Over 26 years ago, two friends had a vision - to found a company by hairdressers for hairdressers - one that would provide tools of success for hair care professionals, their salons, and the entire beauty industry. It all began in 1980, when John Paul DeJoria and Paul Mitchell first decided to launch their professional hair care system around a revolutionary new styling method – hair sculpting, and a revolutionary new styling product – Hair Sculpting Lotion. In 1980, they established a partnership with a borrowed $700.00 which eventually become known as John Paul Mitchell Systems. The two partners began marketing their products under the brand name Paul Mitchell, as Mr. Mitchell was the hairdresser of the two and other hairdressers would respect a hairdresser’s name.

The two partners’ dream has flourished. Today, John Paul Mitchell Systems has annual retail sales of approximately $800 million. The company currently produces over 90 products (including the brands Paul Mitchell, Modern Elixirs™, The Tea Tree Collection, Paul Mitchell LAB™, Paul Mitchell Professional Hair Color). All John Paul Mitchell Systems hair and skin care products are manufactured within the United States. John Paul Mitchell Systems products are sold through 25 distributors within the United States to approximately 90,000 hair salons. Internationally, John Paul Mitchell Systems works with distributors in 73 countries that supply thousands of hair salons.