Davines Group was established as a small research laboratory in 1983 before developing its own proprietary brands. The Davines haircare brand emerged in the 1990s, initially targeting the professional salon market.3

Foundation as a research laboratory

Davines traces its roots to Parma in northern Italy, a city historically associated with Italian food, agriculture, design and manufacturing. The Bollati family founded the company on 14 March 1983. Gianni and Silvana Bollati originally established the business as a professional personal-care and haircare research laboratory, formulating high-quality products for third-party cosmetics companies.4

Consequently, Davines did not begin as a consumer beauty brand; its foundational expertise lay in formulation and cosmetic research. The company spent approximately a decade developing technical capabilities before creating its own branded products. According to the company, the name “Davines” is derived from the names of the founders’ children, Davide and Stefania.5

Launch of the Davines brand

During its first decade, the company operated primarily behind the scenes as a manufacturer for established cosmetic firms. The Davines brand was officially created in 1993, focusing exclusively on professional haircare and the salon industry.6 This established a business model that continues to define the brand: distributing through professional salons and hairstylists rather than competing directly with mass-market shampoo brands in supermarkets.

In 1996, Davines Group expanded beyond haircare with the creation of [comfort zone], a professional skincare brand aimed at spas and beauty professionals.7 This created the two-brand structure that remains at the centre of the group:

• Davines: Professional haircare
• [comfort zone]: Professional skincare

Corporate timeline

• 1983: Gianni and Silvana Bollati establish the company in Parma as a research laboratory.
• Early 1990s: The company develops proprietary expertise and transitions towards branded professional cosmetics.
• 1993: The Davines professional haircare brand is launched.19
• 1996: [comfort zone] is launched as the Group’s professional skincare brand.20
• 2000s: Davines increasingly centres its identity on professional beauty, Italian design and sustainability.
• 2006: Sustainability becomes an explicit strategic focus within the Group.21
• 2016: Davines Group becomes a Certified B Corporation.
• 2019: The Italian and U.S. subsidiaries become Benefit Companies.
• 2024: The Group reports continued progress in packaging circularity, water reduction, regenerative agriculture and social initiatives.
• 2025–2026: Davines continues to emphasise regenerative agriculture, sustainability and its corporate purpose of “For a Good Life”.

Davines occupies a distinct position in the beauty market, situated between traditional mass-market shampoo companies and ultra-luxury fashion beauty houses. Its positioning combines professional expertise, premium quality, Italian heritage, scientific rigour and sustainability. The brand sells primarily through the professional salon channel,赋予ing hairstylists a central role in product recommendation and brand experience.

The brand’s philosophy is built around the concept of “sustainable beauty”, positing that beauty should not be separated from responsibility towards people and the environment.8 Davines seeks to connect three core elements:

• Performance: Products must deliver effective results.
• Beauty: Products should offer an attractive aesthetic and sensorial experience.
• Sustainability: The production and consumption of beauty should minimise negative impacts and increasingly generate positive ones.

Made in Italy identity

Italian identity is integral to the brand’s DNA. Davines describes its approach as a synthesis of Italian taste and culture with international reach and cosmetic research.9 Crucially, the company states that its products are designed, formulated and produced at its premises and laboratories in Parma, Italy.10 This differentiates the brand from companies that outsource cosmetic manufacturing.

This Italian identity manifests across packaging, product naming, graphic design, formulation philosophy, architectural design, corporate culture and the relationship with local agricultural ecosystems. The result is a brand that attempts to harmonise Italian craftsmanship with scientific formulation.

Davines products are designed primarily for professional haircare rather than generic consumer use. The portfolio addresses several key needs:

• Cleansing: Shampoos and cleansers formulated for specific hair types and scalp conditions.
• Conditioning: Treatments designed to improve manageability, softness and overall hair condition.
• Repair and nourishment: Products targeting damaged, dry, stressed or chemically treated hair.
• Scalp care: Formulations addressing scalp health and specific concerns.
• Styling: Products for shaping, texturising, defining, volumising and finishing.
• Professional treatments: Systems intended for use by hairstylists within salon services.

This professional orientation allows Davines to position itself as a comprehensive haircare system rather than merely a collection of shampoos and conditioners.

Key product lines

Davines has developed numerous product families over the years. Notable ranges include:

• OI: One of the most recognisable families, focusing on softness, shine, smoothness and a luxurious sensory experience. It is particularly associated with roucou oil.
• LOVE: Associated with smoothing and managing unruly or frizzy hair.
• MOMO: Designed for dry hair with a focus on hydration.
• NOUNOU: Targets damaged or stressed hair, particularly hair affected by bleaching, colouring or chemical processing.
• MINU: Focuses on coloured hair and maintaining the appearance of colour-treated hair.
• Naturaltech: A treatment-oriented platform addressing various hair and scalp concerns.
• More Inside: The brand’s styling-focused collection covering texture, hold, volume, definition and finishing.

These lines enable Davines to serve both everyday consumer haircare needs and professional salon treatments.

Sustainability is a defining characteristic of contemporary Davines, extending beyond the use of natural ingredients. The company frames its strategy around climate and decarbonisation, circularity, biodiversity, water stewardship, regenerative agriculture, employee welfare, community involvement and responsible governance. Davines Group describes these efforts as part of a larger objective to regenerate the planet, support people and communities, and maintain responsible governance.11

The company distinguishes between “natural” and “sustainable”, focusing on the entire system surrounding a cosmetic product—from ingredients and agriculture to packaging, manufacturing, transportation and social impact.

