Here at eSalon, we don’t just look to each other as co-workers—we’re a team. We laugh, work super hard, and the occasional prank is liable to happen. And while we’re an incredibly diverse group with different interests, goals, and, well...hairdos, we all share one thing in common: we genuinely believe in the product. It may sound like a given, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case for every company. When you start a new job, it’s refreshing (and in some cases, rare) to find out that everything your company claims about the product is true. For us here at eSalon, that meant finding out that every single color bottle really is customized, that our colorists really are licensed experts, and our hair color formula is truly superior in so many ways. The product—our custom hair color—excites us, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.

In celebration of our 10th birthday, we interviewed different employees around the company to find out just how our hair color motivates them and their personal highlights throughout the years. Check out eSalon’s big-win milestones and how our stellar product continues to fuel the folks behind the brand.

Summer 2008

AROUND DESSERT TIME, A CRAZY IDEA IS BORN: CREATE TOTALLY CUSTOMIZED HOME HAIR COLOR. LET THE RESEARCH BEGIN.

“It was a completely new world. It was an interesting concept but we were very cautious about it at first. We started asking everyone what they thought—and everyone really thought it was such a great idea. And the more we learned about how color was made and the customization process, we realized we could really do it for everyone. That was really exciting—seeing the difference between the two worlds of home color and salon color and how it could all be changed.”

Francisco Gimenez, Co-Founder

September 2010

LOTS OF EXPERIMENTS AND DYE ON OUR HANDS LATER, WE CRAFT AND SHIP OUR 1ST HAIR COLOR BOTTLE.

“It was such a big moment when we had our first 'real' customer—somebody who wasn't directly connected to the company. It wasn't just satisfying to see something we'd worked so hard to make come alive; it was the beginning of something totally new. You couldn't help but get excited.”

Aaron Chan, VP of Technology. Employee since 2010.

April 2013

WITH THINGS BOOMING IN THE STATES, WE SHIP OUR 1ST BOTTLE ABROAD TO THE UK AND SAY TA-TA!

“The atmosphere was really buzzing. The office layout at the time was really cool because it was very open and small. I could hear all the interaction around me. I was listening to colorists talking to clients all the time, and I got to hear what they were talking about. It was a real learning experience, being right there in the middle, in the mix. But in the best way—It was like everyone was in the trenches together.”

Julia, Product Manager. Employee since 2013.

September 2014

OUR 1 MILLIONTH ORDER SHIPS. TOGETHER, WE KEEP GROWING.

“You could definitely sense the growth and camaraderie. There was so much energy in the office. People were collaborative. There was a lot of excitement around thinking of new ideas about how to grow the business. It really was a lot of fun and you’d expect to feel that excitement slow down at some point over the years, but it hasn’t.”

Paige M., Digital Marketing Manager. Employee Since 2014.

October 2017

WE WIN “BEST HOME HAIR COLOR” BY ALLURE MAGAZINE FOR OUR FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW. TO SAY WE’RE “HUMBLED” DOESN’T EVEN CUT IT.

“Everyone was on the edge of their seat because if we won it would be our fourth year in a row getting the award. It would mean that the love and buzz of the product was still there. Everyone was really proud to know that no matter how much the company had evolved, it was the same product people knew and loved continuously.”

Khalilah, Sr. Graphic Designer. Employee since 2016.

December 2017

OUR 5 MILLIONTH ORDER SHIPS AND WE’RE MOVIN’ ON UP TO AN OFFICE IN EL SEGUNDO THAT’S 3X BIGGER THAN OUR PREVIOUS DIGS.

“I feel like moving into this office was a really big deal. I’ve watched this company go through so much. And when we moved into this space we’d really ‘arrived.’ It’s gorgeous. It’s modern. It’s big. We’re all here together under one roof. I feel like it really tied everyone together even more.”

Emily M., Product Development Manager. Employee since 2014.

March 2019

WE REDESIGNED OUR COLOR CARE PACKAGING WITH YOU IN MIND.

“As a company, we are constantly growing, evolving, and optimizing our products. After reviewing client feedback over the last year, we decided to refresh our packaging to better meet client needs. Since we're a color company, we wanted our updated packaging to reflect that, so we redesigned every hair care product and gave them a more vibrant range of colors. Through color, there is now more visual distinction between shampoos and conditioners, as well as stylers, treatment products, etc. We also brought the most important benefit of our hair care products front and center, that each supports color-treated hair first.”

Kathryn C., Art Director. Employee since 2015.

June 2019

WE OPEN OUR FIRST-EVER UK OFFICE.

“In March 2019, we opened our new manufacturing facility in West London. We hired an amazing team there and shipped our first order at the end of May. This was a huge win because it allowed us to ship orders to UK/EU clients much faster and even add new markets to our growing list! We have now shipped over 270K orders from our UK facility since it opened! It was so fun to see the project through from start to finish and see how far we have come as a company.”

Gillian W., Director of Operations. Employee since 2015.

August 2019

WE ENTER INTO A JOINT VENTURE WITH HENKEL AND EXPAND OUR BUSINESS.

“Henkel is recognized as a global leader in beauty care and sustainability with strong innovations, technologies, and brands. This exceptional partnership gives us the opportunity to leverage each other’s expertise in hair color and care, personalization, and marketing to accelerate the growth of eSalon’s core business, to enhance our product offering for our current and future clients, and to expand our portfolio into new markets.” 

Vera K., VP of Global Marketing. Employee since 2019.

October 2019

VERA KOCH JOINS AS VP OF GLOBAL MARKETING & WE SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING.

“Using recyclable packaging wherever possible was always a priority for us. However, when we joined forces with Henkel and welcomed Vera Koch as our VP of Global Marketing, one of our major shifts was focusing on eSalon's environmental impact. Now sustainability has become a core value of eSalon, and we are making a full shift to sustainable packaging sources and finding ways to offset our carbon footprint. Sustainability is not something that happens overnight, but we are excited to have made this commitment not only to our customers but to the planet.”

Emily M., Product Development Manager. Employee since 2014

March 2020

OUR CLIENT NEED GROWS AS COVID STRIKES.

“We transitioned our office to WFH on March 16th, though our production facility teams (in LA and London) continued to blend color on site in record numbers. During normal times, we empower women all over the world to color their hair from home with their unique shade. During COVID times, however, clients needed our expertise, guidance, and technology more than ever because salons were closed and no other at-home color companies truly provide custom blended color. COVID has increased eSalon's relevance in the marketplace and our entire organization has risen to the challenge!” 

Graham J., CEO of eSalon. Employee since 2013.

June 2020

WE LAUNCH OUR FIRST MEN’S HAIR COLOR BRAND COLORSMITH

“After 10 years of helping women feel more confident and happy with their hair color, it was time to introduce custom hair color to men. eSalon's first-ever new men’s brand, Colorsmith, was created to truly meet the unique needs of men ranging from our Color Quiz questions, discreet packaging, and beard offering. It's been a huge collaboration between all departments to learn and adapt to our new clients and we’re excited for what's to come!”

Lisa T., Brand Manager, Colorsmith. Employee since 2020.

And there you have it. It’s been an electrifying ride over the last 10 years. We’ve developed a line of premium products that are safe for your color, launched our Color Mastery blog, and created a DIY highlighting kit, and the list goes on. But as we continue to grow and expand our reach across the pond and around the world, one thing has always kept our team pushing forward and thinking big with spirits high: hair color that fits to you.