical hair care brand owned by Procter & Gamble, selling shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatments, and hair fragrance mists across 20+ countries through mass retail and regional e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Herbal Essences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hair Care Products
- NAICS
- Spice and Extract Manufacturing (311942)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts) (AFAJAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Natural & Clean Fragrance (CRABADAG), Natural Extracts & Essential Oils (Botanical/Citrus/Herb/Spice Extracts) (AFAJADAB), Body Sprays & Mists (CRABADAC)
Keywords
Where Herbal Essences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Herbal Essences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Packaged Goods Sales: Herbal Essences generates revenue through the sale of hair care products including shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatments, and hair fragrance mists through retail and e-commerce channels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Herbal Essences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Herbal Essences is a mass-market botanical hair care brand that manufactures and sells shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and hair fragrance mists. The portfolio is organized around benefit areas (repair, volume, hydration, curl definition, scalp care, color protection, iconic scents) and botanical ingredients (argan oil, coconut, honey, hemp, jojoba, rose, lavender, and more), with the bio:renew line certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Product overview
Herbal Essences is a botanical hair care brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and hair fragrance mists. The product line is organized around key benefit areas (Repair & Smooth, Volume & Shine, Hydrate & Fight Frizz, Define & Shine Curls, Nourish & Balance Scalp, Color-Treated, Iconic Scents) and featured ingredients (Sulfate Free, Camellia Oil, Apricot, Argan Oil, Avocado, Coconut, Grapefruit, Hemp, Honey, Jojoba Oil, Lavender, Rose, and more). Core offerings include the bio:renew shampoo and conditioner collection certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, alongside styling products (mousse, hairsprays, gels), treatments (nourishing sprays, leave-in conditioners, hair oils), and the new Hair Fragrance Mist line featuring Rose, Coconut, and Lavender scents. The brand emphasizes plant-based ingredients sourced real botanicals for an authentic hair care experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- bio:renew: Botanical shampoo and conditioner line certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, featuring real botanicals and plant-based ingredients.
- Hair Fragrance Mist
- Hello Hydration
- Color Me Happy
- Certified Pure Plants
Products and services
- Herbal Essences Strength Shampoo Papaya + Citrus Shampoo with Papaya + Citrus fragrance for strength and vibrant hair care.
- Herbal Essences Strength Conditioner Papaya + Citrus Conditioner with Papaya + Citrus fragrance for strength and vibrant hair care.
- Herbal Essences Repair + Strength Argan Oil Shampoo, Paraben-Free Repair and strengthen damaged hair with paraben-free argan oil formula.
- Herbal Essences Repair + Strength Argan Oil Conditioner, Paraben-Free Paraben-free conditioner with argan oil for repairing and strengthening damaged hair.
- Herbal Essences Hydrate + Restore Honey Sulfate-Free Shampoo Daily moisture shampoo with sulfate-free honey formula for hydrating and restoring dry hair.
- Herbal Essences Hydrate + Restore Honey Sulfate-Free Conditioner Daily moisture conditioner with sulfate-free honey formula for hydrating and restoring dry hair.
- Herbal Essences Smooth + Shine Hemp Sulfate Free Shampoo Frizz control shampoo with hemp oil for smoothing and shining hair.
- Herbal Essences Shine + Smooth Jojoba Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo Smoothing air dry shampoo with jojoba oil for smooth, shiny hair without sulfates.
- Herbal Essences Moisture + Replenish Coconut Shampoo Hydrating shampoo with coconut oil for moisture and replenishment of dry hair.
- Herbal Essences Strength + Restore Avocado Sulfate-Free Shampoo Repair shampoo with avocado oil for restoring and strengthening hair.
- Herbal Essences Volume + Body Grapefruit Shampoo Volume shampoo with grapefruit for body and fullness.
- Herbal Essences Full + Thick Passionflower Sulfate Free Shampoo Volume shampoo with passionflower for full, thick hair without sulfates.
