What Authentic Beauty Concept does

Authentic Beauty Concept is a premium vegan hair care brand operated as a subsidiary of Henkel (specifically through Henkel Ibérica S.A. in Spain), co-created with a collective of professional stylists and distributed exclusively through certified professional hair salons. The brand's product portfolio is organized into seven core lines covering distinct consumer needs: Hydrate (dry/dehydrated and texturized/curly hair, including co-created extensions with curl expert Evan Joseph), GLOW (colored hair), AMPLIFY (fine hair), REPLENISH (damaged hair), Embrace Styling (finishing/styling including Cosmic Blow Dry Jelly), Beyond Hair (body care extension), and the Signature Oil Collection (hair and body oils). Accessories include the Ukysah Hairpins line designed by Global Creative Advocate Hester Wernert-Rijn.

The brand's technical differentiation lies in formulation: products are vegan, free from silicones, sulfates, mineral oils, and artificial colorants, with up to 95% of ingredients of natural origin per ISO 16128. Silicones are replaced with plant-based substitutes (arugula, coconut alkanes, sustainable guar from the Sustainable Guar Initiative). Active compounds are extracted using ultrasound and steam distillation to preserve efficacy. R&D and product development are conducted at Henkel's Hamburg laboratories, certified under the My Green Lab program, while the brand carries Vegan Society™ approval on all vegan SKUs.

The business model is a B2B2C salon-channel GTM: revenue is generated through wholesale product sales to professional salons, which then retail to end consumers at salon-set prices. No direct-to-consumer e-commerce is operated; instead, consumers are routed via a Salon Finder tool. Marketing is anchored in community-driven engagement through the #AuthenticBeautyMovement, stylist advocates (Evan Joseph, Hester Wernert-Rijn, Juliette den Ouden), editorial content via the Authentic Journal, and sustainability storytelling across social platforms. The brand is supported by a vertical sustainable supply chain via the Sustainable Guar Initiative (3,000 farmers in Rajasthan, India, since 2017) and a 3-year principal sponsorship of Hairdressers Without Borders (training 15-20 Nepalese women per year as salon managers in Surkhet, since 2023). Geographic focus is Europe, with Spain as the explicit primary market on the Spanish-language website; US visitors are redirected to henkelna.com.

Name

Authentic Beauty Concept

Legal name

Henkel Ibérica S.A.

Website

https://authenticbeautyconcept.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Authentic Beauty Concept is a premium vegan hair care brand under Henkel, selling exclusively through professional salons and offering clean, plant-based formulations across Hydrate, Glow, Amplify, Replenish, Styling, and Oil collections for diverse hair types.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Vegan Hair Care

NAICS

Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Styling Products (Gels, Sprays, Mousses, Creams) (CRABABAC), Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE), Hair Accessories (Clips, Bands, Headbands) (CRABAKAH)

Keywords

• Vegan hair care
• Professional salon products
• Natural hair care
• Premium haircare brand
• Plant-based formulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Professional Salon Product Sales: Authentic Beauty Concept products are sold exclusively through professional hair salons. Consumers find their nearest salon via the website's Salon Finder tool. Stylists use and recommend the products, creating a professional B2B-to-B2C model anchored in the salon channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Authentic Beauty Concept manufactures and sells a premium portfolio of vegan, silicone-free, sulfate-free, plant-based hair care, styling, and body care products organized into specialized lines (Hydrate, Glow, Amplify, Replenish, Embrace Styling, Beyond Hair, Signature Oil Collection). Products are formulated with up to 95% naturally derived ingredients (ISO 16128) and distributed exclusively through certified professional hair salons globally. The brand also sells the Ukysah Hairpins accessory made from recycled materials.

Product overview

Authentic Beauty Concept is a premium holistic haircare brand co-created with a collective of stylists. The brand offers a unified portfolio of vegan, silicone-free hair care and styling products organized into specialized lines: Hydrate (dry/dehydrated hair including texturized/curly hair products co-created with Evan Joseph), GLOW (colored hair), AMPLIFY (fine hair), REPLENISH (damaged hair), Embrace Styling (finishing/styling products including Cosmic Blow Dry Jelly), Beyond Hair (body care), and Signature Oil Collection (hair and body oils). The brand also offers the Ukysah Hairpins accessory made from recycled materials. All products are vegan, free from silicones, sulfates, mineral oils, and artificial colorants, with up to 95% naturally derived ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hydrate: Product line for dry hair with moisturizing formulas, including treatments, serums, and curl enhancers for textured hair.
• Glow
• Amplify
• Replenish
• Embrace Styling
• Beyond Hair
• Ukysah Hairpins

