Clairol History
"We can never do enough for the hairdresser."
--Lawrence M. Gelb, Clairol Founder
For millions of people everywhere, the name Clairol is synonymous with beautiful haircolor and healthy-looking hair. Clairol, part of the Worldwide Beauty Care Group, Procter & Gamble Company, is an acknowledged leader in the research and development of professional salon beauty products. The founder of Clairol, Lawrence M. Gelb, actually introduced haircolor to salons over sixty years ago. Today, salon haircolor is a billion-dollar business nationwide.
How It All Started.
In the midst of the worst depression in the country's history, Larry Gelb, a chemist from New York, set off for Europe in 1931 with his wife Joan and their two sons, Richard and Bruce. His mission: to find a new product to launch and market in the United States. This was not the best of times to begin a new business, but Gelb was an energetic entrepreneur and was determined to beat the depression odds.
During his extended trip, Gelb examined dozens of cosmetic and fragrance products, but his interest was not captured until he came across an intriguing European haircolor preparation named Clairol. Unlike other available haircoloring products which coated the hair, Clairol actually penetrated the hair shaft, producing softer, more natural-looking tones.
Gelb's wife Joan, a beautiful woman with a strong fashion sense, immediately saw the potential for this new haircoloring product in America. After closely observing how the haircoloring process worked and how natural the results were, the Gelbs brought Clairol back to the States and demonstrated it to a spellbound beauty salon audience. The hairdressers were delighted, Clairol was endorsed, the Gelbs were in business, and hairdressers enthusiastically added haircolor to their menu of salon services.
The new haircolor that would change the look of America was called Instant Clairol Oil Shampoo Tint. The excitement generated by this new, modern product was contagious. Not only did Clairol's sales soar, but salon haircolor service sales began to soar as well. Women everywhere were emerging from beauty salons with beautiful, new, natural-looking haircolor.
Making Haircolor Simpler
As the years went by, Gelb worked to improve his product. He knew that if haircoloring was easier, if it could be done in one step rather than the long and tedious five-step process that existed, more women would want the service and more hairdressers would embrace the art. In 1950, after seven years of research and development, Clairol introduced new Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath. Within six months of Miss Clairol's introduction, the number of women going into the salon for permanent haircoloring services increased by more than 500 percent. Now hair was lightened, tinted, conditioned and shampooed in only one step, in only 20 minutes!
Educating Stylists
Gelb understood that professional education for the hairdresser was key to ensuring the best possible results for salon clients and for selling Clairol. He and Joan traveled the country, lecturing and demonstrating the technique to hairdressers and the press. As a result, Clairol helped to boost the expertise of hairdressers, the satisfaction of their clients, and the total image of the salon industry.
As sales grew, so did Clairol's commitment to the salon and the hairdresser. Clairol trained scores of educators, published instruction materials distributed free to salons, and held training workshops at Clairol schools and clinics across the country. Single-handedly, Clairol Professional taught an entire profession how to color hair. Today's master colorists once learned their craft and developed their artistry through Clairol classes and products.
Innovative professional products and excellence in technical education have been Clairol Professional's ongoing commitment to the salon industry. Through past decades of dynamic growth, this commitment to salons has continued.
Clairol's Crown Trademark
The Clairol Crown trademark is the symbol of product quality and excellence. For many years, as Clairol worked to build a strong salon haircoloring business, the Crown appeared on Clairol products, packaging and in advertising and educational materials. Clairol products, awarded the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval", displayed the Crown trademark to emphasize Clairol's commitment to women everywhere and to the hairdressers who helped them achieve a personal beauty all their own.