please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . september 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message wella industry consumer goods founded 1880 founders franz str her headquarters geneva switzerland area served worldwide products hair care parent procter & gamble website wella.com wella ag is a major german hair care company headquartered in geneva switzerland . founded in 1880 by franz str her it specializes in haircare styling and colorants sold to individuals as well as hairdressers and was controlled by procter & gamble since 2003 until it was sold to coty inc. along with other p & g brands . contents 1 history 2 awards 3 references 4 external links history edit wella was founded in 1880 by franz str her a hairdresser from saxony eastern germany . the company originally made tulles the base used for making wigs . in 1890 he invented the tullemoid waterproof a technique that allowed the scalp to breathe . in 1894 he opened his first factory in rothenkirchen germany and his sons karl and george str her joined the business soon after . in 1924 the str hers registered the name wella at the german patent office . as wigs and hairpieces fell out of fashion the company turned to permanent wave products ; the name wella was taken from dauerwellapparat meaning permanent wave device in german . in 1927 they introduced the first perming appliance and supplied it to salons . in the 1930s wella developed the first hairdryers with built in motors and movable tubes that allowed head movement during the drying process . also in the 1930s wella introduced wella junior a portable perming machine . after world war ii the german democratic republic seized the wella factory and all its patents were declared state owned . the str her family and some members of staff decided to start the business again from scratch in h nfeld hesse . production began again in 1945 and by the end of the decade the new wella ag had 50 employees . in 1950 wella introduced koleston the first hair balm designed to protect and nourish hair . in 1954 hollywood icon elizabeth taylor appeared in koleston advertising . in the 1960s the company launched wella privat a salon exclusive product range that let customers take professional style products home for the first time . in the early 1970s wella introduced perform a new perm product that allowed hairdressers to create afro style looks . in 1972 they released wella balsam the first shampoo specifically produced for retail sales . the advertising campaign featured the stars of tv show charlie s angels farrah fawcett jaclyn smith and cheryl ladd . wella also launched for men their first ever product line exclusively for men . in 1995 wella re launched the koleston line as koleston perfect . the new product included natural ingredients including fruit wax . 2002 saw the launch of wella trendvision an annual presentation of wella s haute couture hair collections . the event is now known as the international trendvision award or itva a global hairdressing competition encouraging high level craftsmanship and creative vision . in 2003 wella was acquired by procter & gamble further expanding the group s beauty portfolio across eastern and western europe and latin america . reuters reports that p & g is exploring a potential sale of wella . citation needed josh wood became a global wella professionals colour ambassador in january 2008 and in 2010 took on the full time role as wella professionals global creative director of colour . 1 eugene souleiman currently serves as global creative director for wella professionals . 2 wella founded making waves in 2011 a socially responsible programme that teaches hairdressing and life skills to disadvantaged young people . the program started in brazil and has since expanded to include romania . in 2014 wella patented a new molecule called me . this molecule is a substitute for ppd also known as p phenylenediamine which is present in most colouring products to fix the colour . ppd has been known to cause mild to severe allergic reactions . the me molecule is currently used in the wella professionals colour brand koleston perfect innosense which is the first permanent colour product to be approved by the european centre for allergy research foundation ecarf . awards edit date publication & award category brand & product scope april 2012 total beauty 2012 beauty awards hair gel rising star editor s pick wella professionals north america march 2016 behindthechair.com stylist choice awards 2016 favorite overall professional products company wella professionals north america march 2016 behindthechair.com stylist choice awards 2016 favorite lightener for foil highlights wella professionals blondor north america march 2016 behindthechair.com stylist choice awards 2016 favorite lightener for balayage and hand painted highlights winner wella professionals blondor freelights north america references edit http www.wella.com professional en en family history http www.wella.com professional en en family history external links edit official website v t e procter & gamble people norman r. augustine clarence gamble james gamble a.g. lafley lynn morley martin james mcnerney william procter william cooper procter john f. smith jr. ralph snyderman meg whitman ernesto zedillo brands always ambi pur ariel aussie bold bounty braun camay charmin cheer clairol covergirl crest blend a med dawn dayquil daz downy dreft eukanuba fairy febreze gain gillette gillette mach3 gleem head & shoulders herbal essences iams ivory joy luvs max factor metamucil mr. clean nice n easy nyquil olay old spice oral b pampers pantene pepto bismol puffs safeguard secret sk ii scope swiffer tampax tide vicks wella more ... related arbora & ausonia joint venture baltimore plant beinggirl chemicals decision earth hankook p & g mdvip pg tips port ivory pringles procter & gamble co. v. ohim tyneside v t e cosmetics face anti aging cream bb cream botulinum toxin botox concealer cleanser facial facial toning foundation moisturizer permanent makeup primer powder rouge skin whitening toner veil venetian ceruse lips gloss liner lipstick plumper stain eyes blepharoplasty circle contact lens eyelash extensions eyelid glue eye liner eye shadow kohl mascara hair conditioner hair coloring and bleaching removal chemical electric laser ipl plucking shaving threading waxing shampoo styling styling products gel mousse pomade spray wax nails artificial nails buffing manicure nail polish pedicure body body powder cold cream cosmetic surgery peeling skin whitening traditional japanese aburatorigami bihaku hikimayu kumadori ohaguro oshiroi uguisu no fun related topics cosmetic electrotherapy cosmetic ingredients cosmetics advertising cosmetology history of cosmetics major cosmetic brands ahava almay amorepacific anna sui artistry aveda avon bath & body works benefit biotherm bobbi brown the body shop bonne bell bumble and bumble burt s bees cargo carol s daughter ciat clarins clinique coty covergirl creme 21 cutex daigaku honyaku center elizabeth arden est e lauder eyes lips face faberge hard candy helena rubinstein kao corporation kevyn aucoin kiehl s la mer lanc me laneige laura mercier laura mercier cosmetics lise watier l or al l occitane love cosmetics lush mac cosmetics mary kay max factor maybelline missha modelco molton brown nars natura natural wonder neal s yard remedies neutrogena nexxus nivea o botic rio opi oriflame origins paula begoun pond s creams red earth revlon richard hudnut rimmel sephora shiseido shu uemura simplysiti sk ii skinceuticals stila ulta beauty ultima ii urban decay vichy victoria s secret wella yves rocher nogotok categories companies people history retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title wella & oldid 736235336 categories cosmetics companiesprocter & gamble brandscompanies of germanycompanies of switzerlandhidden categories 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