Paula Kent and her hairdresser, Jheri Redding (thus the name 'REDKEN') began with three products and an intensive education program for hairdressers about the chemistry of hair and skin. By 1965, Paula had full ownership of Redken Laboratories, based in California. During the '70s and '80s, the company was a leader in product technology in the US and abroad. In 1993, L'Oréal purchased Redken and now its headquarters are on 5th Avenue NYC. Today, Redken is a global leader in professional haircare products and services. Redken products are now available in professional beauty salons in over 50 countries.
In 1993, with sales at $160 million, Redken was sold to Cosmair, Inc.
In 2007, Redken was named as one of the "Icons of the American Marketplace" together with 256 other American brands (out of 800 nominations).