Tom Redmond Sr., Aussie Hair Care Founder, Dies at 92

Hair care entrepreneur Tom Redmond Sr. died Feb. 13 at the age of 92.

He died of natural causes, according to a representative for the family.

Born in Chicago, Redmond, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War, graduated from Lewis University before embarking on a career in the beauty industry, later making waves with the iconic Aussie hair care brand.

His first job in the industry was selling ad space for Modern Beauty Shop, later becoming a beauty products sales representative.

In 1979, he launched Redmond Products and the following year debuted Aussie Hair Care after he became inspired by ingredients such as jojoba oil, aloe vera and Australian sea kelp during a trip to Australia.

Despite having very limited advertising budgets, Redmond came up with innovative ways to make the most of it. That included photographing the 13 members of his family dressed in white bathrobes, a visual that would define Aussie’s brand identity. He also spent nearly the entirety of his budget to secure an ad in People magazine.

All this paid off. Known for its purple packaging and signature products such as Three Minute Miracle deep conditioner, Aussie made a big impact on the hair care industry and under Redmond’s leadership, the brand grew from $250,000 in sales to more than $100 million in just a decade.

In 1997, Redmond sold Aussie to Bristol-Myers Squibb. It is currently owned by Procter & Gamble, which purchased it in 2003.

In addition to his strong entrepreneurial spirit, Redmond had a love of the outdoors and in 1991 he purchased Wolfsprings Ranch, a 64,000-acre working ranch in Colorado, where he raised cattle, buffalo and show horses. He later bought a second ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Redmond is survived by his wife Carmen, children Anna, Ping, Mei, Jong, Ellen, Patricia, Tom Jr., Michael, and John, as well as 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.