- Herbal Essences Curl + Define Apricot Sulfate-Free Shampoo Curl defining shampoo with apricot oil for defining and enhancing curls.
- Herbal Essences Scalp + Purify Eucalyptus Shampoo Scalp balance shampoo with eucalyptus for purifying and balancing the scalp.
- Herbal Essences Color + Protect Grapeseed Sulfate Free Shampoo Color protection shampoo with grapeseed for maintaining color-treated hair.
- Smooth Rose Hips Hair Smoothing Shampoo Smooth shampoo with rose hips for smoothing and softening hair.
- Smooth Rose Hips Hair Smoothing Conditioner Smooth conditioner with rose hips for smoothing and softening hair.
- Rose Fragrance Hair Mist Hair fragrance mist with rose scent for long-lasting aromatic appeal.
- Coconut Fragrance Hair Mist Hair fragrance mist with coconut scent for long-lasting aromatic appeal.
- Lavender Fragrance Hair Mist Hair fragrance mist with lavender scent for long-lasting aromatic appeal.
- Chamomile Shine Shampoo Shine-enhancing shampoo with chamomile for luminous, shiny hair.
- Hydrating Coconut Water & Jasmine Shampoo Classic hydrate shampoo with coconut water and jasmine for moisturizing hair.
- Jojoba Oil & Lavender Curls Shampoo Curl shampoo with jojoba oil and lavender for soft, smooth curls.
- Clarifying Tea Tree Shampoo Clarifying shampoo with tea tree for deep cleansing of hair and scalp.
- All-in-1 Nourishing Spray, Certified Pure Plants, with Aloe and Camellia Flower Oil Multi-benefit nourishing spray with certified pure aloe and camellia flower oil for repair and smoothing.
- Repairing Leave-in Conditioner, Certified Pure Plants, with Aloe and Camellia Flower Oil Leave-in conditioner with certified pure aloe and camellia flower oil for hydrating and fighting frizz.
- Lightweight Hair Oil, Certified Pure Plants, with Aloe and Camellia Flower Oil Lightweight hair oil with certified pure aloe and camellia flower oil for hydration and frizz control.
- Mango & Aloe Curl Refresh Mist Curl refresh mist with mango and aloe for defining and accentuating curls throughout the day.
- Curl Boosting Mousse for Frizzy Hair Curl boosting mousse for defining and shine curls while controlling frizz.
- Paraben Free Volumizing Hair Mousse Foam with Orange Blossom Volumizing mousse foam with orange blossom for volume and shine without parabens.
- Lightweight Hair Volumizing Hairspray for Strong Hold Volumizing hairspray providing strong hold with lightweight feel for volume and shine.
- Hair Moisturizing Maximum Hold Hairspray Maximum hold hairspray with moisturizing properties for all-day hold.
- Touchable Hold Hairspray with Frizz Control Touchable hold hairspray with frizz control for manageable, styled hair.
- Texturing Hair Styling Spray for Wavy Hair Texturing spray for enhancing and defining wavy hair styles.
- Conditioning Hair Detangling Spray with Frizz Control Detangling spray with conditioning and frizz control properties for smooth, manageable hair.
- Strong Hold Curl Scrunching Gel with Frizz Control Strong hold gel for curl scrunching with frizz control for defined curls.
- Color Me Happy Shampoo Color care shampoo for maintaining vibrancy of colored hair.
- Hello Hydration Deeply Moisturizing Shampoo Deep moisture shampoo for deeply hydrating dry, thirsty hair.
- Hello Hydration 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner, Moisture for Hair 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner for convenient deep moisture care.
- Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo Body-envy volumizing shampoo for boosted volume and full-bodied hair.
- bio:renew Botanical Shampoo & Conditioner Line Botanical shampoo and conditioner line certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, featuring real botanicals and plant-based ingredients.
