Madison Reed
American hair-color and hair-care brand offering salon-inspired coloring products through e-commerce, retail partners, subscriptions, and company-operated Hair Color Bars.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Madison Reed is an American hair-color and hair-care brand founded in 2013 by Amy Errett. The company was created around the idea that consumers should be able to obtain salon-quality hair color at home, with products and guidance designed to make coloring more approachable than a traditional salon appointment. Its principal business includes permanent hair color, demi-permanent color, root-concealing products, and related hair-care items. The brand has also operated a subscription service intended to provide recurring shipments of color products to customers. Madison Reed’s proposition combines direct-to-consumer commerce with physical and third-party retail distribution. The company sells through its online channel and has developed partnerships with retailers including Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Sally Beauty, and Amazon. It also operates Hair Color Bars in the United States, where customers can receive services such as root touch-ups and gloss applications from professional colorists. This combination gives Madison Reed a hybrid position between a digitally native beauty brand, a mass-premium hair-color supplier, and a salon-service business. The company expanded into brick-and-mortar services in 2017, opening Hair Color Bars in San Francisco and New York City. These locations were intended to complement the at-home product line by offering professional application while retaining the brand’s focus on color maintenance and convenience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased demand for at-home hair color contributed to significant growth in the category and helped Madison Reed increase revenue as many consumers temporarily had reduced access to salons. Madison Reed markets its formulas as alternatives to conventional hair dyes that commonly use ammonia and emphasizes ingredient exclusions under its Smart 8-Free positioning. The stated exclusions include ammonia, PPD, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, gluten, SLS, and titanium dioxide. The brand has also promoted cruelty-free credentials associated with Leaping Bunny certification. Its marketing presents the products as containing ingredients intended to support the condition and appearance of hair while providing gray coverage or other color effects. The brand has received industry and workplace recognition, including inclusion in Fast Company’s 2021 list of innovative beauty companies and Newsweek’s 2022 Most Loved Workplaces feature. Founder Amy Errett has also appeared on several entrepreneurship and leadership lists. At the same time, Madison Reed has faced controversy over the safety and accuracy of its product claims. A 2022 class-action lawsuit alleged hair damage, hair loss, misleading advertising, and inadequate disclosure concerning ethanolamine, which the complaint characterized as a replacement for ammonia. The litigation was settled out of court in 2024 after the plaintiff dropped the case. These allegations remain an important part of the brand’s public record, although they should not be treated as established findings without a court determination.
History
Madison Reed was established in 2013 by Amy Errett as an American hair-color company focused on bringing professional-style color products into the home. Its founding concept addressed a familiar consumer problem: hair coloring can require repeated salon visits, while conventional home kits may provide limited guidance or lack the service experience associated with professional salons. Madison Reed therefore developed a direct-to-consumer model combining product sales, educational support, recurring subscriptions, and eventually in-person color services. The company’s early identity was primarily digital and product-led. Its assortment centered on salon-inspired permanent and demi-permanent color, together with products designed for maintenance between coloring sessions. The business later broadened its route to market through retail partnerships. Distribution relationships with Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Sally Beauty, and Amazon gave the brand access to consumers who preferred established beauty, mass-market, or marketplace channels rather than ordering directly from the company. A significant strategic development occurred in 2017, when Madison Reed opened Hair Color Bars in San Francisco and New York City. These locations offered professional applications such as root touch-ups and glosses. The Hair Color Bars allowed the company to present its products in a service environment while maintaining a narrower, more convenient focus than a full-service salon. They also represented an attempt to bridge the gap between do-it-yourself coloring and traditional salon care. Madison Reed’s formulation and marketing strategy emphasizes the avoidance of several ingredients commonly associated with conventional hair color. The company describes its products as Smart 8-Free, excluding ammonia, PPD, resorcinol, parabens, phthalates, gluten, SLS, and titanium dioxide. It has also promoted cruelty-free credentials through Leaping Bunny certification. These claims support the brand’s broader positioning as an ingredient-conscious alternative to conventional color products, although the company’s formulations and marketing have generated criticism. The COVID-19 pandemic created unusually strong demand for at-home beauty products. With many salons closed or operating under restrictions, consumers sought ways to maintain gray coverage and other color treatments themselves. This change in purchasing behavior contributed to growth in the at-home hair-color category and to Madison Reed’s revenue growth during 2020. The episode reinforced the company’s original direct-to-consumer proposition, while also highlighting the importance of clear instructions, color selection, and product-safety communication. The brand received recognition during this period and afterward. Fast Company included Madison Reed among ten innovative beauty companies in 2021, and Newsweek included it in a 2022 Most Loved Workplaces feature. Errett separately received recognition in entrepreneurship and leadership programs, including listings associated with Inc., Forbes, the San Francisco Business Times, Fast Company, and Ernst & Young. Madison Reed has also faced scrutiny over its claims about product ingredients and hair safety. A class-action lawsuit filed in 2022 alleged that the company’s marketing was misleading because products promoted as avoiding harsh chemicals used ethanolamine as an ammonia alternative. The complaint further alleged hair damage, hair loss, and inadequate disclosure, and characterized ethanolamine as hazardous. These were allegations made in litigation rather than findings established after a trial. The matter was settled out of court in 2024 after the plaintiff dropped the case. The dispute nevertheless remains relevant to the company’s history because it challenged the distinction between excluding ammonia and making broader claims about gentleness or safety.