Products and services

• Hydrate Hair Care Line A specialized hair care range for dry and dehydrated hair, providing deep hydration, smoothness, and curl definition. Includes cleansers, conditioners, masks, treatments, and styling products formulated for normal to dry or curly hair.
• Glow Hair Care Line A premium hair care range designed for colored hair to enhance shine, vibrancy, and color protection.
• Amplify Hair Care Line A hair care range formulated for fine hair to add volume and body.
• Replenish Hair Care Line A hair care range designed to repair and restore damaged hair, with improved reparative results and highly nourishing new formulas.
• Embrace Styling Line A styling product range including the Cosmic Blow Dry Jelly, enabling galaxy-inspired looks from natural blow-dried styles to sleek wet-look styles.
• For All Hair Types Line A universal hair care range suitable for all hair types and scalp conditions.
• Beyond Hair Line Products extending beyond hair care, including body care items.
• Signature Oil Collection A collection of exclusive oils for both hair and body, featuring two new high-performance oils for radiant hair and nourished skin.
• Ukysah Hairpins

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 reduced by 70% per tonne of product (as of 2023, ahead of 65% target)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Hairdressers Without BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Authentic Beauty Concept is the principal sponsor of Hairdressers Without Borders for a 3-year commitment. The program trains 15-20 Nepalese women per year to become self-sufficient in the hairdressing/beauty industry, in collaboration with Nepal-based organization Blink Now. Trainees will become managers of new hair salons in Surkhet, Nepal. The brand's Global Creative Advocate Juliette den Ouden serves as the Hairdressers Without Borders Ambassador.
• Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI) is a long-term program supported by Authentic Beauty Concept since 2017 in partnership with chemical company Solvay (which initiated the program) and nonprofit Technoserve (which implements it). SGI educates and promotes sustainable agricultural practices among 3,000 farmers cultivating guar in Rajasthan's desert regions in India. 25% of farmers are women, and the initiative also teaches sustainable farming, nutrition, and hygiene. SGI supplies the sustainable guar ingredient (Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride) used in Authentic Beauty Concept hair care products.
• TechnoservesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization implementing the Sustainable Guar Initiative, which educates and supports guar farmers in Rajasthan, India on sustainable agricultural practices.
• SolvaysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemical company that initiated the Sustainable Guar Initiative. Solvay partnered with Authentic Beauty Concept and Technoserve to establish the sustainable guar supply chain.
• Blink NowsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNepal-based organization collaborating with Hairdressers Without Borders on the program to train Nepalese women in Surkhet to become salon managers and self-sufficient in the beauty industry.
• Evan JosephcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEvan Joseph is a curl expert, influencer, and Authentic Beauty Concept Advocate who co-created three new products for textured hair: the Hydrating Curl Booster, Hydrating Smoothing Serum, and Intensive Hydrating Treatment. These products were developed through multiple workshops and community input from the #authenticbeautymovement.
• Hester Wernert-RijncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHester Wernert-Rijn is the Global Creative Advocate of Authentic Beauty Concept who exclusively designed the Ukysah Hair Pins accessory. The pins are made with 80% recycled ABS and ribbons made from 100% rPET, and were inspired by Hester's favorite lipstick color — a coral-peach shade that is also Pantone's Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz (Apricot Crush).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oribe: Luxury professional hair care brand co-developed with stylists and sold through high-end salons; closely comparable on premium salon-exclusive distribution, stylist co-creation ethos, and lifestyle/editorial content marketing.
• Living Proof: Science-driven professional hair care brand sold through salons and prestige retail; comparable on premium positioning, salon-channel relationships, and innovation-led formulation claims (silicone alternatives, bond technology).
• Davines: Italian professional sustainable hair care brand distributed through salons; highly comparable on salon-channel GTM, B-Corp sustainability credentials, plant-based formulations, and premium positioning targeting stylists and conscious consumers.
• Pureology: Premium professional vegan hair care brand sold exclusively through salons; competes head-to-head with Authentic Beauty Concept in clean, color-treated, and textured hair segments with similar sulfate-free and plant-based positioning.
• Aveda: Estée Lauder-owned plant-based professional hair care brand sold through salons and spas; comparable on botanical sourcing, sustainability commitments, vegan/clean formulations, and premium salon-channel pricing structure.

Emerging players

• Briogeo: Clean, plant-based hair care brand with strong textured-hair positioning; comparable on vegan/sulfate-free formulations and a focus on textured/curly hair consumers, but primarily distributed direct-to-consumer rather than exclusively via salons.
• Rahua: Plant-derived, sustainably sourced hair care brand with salon and DTC distribution; comparable on natural-ingredient positioning and sustainability storytelling, though operating at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Kérastase: L'Oréal-owned premium professional hair care brand sold through salons globally; comparable on premium professional distribution and broad hair concern segmentation, but much larger portfolio scale and broader price tier coverage.
• Olaplex: Professional bond-repair hair care brand with strong salon channel presence; comparable on professional-channel-first GTM and premium pricing, but differentiated by a single-ingredient technology focus rather than plant-based formulation.
• Schwarzkopf Professional (Henkel): Henkel's flagship professional hair care brand; comparable as a sister brand within Henkel's professional salon portfolio, competing for the same stylist and salon relationships at different price tiers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/explanation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/authentic-beauty-concept

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Authentic Beauty Concept