Patrice Mulato is a company founded by a talented hairstylist striving to solve some of the most common allergy problems connected to hairdressing. It has gone on to become one of the greener and more sustainable companies in the production of natural pigments and natural hair dye products. A commitment to both research and client wellbeing has put this brand in prime position within the industry. Estetica Export talked to Patrice Mulato’s Co-Founder, Thierry Pouenat, and Export Manager, Linda Amghar.
Can you introduce your Company?
“Patrice Mulato is a natural professional quality hair care brand. Proudly Made in France, our products embody the essence of quality and authenticity. With a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, we ensure that 97% of our ingredients are sourced from nature, promoting healthier choices for both consumers and the planet. The brand was created in 2007 by a hairdresser, Patrice Mulato, who had developed allergic conditions to conventional hair products to the point that he could no longer practice his activity. He became increasingly aware of the daily health risks that stylists are exposed to and decided to create his own line of products which were exempt from harmful and controversial ingredients such as ammonia, peroxide, parabens, or silicone. That’s how he started to develop an alternative to standard dyes offering natural pigments for the first time in France.
To this day, our pigment range has a competitive advantage on the market in terms of effectiveness and natural composition. Our next milestones came with 2 other technical ranges: Color One and Origine Keratine. “Color One” is the result of 5 years’ research and development of a natural dye product gentle to both the client’s scalp and the hairdresser’s hands. This range won the innovation award at the MCB by Beauté Selection Paris trade show in 2019. As for Origine Keratine, it comes as the first natural alternative to hair botox to repair damaged hair. We won the gold medal at the Pure Beauty Awards in the UK in 2022. In addition to these technical ranges, we have developed a full treatment range meant to address all hair needs”.
Why is your company successful?
The combination of naturalness and effectiveness has made us the leader in the French market for professional and natural hair care with 190 references to meet all hair needs. Patrice Mulato’s values make the success of the brand: we are committed to nature, effectiveness, transparency and ethics.
Nature and eco responsibility are in the DNA of the brand with on average 97% of natural ingredients in our products and 100% of packaging recycled and recyclable.We are genuinely transparent: we are the first brand in France to have shown the percentage of natural ingredients on all packaging.
We’ve worked hard to eliminate harmful ingredients without reducing effectiveness: all our products are tested and approved by professional hairdressers in real salon conditions and by a panel of consumers.
Our pigment range stands out as one of our strongest, recording 100% satisfaction”.
How is your sales network organized?
“In France, we are distributed through wholesalers such as La Boutique du Coiffeur and Bleu Libellule. we sell also directly to hair salons through our sales force. In total, we reach about 4,000 salons. At an international level, we are expanding through a network of distributors, wholesalers and retail chains”.
Which are your main markets?
“We are very well established in the French market and overseas territories. We also have a strong position in Belgium, Malta, Switzerland, Tunisia, Chile and Japan”.
Where would you like to go next?
Our focus is to consolidate and improve our presence in Western Europe – in mature markets like the UK, Spain and Italy, but also in other areas such as Poland and Canada where we already have some leads. By the way, we invite distributors in these areas and beyond to get in touch with us! We’ll be happy to discuss possibilities in their market.
Do you believe in trade exhibitions as a way to develop your business?
“We strongly believe in trade exhibitions to develop our business abroad and bring some visibility to the brand on the international stage. We love Cosmoprof Bologna which is a “must-do” exhibition with a huge haircare section. We exhibited there in 2019 before the pandemic and we will attend as visitors this year hoping to make some interesting connections! We also took part in BeautyWorld Middle East in Dubai last year as part of the French pavilion with Cosmed. Furthermore, we will attend Salon International in London later this year in October”.
How important is e-commerce and online activities for you?
“This is essential to our business strategy. In today’s digital age, it plays a critical role in reaching and engaging with our customers. We have created a true online community of “Mulators” (from the brand’s name “Mulato”) through our Instagram and TikTok platforms. Our last TikTok postgot 1 million views, which shows the excitement and commitment of our community for the brand!
Furthermore, our e-shop provides a convenient platform for our customers to browse and purchase our products. It also allows us to expand our reach beyond traditional bricks-and-mortar stores. Our e-shop is open for sales and delivery to the UK and across all of Europe, which will allow us to develop an omnichannel approach to our international expansion”.
How do words like Sustainability, Gender Fluid, AI, and Vegan impact on your business vision?
“Our priority is clearly to make a positive impact in the world.
Sustainability is the guiding principle behind all our actions: as we mentioned, all our bottles are made from 100% recycled and recyclable material. On an ongoing basis, our teams are committed to eco-design principles: no over-wrapping, sourcing recyclable raw materials or even waste sourcing. Additionally, we strive to maximize the proportion of biodegradable ingredients in our formulas (95% to this day) In that regard, we have also created some training material for our partners called the “Naturalness Guide”: it helps them understand the composition of a hair product incorporating the concepts of natural – organic – vegan …
We also have a very strong commitment for ethics and inclusivity and as such, our beliefs have naturally led us to collaborate with ADAPEI of the Rhône valley, a local charity for families and friends of people with learning disabilities. For several years, we have relied entirely on them to provide the packaging for all our product ranges. And now it’s become a human journey with no end in sight!”
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