Companies that use Herbal Essences
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Herbal Essences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Herbal Essences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Amaya Papaya (Love Island Season 7 Winner)flagshipAmaya Papaya featured as brand ambassador in the 'Scent of Your Dreams' campaign, positioning fragrance as a dopamine-driven sensory escape for mood and well-being. Campaign centers on Rose Hips collection and Papaya + Citrus fragrance.
- Amaya Espinal (Influencer)coreInfluencer Amaya Espinal featured in 'Scent Traps' campaign promoting the power of scent as a marketing hack through retro-inspired videos connecting scents to memories and emotions.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KEWcoreHerbal Essences partners with the world's leading plant scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW to identify and source real botanical ingredients for their bio:renew product line. KEW provides scientific expertise and certification for botanical ingredient authenticity.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Herbal Essences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- L'Oréal Elvive: L'Oréal's flagship mass-market hair care brand and global category leader. Direct competitor with extensive botanical and benefit-driven sub-lines targeting the same consumer segments.
- OGX: Vogue International's mass-market hair care brand built on exotic-ingredient positioning (coconut, argan, biotin). Closely comparable to Herbal Essences in ingredient-led branding and product form.
- Pantene: P&G's flagship mass-market hair care brand. Direct competitor in the same product categories (shampoo, conditioner, treatments) targeting similar mass-market consumers, sharing parent-company distribution and shelf space.
- Head & Shoulders: P&G's anti-dandruff shampoo leader and one of the world's top shampoo brands. Direct competitor in mass-market hair care, sharing P&G's global distribution infrastructure.
- Dove Hair Care: Unilever's mass-market hair care line with a comparable clean-beauty and moisturizing positioning. Direct competitor targeting similar consumers in mass retail globally.
- Garnier Fructis: L'Oréal's mass-market hair care line with fruit-and-botanical ingredient positioning very similar to Herbal Essences. Direct competitor with comparable fragrance-forward marketing approach.
- TRESemmé: Unilever-owned salon-inspired mass-market hair care brand. Direct competitor with overlapping product forms (shampoo, conditioner, styling) and similar price-tier positioning.
- Aussie: P&G-owned mass-market hair care brand known for playful branding and ingredient-led formulations. Direct competitor within the same P&G portfolio, sharing retailers and overlapping target consumers.
- Suave: Unilever's value-tier mass-market hair care brand. Direct competitor at the more accessible end of the mass-market price range, often co-merchandised with Herbal Essences on retailer shelves.
Broad incumbents
- John Frieda: Kao Corporation's salon-inspired hair care brand. Comparable in product format (shampoo, conditioner, styling, treatments) and fragrance-forward positioning, though positioned slightly more premium than Herbal Essences.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Herbal Essences social profiles
Digital presenceHerbal Essences compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Herbal Essences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Herbal Essences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Herbal Essences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Herbal Essences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Herbal Essences
What does Herbal Essences do?
Herbal Essences is a mass-market botanical hair care brand that manufactures and sells shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and hair fragrance mists. The portfolio is organized around benefit areas (repair, volume, hydration, curl definition, scalp care, color protection, iconic scents) and botanical ingredients (argan oil, coconut, honey, hemp, jojoba, rose, lavender, and more), with the bio:renew line certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Is Herbal Essences a public or private company?
Herbal Essences is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Herbal Essences founded?
Herbal Essences was founded in 1971. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Herbal Essences based?
Herbal Essences is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Herbal Essences make money?
One revenue line is on record: consumer Packaged Goods Sales.
Who are Herbal Essences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are L'Oréal Elvive, OGX, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Dove Hair Care, Garnier Fructis, TRESemmé, Aussie and Suave. John Frieda is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Herbal Essences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Herbal Essences.
What industry is Herbal Essences in?
Herbal Essences's product category is Hair Care Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJAKAD, Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts), with a secondary code of CRABADAG, Natural & Clean Fragrance. Its NAICS code is 311942 and its SIC code is 2844.