The clean beauty movement is transforming the beauty industry by emphasizing the importance of safe, non-toxic ingredients. Consumers are increasingly concerned about what they put on their skin, leading to a demand for transparency and high standards in beauty products. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Johan Hellström.
Johan Hellström is the CEO and owner of Björn Axén, a renowned Swedish haircare brand celebrated for its innovative products that deliver salon-quality excellence.
Björn Axén was founded in Stockholm in 1963 by its founder and namesake. Since then, it has maintained its position as one of the most trusted haircare brands in the Nordics, including holding a Royal Warrant to The Court of Sweden since 1984.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I began my career in 1984, working in a salon under the talented entrepreneur and hairdresser Björn Axén. I was incredibly lucky to work with Björn, he was highly regarded and had worked under the legendary hairdresser Monsieur ‘Alexandre de Paris’. After he returned from Paris in 1963, Björn founded his own company (under his own name) and opened his first salon in Stockholm.
The first Björn Axén products were launched in 1984. That same year, Björn was also awarded the Royal Warrant to The Court of Sweden - an accolade the brand still holds today. As a pioneer of cruelty-free hair products, Björn Axén’s commitment to promoting ‘conscious beauty’ has been present since the very beginning.
Then, in 1993, as I was preparing to open my own salon, I received the news that my friend and mentor Björn had tragically passed away. As a 27-year-old, I was even more surprised to find he’d left his entire business to me. I remember it was a huge shock! Unfortunately, despite its notoriety, the company was struggling financially at the time. There were a lot of people advising me not to take it on. Interestingly, that advice did the opposite. Together, with the support of my colleague and friend Peter Hägelstam, we decided to try and turn things around.
Now, 40 years since the first products were launched, we are proud to have upheld the Björn Axén legacy. We have successfully expanded Björn Axén products to 16 markets, seen 30% annual growth over the last three years, and sold over 30 million products.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I'm very fortunate to have lived an eventful life. There's no doubt that the most interesting story from my career was when I received the call from Björn Axén’s lawyer. After asking if I was sitting down, he told me that I was the sole heir to Björn Axén's entire life achievements and business empire. One week later, it was all over the news, and all eyes were on me. It was very overwhelming, especially as the company was verging on bankruptcy. It would have been much easier to just back away.
Upon reflection, I think my biggest learning from this life-changing experience was to always choose courage over fear. At 27, I made a conscious decision to face that challenge head-on. It taught me that with guts, perseverance, and determination, you can go a long way.
It's very easy to get stuck in that mental trap of "what if's", especially when you're anxious or uncertain about an opportunity. Instead, I now like to flood my brain with positive energy, and create a mindset of "well, why shouldn't this go well!?" Most of all, I never want to look back and regret that I didn't try something.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
It’s a cliché, but definitely “determination”. When COVID-19 hit, there was a lot of concern about the future of our business. Like many, we had to put everything on hold. I recall challenging myself and the team to use our combined knowledge and experience to find a way through the storm. We asked ourselves, “what do we need to do differently to endure this crisis?” Ultimately, it was both a combination of answers and determination that got us through that tricky period.
On a more operational level, I think it’s important to be “motivational”. In business, I’ve always been guided by three simple words: renew, simplify, and improve. Together, these can be incredibly motivating. One example I often give, is our company ratings. Across our salons we have an average service level rating of 4,9 out of 5. This score is based on 20,000 ratings, which is a testament to our amazing team. Those three words are a key part of how we deliver that 5-star experience. It’s all about finding the balance between the pursuit of excellence and inspiring people along the way.
Lastly, I think it’s important to have deep-rooted conviction in what you do. Our vision is to be role models in the world of professional hair care. To achieve this, you need to be able to answer the question, ‘why?’. Everyone’s ‘why’ is different, but for me it’s all about being able to make people feel better about themselves. This can take shape in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s giving someone a salon treatment as a hairdresser; Other times, it comes from knowing we are developing high-quality products that customers can use and enjoy in their homes.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
We are about to launch in the UK, which is really exciting! A lot of people know us in Europe, so it’s a huge opportunity for us to introduce our products to a new market. As a brand, we really pride ourselves on developing high-quality hair care products that consumers love. We know that there are a lot of brands out there, so for us it’s really important people know what we stand for. Our commitment to ‘conscious beauty’ is a big part of this. Our aim is to deliver products that consumers can rely on for great hair and scalp health, and that’s what we’ve been doing for over 40 years.
What inspired your brand to focus on clean beauty, and how do you define 'clean' in the context of your products?
