Henkel To Buy DevaCurl And Expand Its Pro Hair Portfolio

DevaCurl will be joining global consumer goods company Henkel, owner of eight professional beauty brands including Schwarzkopf Professional®, Joico and Kenra Professional®.

Henkel announced Nov. 11 it agreed to purchase DevaCurl, known for its vegan haircare and styling formulas specifically for curly and wavy hair. Henkel also owns Alterna®, PRAVANA®, #mydentity, Sexy Hair® and Zotos Professional, operating out of the brand’s Beauty Care Professional Headquarters in Culver City, Calif. DevaCurl will remain based in New York City, where the brand was founded in 1994 and where its NYC Academy is located.

“It’s a match made in heaven,” DevaCurl CEO Robert Schaeffler told BTC.  “We have found one of the few big hair houses [Henkel] in the world that is truly committed to the professional hair industry. Henkel has an amazing track record at acquiring professional businesses and doubling down on education and dedication to the professional–that’s what they saw in DevaCurl as well and DevaChan salons.”

What Should Professional Hairdressers Know About This Acquisition?

Both Robert and Stefan Mund, Regional Head of Henkel Beauty Care Professional North America, told BTC that maintaining DevaCurl’s brand identity was top priority.

“I think we have a track record of maintaining the brand DNA of every single brand,” Stefan said. “This is a strategy we’ll continue to do. The integrity of DevaCurl will remain intact.”

DevaCurl users are almost cult-like in their love of the products, and that’s what made the company so attractive, Robert said. “Many brands have tried to break into the curl space and to be honest, most sublines have completely failed because DevaCurl is the original authority in that space,” he said. “We talk to the community in such an authentic way, and that’s something nobody can copy and paste.”

The relationship between Henkel and DevaCurl isn’t a young one—DevaChan salons have been using Schwarzkopf Professional haircolor for its signature “Pintura” color technique for years, and Robert served as General Manager of Henkel Professional North America, managing a mix of pro brands, prior to coming to DevaCurl (click here for the exclusive BTC interview with Robert when he was announced as DevaCurl CEO).

With historically strong education across Henkel’s portfolio and with DevaCurl, expect expanded educational offerings. “Not only do they [Henkel] want to invest in the New York salons and academy, but they also have their own Academy of Hair…so we’re hoping to be able to teach classes on both coasts going forward,” Robert shared. Click here to read about Henkel’s Academy of Hair.

And eventually, expect DevaCurl products to be available globally—a major goal of the sale, Robert and Stefan said. DevaCurl has been distributed in the U.S. and Canada, with some offerings in Brazil, but the sale will help change that.

“Now we have a partner by our side who is present in 115+ countries,” Robert said. “We’re excited to take the mission of our brand, which is bringing authenticity without apology for curly girls, to the entire world.”

What’s Next?

As of Nov. 11, Henkel signed an agreement to acquire Deva Parent Holdings, Inc., New York City/USA from a fund managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management Corporation. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.