B Corp certification and Benefit Company status

A significant milestone occurred in 2016 when Davines Group became a Certified B Corporation. This certification evaluates companies based on social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.12 The Group has subsequently improved its B Corp score:

• 2016: 99
• 2020: 117.4
• 2023: 123.5

The 2023 recertification resulted in a score of 123.5.13 In 2019, the Italian and U.S. Davines Group subsidiaries also became Benefit Companies, legally embedding broader social and environmental objectives alongside economic goals.14 This integrates sustainability into the company’s governance structure rather than treating it solely as a marketing initiative.

Regenerative agriculture and EROC

Davines has moved from sustainability towards regeneration, shifting the focus from reducing harm to actively restoring ecological systems. This philosophy is embodied by the European Regenerative Organic Centre (EROC) in Parma. Davines describes EROC as a research and training centre dedicated to regenerative organic agriculture, located on a 17-hectare site near Davines Group Village.15 The project focuses heavily on soil health, connecting the cosmetics business to the agricultural systems from which ingredients originate.

Sustainability performance metrics

Davines Group’s 2024 sustainability reporting provides concrete metrics regarding its environmental and social impact:

• 67.2% of packaging was made from recycled material.
• Water used to produce one tonne of bulk product was reduced by 19.3%.
• Emissions-reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
• EROC obtained regenerative-organic certification.
• 7 regenerative-organic-certified ingredients were utilised in formulations.
• More than 800 people participated in corporate volunteering across 19 countries.
• Women represented 67% of the Group and 67% of managers.

The Davines Group Village in Parma serves as the company’s headquarters and a physical manifestation of its corporate philosophy. Rather than functioning solely as an office building, the Village is designed to integrate workplace, research, culture, nature, employee wellbeing and sustainability. The relationship between the headquarters, gardens, agriculture and EROC reinforces the company’s connection between beauty, people and nature.

Although deeply Italian in origin, Davines is an international company with a presence in more than 90 countries.16 It maintains international offices and subsidiaries in major markets including New York, London, Paris, Mexico City, Deventer (Netherlands), Düsseldorf, Hong Kong and Shanghai. This structure combines a centralised Italian product-development identity with an international commercial organisation.17

Target customers

Davines serves two overlapping customer groups:

• Professionals: Historically, the brand focuses on hairstylists, salon owners and beauty professionals. Professional recommendation is central to its business model.
• Consumers: Consumers increasingly purchase Davines directly through salons, professional beauty retailers, e-commerce and authorised distributors.

This creates a distribution chain of Brand → Hairstylist → Consumer, distinguishing it from mass-market brands that rely on supermarket distribution.

Davines operates within the premium professional haircare market, competing with brands such as Kérastase, Redken, Aveda, Oribe, Kevin.Murphy, Wella Professionals, L’Oréal Professionnel, Schwarzkopf Professional and Moroccanoil.

However, Davines differentiates itself through a specific combination of professional expertise, Italian identity, design, sustainability and B Corp philosophy. While competitors like Aveda emphasise natural positioning and Kérastase focuses on luxury science, Davines occupies a middle ground integrating professional performance, design and ethical business.

Davines retains its family-owned character, distinguishing it from many large international beauty companies. The Bollati family established the company and remains central to its ownership and leadership. Current leadership includes:

• Davide Bollati: Chairman
• Anthony Molet: CEO

This family-business structure enables the company to emphasise long-term development over quarterly financial performance.

Strengths

• Differentiation: A recognisable identity distinct from generic premium shampoo brands.
• Professional credibility: Historical relationships with salons provide technical authority.
• Embedded sustainability: B Corp certification and Benefit Company status substantiate sustainability claims beyond marketing.
• Visual identity: Distinctive packaging and product design ensure recognisability.
• Italian heritage: “Made in Italy” provides cultural and quality associations in international markets.
• Family ownership: Allows for a focus on long-term values and independence.
• Global scale: Expansion to 90+ markets while retaining Parma as its core.

Challenges

• Premium pricing: Products are significantly more expensive than mass-market alternatives, limiting accessibility.
• Channel dependence: Reliance on professional distribution can make scaling more difficult compared to direct-to-consumer brands.
• High expectations: As sustainability is central to its identity, the company faces heightened scrutiny regarding packaging, ingredients, supply chains and transportation.
• Globalisation vs identity: Expanding globally requires preserving Italian character without making the brand feel culturally narrow.
• Competition: The professional haircare market includes powerful multinational competitors with larger marketing budgets.

Davines summarises its philosophy as creating effective, beautiful professional haircare while encouraging people to care for themselves, others and the natural world. This aligns with the company’s broader purpose and emphasis on beauty, ethics and sustainability.18 In 2026, the Group articulates its purpose through the phrase “For a Good Life”.

1. Davines Group | Davines Group
2. Our brands | Davines Group
3. Sustainability Report of the Davines Group | Davines Group
4. Company | Davines Group
5. Forty Years of Sustainable Beauty | Davines
6. FAQ – Davines International
7. FAQ – Davines
8. B Corp | Davines Group
9. Davines Group – Certified B Corporation – B Lab
10. Our vision of sustainability | Davines Group
11. Sustainability Report of the Davines Group | Davines Group
12. About us – Davines International
13. About us – Davines
14. Davines Group | Davines Group
15. Our story | Davines Group
16. B Corp Community: 1000 B Corps in Europe! | Davines Group
17. Our vision of sustainability | Davines Group
18. Tomorrow Butterfly | Davines Group
19. For You And For The Planet – Davines
20. About Davines – DAVINES I SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY
21. Help Desk Davines