February has a way of turning attention outward — toward the people you love, the gestures you want to make, the reservations at Prato or Hamilton’s Kitchen you remembered to book in time. All of that is worth celebrating. But before the month runs away from you, there is a quieter case to be made for turning some of that attention inward.
At Mint on the Avenue, 228 N Park Avenue in Winter Park, self-care has never been a trend. It has been the operating premise since we opened — and it has been Aveda’s founding philosophy since Horst Rechelbacher launched the brand in 1978. His belief was considered radical at the time: what you put on your body should be held to the same standard as what you put in it. No toxic shortcuts. No synthetic fillers masquerading as luxury.
Forty-seven years later, that conviction has not softened.
Color Without Compromise
Concerns about links between conventional hair color and long-term health are not new, and they are not going away. Aveda’s professional color lines address those concerns directly — not with marketing language, but with formulation. Up to 99 percent naturally derived, Aveda color draws on jojoba, kukui, castor, coconut, and sunflower oils. In place of a synthetic oxidizing catalyst, a patented green-tea extract does the work. Parabens, petroleum, phthalates, ammonia, coal tar — none of them have a place in the formula.
The result is color that reads rich and fade-resistant, hair that looks shinier than it did before the appointment, and a service where neither the guest nor the stylist is breathing in a chemical cloud. The ingredients are sustainably sourced. The line is 100 percent cruelty-free. That is a considerable amount of integrity packed into a single color service.
A Few Lines Worth Knowing
Nutriplenish. Built around organic pomegranate and coconut oils plus mango butter, this hydrating line comes in Light and Deep Moisture formulas — along with leave-in treatments — for hair that has been asking for something more substantive than standard conditioning. The superfood analogy is not a stretch.
Shampure. Aveda’s most recognized signature — shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, hand and body wash, body lotion, and a vegan soy wax candle — all anchored by a blend of 25 plant and flower essences: organic lavender, ylang ylang, sunflower seed oil, petitgrain, aloe. The people who walk past you near the koi ponds in Central Park and ask what you are wearing — this is what you are wearing.
Invati Ultra Advanced. For hair that is thinning or shedding more than it once did, this system works at the scalp level — exfoliating, nourishing, and reinforcing the follicle environment with Ayurvedic botanicals including turmeric and ginseng. Thicker-feeling hair, visibly reduced fallout.
Botanical Repair. A bond-building line for hair that has been through it — color, heat, time. Plant-derived molecular technology works inside and outside the hair shaft to restore strength and elasticity. The overnight masque, in particular, rewards patience.
Scalp Solutions. Because healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. This line addresses dryness, buildup, and imbalance with a pre-shampoo exfoliator, a rebalancing shampoo and conditioner, and a leave-on serum — all botanically grounded, all formulated without the ingredients that tend to make scalp conditions worse before they make them better.
The Argument for Botanical Ingredients
Conventional beauty products have long relied on synthetic compounds — not because they are superior, but because they are cheap and shelf-stable. Aveda’s counter-argument is the products themselves: lines that perform at a professional level while drawing on plant chemistry that has been refined over centuries. Turmeric. Licorice root. Pomegranate. Ginger. Coconut. These are not decorative ingredients listed for label appeal. They are the active components.
The best version of this argument is not made in words. It is made the first time someone stops you near Briar Patch Books or outside the Morse Museum and asks what you are using on your hair.
If you would like to find the right Aveda line for your hair type — or talk through a color service built on better ingredients — the team at Mint on the Avenue is at 228 N Park Avenue in Winter Park. You can also reach us by phone at 407.645.2264 or by text at 830.390.0226.