With thousands of salons across the county shuttered to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, many out-of-work beauty professionals are wondering how they will pay the bills.
Coty Professional Beauty, the parent company of brands like Wella, Sassoon and OPI, is offering $200,000 in grants to licensed hairdressers, manicurists and educators affected by the pandemic.
"We feel a deep responsibility to help and do as much as we can, to lessen the effects this crisis has had on our industry," Carole Protat, Coty's senior director of education for North America, told TODAY Style in an email.
The program, which was launched through the Hairdressers at Heart COVID-19 crisis relief program, will award 200 individuals with checks for $1,000. Applications can be submitted here.
“We know the power of artists supporting artists, and with each of these 200 relief checks, we’re helping you cushion the burden of lost business, educational investment and more,” the company said in a statement on its website. “As part of a vital part of this community and industry, we want you to spend these funds in whatever what creates the biggest impact for you.”
Last month, Coty converted their factories in the United States and Morocco to make free hand sanitizer for medical professionals.
But Coty isn’t the only beauty brand stepping up. Aveda launched Aveda Cares, a multimillion-dollar relief program to benefit the more than 6,000 independently-owned salons that carry their products. They are also providing more than 1,000 hours of virtual education.
“Helping our independently owned partner salons recover from recent mandated closures is our primary focus right now, which is why we have created a robust relief program that provides free education so that stylists can sharpen their skills while they are not able to work," Aveda's senior senior vice president, April Anslinger, told TODAY Style in an email.
Anslinger noted that Aveda has also provided financial relief by partnering with The Salon and Spa Relief Fund.
Earlier this month, John Paul Mitchell Systems rolled out a $4 million stimulus package that includes free hair color and products for when businesses reopen.
Ouidad, whose products are geared toward all types of curly hair, is donating 100% of its online proceeds to the Professional Beauty Association COVID-19 Relief Fund on National Hairstylist Appreciation Day Thursday.