For us, we prefer to use the term ‘conscious beauty’. What we mean by ‘conscious beauty’, is that everything we make follows our three product development pillars: people, planet, and performance.
At Björn Axén we are committed to health and safety standards that go well beyond what is legally required in the EU. This means that all our products are dermatologically tested, and the ingredients are carefully selected to ensure the health of the hair and scalp. It’s all about putting people first.
When it comes to ‘Planet’, this pillar refers to the high sustainability standards we maintain. This applies to both the ingredients we use in our products, and their packaging. We have phased out all unnecessary product packaging to minimise transport and waste, and always strive to exclude ingredients that may have a negative impact on the planet.
Lastly, ‘performance’. The performance of our products is something we rely on, as do our customers. This is why our product development is rooted in both extensive scientific research, along with 60 years of industry experience in high-end salon styling and hair care. We also put our products through comprehensive testing in both consumer and clinical studies. This process is conducted by independent institutes and substantiates proof of performance, along with the approved claims and benefits associated with our products.
How do you ensure the ingredients in your products meet clean beauty standards, and what criteria do you use to select them
We adhere to the Swedish pharmacies strict ingredient policy. We also stay up to date with the latest industry knowledge and scientific research. It’s all about being genuinely interested in creating high-quality products. To do this, you need to collaborate with reliable production partners and have a proactive approach to knowledge in the field.
What steps do you take to educate consumers about the importance of clean ingredients and how they can make informed choices when purchasing beauty products?
On our website we make the key ingredients and the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) list easy to access for each product. We also highlight ingredients on the front label to help the consumer make informed decisions.
As seasoned hairdressers, we have deep expertise in hair care and scalp science. Alongside building our brand, we're also dedicated to raising industry awareness and we invest heavily in training our sales teams and partners to educate consumers directly.
We believe healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Björn Axén himself, was ahead of his time in advocating for treating the scalp with the same care as facial skin. Today, consumers are more aware that their hair care routines need to include scalp health. After all, the skin on your scalp is just as important as the skin on your face!
What innovative or unconventional ingredients are you most excited about in the clean beauty space, and why?
I remember a feeling of great excitement when we launched our Moisture series. This product really opened everyone's eyes to the value in treating the scalp and face the same. It was a bit of a game changer, especially as the key ingredient in the product is hyaluronic acid - a natural fluid found in many areas of the human body, including the skin and eyes.
Enzyme peeling has been a standout in skincare for years, so it was exciting to introduce it into hair care with our Scalp Range and Detox Scrub. By blending gentle exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) with bamboo charcoal, we created a powerful yet balanced formula that not only exfoliates, but also helps regulate oil production on the scalp. This combination gives the scalp a healthier and refreshed feel. It’s an exciting fusion of skincare technology and hair care that elevates the overall scalp experience.
Can you share a story where switching to clean beauty ingredients led to a significant and unexpected benefit for your customers?
We’ve always had a conscious and responsible approach to our product philosophy, so we haven’t experienced a switch in that sense. That being said, it’s great being part of positive change, and to be an educator on how to deliver better hair care for a better planet.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Clean Beauty Brand”? (Please share a story or an example for each)
1. You need a clear vision and mission that reflects a genuine commitment to conscious beauty. In our case, the vision is all about being a role model in everything we do, and the mission is to create well-being which guides us in why we’re doing it.
2. Look at your product portfolio and create a long-term road map. This allows you to not make unnecessary detours that risk diluting your efforts. It will also help expand your portfolio, provided it is based on your actual customer needs, and that you introduce new product lines gradually.
3. Have patience. It’s essential to not rush through product development. This also means never putting something on the market that you can’t stand behind. We’re actually in a developing phase right now ourselves, where we have pushed the launch of a product to allow more time for extra testing. This means that once it’s on the shelves, we will be really confident that the product will deliver on its promises.
4. Know your story! And know how to tell it! We have a story of 40 years of product development, and we use that experience in every bottle we make.
5. Make sure your company has value driven foundations, and that you add value to whomever you're selling your products to! If it doesn’t add value to anyone, you’re not fostering loyalty, and you won’t be able to achieve long-term success.
How do you foresee the clean beauty movement evolving in the next decade, and what role do you see your brand playing in that future?
I think the clean beauty dialogue will evolve. Ultimately, I believe it will become a wider concept. Soon, I think we’ll all be talking more about ‘conscious’ or ‘intentional’ beauty. I believe this shift will ensure we focus not just on sustainability, but also on upholding high efficacy standards. Combining these two areas is really important, especially when you're making beauty products that people trust and rely on.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and find all our products online at www.bjornaxen.com
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
