This past April 22 (Earth Day) Aveda raised US $220,000 to benefit clean water causes during its 24-hour global hair-cutting marathon. By surpassing US $75,000*, Aveda set a Guiness World Records title for the most money raised for charity through haircuts in a 24-hour period.

Aveda stylists from over 900 salons in 15 countries worldwide volunteered their time and expertise--snipping, trimming, chopping and shaping-- to create haircuts in exchange for a client’s donation. The Global Cut-A-Thon kicked off in Asia, passed through Australia, made its way through Europe and concluded in North America. Participating countries included: The U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and UK.

The record-setting Global Cut-A-Thon was just one aspect of Aveda’s Earth Month campaign, the company’s annual month-long drive that raised US $4.6 million in 2012. This year Aveda’s global network of beauty professionals in 30 countries organized thousands of events and exceeded their monumental $5M goal, raising a cool US $5.5 million in April 2013 to benefit more than 40 clean water organizations worldwide.

A substantial part of that total (US $1.5 million) came from the sale of Aveda’s limited edition Light the Way Candles. The company donates 100 percent of the purchase price to Global Greengrants Fund, a non-profit organization that channels high-impact grants to grassroots groups working to solve pressing environmental problems. Local efforts by caring Aveda professionals raised the remaining US $4 million.

Aveda professionals in more than 30 countries have collectively raised more than $32 million since 1999 to help support organizations that directly effect environmental change. More than $ 26 million of this amount has been designated for clean water-related causes since 2007.

Aveda’s record-setting Earth Day 24 Hour Global Cut-A-Thon was a win-win, making both the world and the people who inhabit it far more beautiful.

* $76,569.15 verified by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

For more information about Aveda, visit www.aveda.com.