The hairdresser who changed the beauty industry

25 YEARS AS A PIONEER IN SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY

THE HAIRDRESSER WHO CHANGED THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

The story of ZENZ, is the story of the hairdresser who changed the beauty industry. During her apprenticeship as a hairdresser, Anne-Sophie Skjødt Villumsen developed an allergy to traditional hair products with chemicals, this sparked the creation of ZENZ. In September 2024, Anne-Sophie and ZENZ celebrate their 25th anniversary, marking 25 years as pioneers in sustainable beauty.

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1999 - THE BEGINNING

Anne-Sophie opened her first hair salon in 1999 under the name ZENZ Organic Hairdressing. This marked the beginning of ZENZ, where natural, health and sustainability were the core values. Anne-Sophie developed an allergy to traditional hair products during her apprenticeship and at this time the selection of professional products without harmful chemicals was very limited. This made her work as a hairdresser difficult. For Anne-Sophie, this marked the beginning of a long battle towards a healthier and more sustainable hairdressing industry.

2005 - GREEN SALON

In 2005, Anne-Sophie was a part of the establishment of the Green Salon. It is a certification given to hair salons that use healthier products and actively work to reduce their environmental and climate footprint.

2007 - THE NEXT STEP

By the summer of 2007, Anne-Sophie had been running her business for several years, and it was steadily growing. She realized that she had reached a point where she needed help with the further development and management of ZENZ. In her search for assistance, she met Jørgen Skjødt, who worked as a business developer and business angel. The meeting between Anne-Sophie and Jørgen turned out to be a fateful meeting. They fell for each other and shared a passion for a healthier and more sustainable beauty industry. In 2008, the couple became partners both personally and professionally, and a new dream for the further development of ZENZ was born. They set their own eight goals for sustainable development.

"What we put in our hair and on our skin is absorbed into the body, just like what we eat. It makes no sense that beauty products contain allergenic, carcinogenic and environmentally harmful ingredients."

Anne-Sophie Skjødt Villumsen

2010 - CERTIFICATIONS

The first ZENZ products were ready in 2010 and were certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and AllergyCertified. When ZENZ started it was a small exclusive line with professional hair products that have continuously been updated and expanded and today the product line includes everything from haircare, styling, henna hair colours, makeup, oils and face creams. In 2015, Anne-Sophie won the award Hairdresser of the Year at the Danish Beauty Awards.

2017 - new ambitious goals

The couple's entrepreneurial skills matched so well that in 2017, Jørgen decided to fully commit to ZENZ alongside Anne-Sophie. It was also the beginning of ZENZ's transformation towards new ambitious goals. Every branch of the company was to strive to support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals while creating ZENZ Version 2.0 through a relaunch of the company with ZENZ Organic Products as a result.

2021 - RECOGNITION FOR PRODUCTS

ZENZ has won awards both nationally and internationally and has been recognized for its products, hairdressers, and concept. In 2021, after the launch of ZENZ Version 2.0, Anne-Sophie and Jørgen Skjødt won the honorary award Fiery Soul at Danish Beauty Award. This award is given to people in the industry who have made a difference and serve as role models for others. Read more about awards here.

Today, ZENZ ApS is a global company represented in more than 20 countries, with its own salons, franchise salons, and product lines available in most parts of the world.