Sebastian Professional Partners with Born This Way Foundation to Advocate for Mental Wellbeing

[Los Angeles, United States of America – October 17, 2024] – Sebastian Professional, a leading hair care and styling brand under Wella Company, is proud to announce a new initiative focused on promoting mental wellbeing. Through a powerful partnership with Born This Way Foundation, this collaboration reflects Sebastian Professional's commitment to mental health, inclusivity, and creative empowerment across its beauty community.

In the hair styling industry, where talent faces constant pressure to perform and create, many have witnessed how mental health struggles can stifle creativity. According to a survey, 83% of young people have supported a friend struggling with their mental health, but only 39% felt adequately prepared to offer the needed support¹. This insight underlines the need for mental health training, reinforcing Sebastian Professional’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and supporting mental health—key elements to both personal wellbeing and professional success.

“At Sebastian Professional, we believe in beauty without boundaries, where everyone feels seen, heard and proud to express who they are. Supporting mental health is crucial to create a safe space to unlock creativity and build stronger, more engaged teams,” said Sebastian Professional's Senior Vice President, Sylvie Biragnet. “Our partnership with Born This Way Foundation is a reflection of our values of creativity, self-expression, and inclusivity, and we are committed to fostering empathy and wellbeing in both our community and industry.”

One of the cornerstone initiatives within the partnership between Sebastian Professional and Born This Way Foundation is the promotion of the Be There Certificate, a free, accessible online course that teaches individuals how to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in their communities -- created by Jack.org in partnership with Born This Way Foundation. The course, available in English, French, and Spanish, follows a simple, actionable framework that teaches people how to recognize when someone might be struggling, understand their role in supporting that person, and connect them to the help they need and deserve.

Mental health issues affect 75% of young adults by age 24², and through this initiative, Sebastian Professional is providing essential tools to help people support each other. Since launching on October 3, 6,000 Sebastian Professional employees and community members have had access to sign up for the course. Additionally, this collaboration will include organizing creative workshops focused on using artistic expression as a form of mental health resilience.

“As a result of this partnership, increased participation in the Be There Certificate will help build workplace communities that encourage more needed, open conversations about mental health and support employee wellbeing,” said Alex Aide, Director of Programs and Impact at Born This Way Foundation. “Born This Way Foundation is proud to be partnering with Sebastian Professional, a brand whose mission of fostering a kind and inclusive community is closely aligned with our own. We're grateful for their partnership in sharing about this vital and free online mental health course.”

This partnership aims to generate a ripple effect of positive change, extending beyond the beauty and creative industries to impact the nearly 5.5 million individuals within our communities. By equipping individuals with the tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges, Sebastian Professional aims to foster environments where creativity can thrive and resilience is built. The vision is to cultivate a future where mental health is openly discussed, ensuring that everyone feels empowered to express their true selves in both personal and professional lives.

We are Wella Company, an innovative global leader in the beauty industry that combines its iconic 140+ years history and industry expertise with its emerging status as a category-leading high-growth company. Since 2020, Wella Company has galvanized the transformation of our business and brands to become one of the fastest-growing companies in the beauty sector. Our portfolio of leading professional and retail hair, nails, and beauty tech brands includes Wella Professionals, O·P·I, ghd, Briogeo, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, and Clairol. Wella Professionals is the No. 1 Salon Color Brand in the World^vii and OPI is the #1 Professional Nail Salon Brand Worldwide. With an ambition to become the best beauty company in the industry, we inspire consumers and beauty professionals through our brands to look, feel, and be their true selves. We approach the product creation process by rigorously combining science, technology, and artistry to develop performance-led products, often distinguished by patented technology, a mark of the legendary Wella Company difference.

Guided by our company values and led by our ambition to deliver positive impact on people, through our products and towards our planet and society, we strive to deliver sustainable growth to our stakeholders. We proudly support the salon industry, the stylists, and the artists we serve across the 127 countries in which we operate. We impact a diverse community of more than 91 million beauty lovers and industry professionals, social influencers, ambassadors, followers, employees, customers, and suppliers across the globe. This is our Wella Family. We are continuing our journey to sustainably improve our products, reduce our impact on the environment, and create a culture where all employees act as owners who are invested in our shared success – through these efforts we are working to ensure Wella Company prospers for generations to come. For more information on Wella Company, visit www.wellacompany.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Bissett Germanotta, empowers and inspires young people to build a kinder, braver world that supports their mental health and wellbeing. Grounded in the science of kindness and built in partnership with young people themselves, the Foundation leverages an innovative combination of research, programs, grant-making, and partnerships to center youth-perspectives, inspire kind action, and equip young people with the resources they need to support themselves and each other. This approach comes to life through the storytelling platform Channel Kindness, the mental health training course Be There Certificate, the Kindness in Community Fund and more, reaching thousands of young people around the world each year. Learn more at bornthisway.foundation.

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Jennifer Burchette, jburchette@devriesglobal.com

Fernanda Armendariz, farmendariz@devriesglobal.com

https://www.sebastianprofessional.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sebastianpro_official

Sources:

1. Jack.org
2. USA: Mental Health Statistics [2024]