- 2024
Class-action matter settles out of court
[1]The litigation was resolved through an out-of-court settlement after the plaintiff dropped the case.
- 2022
Newsweek workplace recognition and class-action filing
[1]The company appeared in Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces feature, while a class-action complaint raised allegations concerning product safety and advertising.
- 2021
Fast Company recognition
[1]Madison Reed was named among Fast Company’s ten innovative beauty companies.
- 2020
Pandemic boosts at-home color demand
[1]Reduced access to salons increased demand for home hair-color products and contributed to Madison Reed’s revenue growth.
- 2017
Hair Color Bars launch
[1]The company opened Hair Color Bar locations in San Francisco and New York City, adding professional color application to its product business.
- 2013
Madison Reed is founded
[1]Amy Errett founded Madison Reed as a hair-color brand focused on salon-quality results for home users.
Products and positioning
A salon-inspired, digitally enabled hair-color brand positioned around convenient at-home coloring, ingredient-conscious formulation, recurring replenishment, and optional professional application.
Hair color
Permanent Hair Color
Madison Reed’s permanent color line is designed for longer-lasting color changes and gray coverage at home. The products are positioned as salon-inspired alternatives to conventional boxed dye and are supported by the brand’s direct-to-consumer color-selection and replenishment model.
Hair color
Demi-Permanent Hair Color
Demi-permanent offerings provide a less durable coloring option than permanent dye and are suited to refresh, tone, or adjust existing color. They fit Madison Reed’s broader emphasis on maintenance between salon visits or full-color applications.
Temporary hair color
Root Coverage
Temporary root-coverage products are intended to conceal visible regrowth between more substantial coloring treatments. The category supports the brand’s convenience proposition and is also reflected in the services offered at its Hair Color Bars.
Beauty services · 2017
Hair Color Bar Services
Hair Color Bars provide professional application services, including root touch-ups and glosses. They extend Madison Reed beyond packaged products and give customers an option for color application while preserving the brand’s focused hair-color specialization.
Controversies
2024
Out-of-court resolution of product litigation
The lawsuit was settled out of court after the plaintiff dropped the case. Publicly available reference material does not establish the settlement’s financial terms or constitute a merits judgment against the company.
2022
Class-action allegations over ingredient and safety marketing
A class-action complaint alleged that Madison Reed’s claims about avoiding harsh ingredients were misleading because its products used ethanolamine as an ammonia alternative. The complaint also alleged hair damage, hair loss, and false advertising. These claims were allegations in litigation, not adjudicated findings.
Brand decisions
2020
Emphasize at-home color during the pandemicStrategyBackground
Salon closures and restrictions increased consumer demand for home hair-color solutions.
Action taken
The company served increased demand through its at-home product and subscription model.
Aftermath
The shift in consumer behavior contributed to Madison Reed’s revenue growth, although no specific financial figure is provided here.
2017
Add company-operated Hair Color BarsStrategyBackground
The brand began as an at-home and direct-to-consumer hair-color business but sought to offer professional application as well.
Action taken
Madison Reed opened Hair Color Bars in San Francisco and New York City for services including root touch-ups and glosses.
Aftermath
The move created a hybrid model combining packaged products, digital commerce, and specialized in-person services.
Recent events
- 2022
Madison Reed appears in Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces feature[1]
Other
The company was included in Newsweek’s 2022 recognition of workplaces receiving strong employee-related sentiment.
- 2021
Madison Reed recognized by Fast Company among innovative beauty companies[1]
Other
Madison Reed was included in Fast Company’s list of ten innovative beauty companies.
- 2020
At-home hair-color demand rises during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
Pandemic-era salon restrictions and reduced salon access increased consumer interest in home hair coloring and contributed to Madison Reed revenue growth.
- 2017
Madison Reed opens Hair Color Bars in San Francisco and New York City[1]
Other
The brand expanded beyond e-commerce by opening company-operated Hair Color Bars offering services such as root touch-ups and glosses.
Sources1 sources
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