Pureology
James Albert Markham | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1943 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Hair stylist, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founding Markham Products, ABBA Pure and Natural, PureOlogy Serious Colour Care, ColorProof Color Care Authority |
James Albert Markham (born December 22, 1943) is a prominent American hair stylist and serial business innovator, credited with founding four influential hair care brands: Markham Products, ABBA Pure and Natural, PureOlogy Serious Colour Care, and ColorProof Color Care Authority. Trained by renowned stylist Jay Sebring, Markham assumed control of Sebring International following Sebring's tragic murder by the Manson Family. In the 1970s, he enhanced the Sebring cutting methodology by introducing a novel men's grooming philosophy that prioritized cutting hair along its natural growth pattern, combined with daily washing, conditioning, and blow-drying. By 1973, this approach evolved into The Markham Method, which he expanded nationwide throughout the subsequent decade. Through Markham Products, he educated thousands of barbers and stylists under the Markham Style Innovators program. His clientele included distinguished figures such as Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Frank Sinatra. Additionally, he instructed film producer and celebrity hairstylist Jon Peters in the Sebring technique.
Markham is acclaimed for pioneering innovative hair care solutions across both men's and women's markets and has received numerous accolades within the industry. With ABBA Pure and Natural, he was among the first to introduce natural-based, vegan hair care products that complied with PETA's vegan and cruelty-free certifications, enabling use of their official logos. PureOlogy led the way in adopting sulfate-free formulations—a now widely accepted standard in beauty and personal care sectors. Through ColorProof, Markham continues to drive innovation by offering professional-grade hair care products that are hypoallergenic as well as free from silicones and fragrances, specifically designed for color-treated hair. His ongoing commitment centers on developing clean, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and vegan products. Alongside his wife Cheryl Genis Markham—partner in his last three ventures—he actively supports a variety of charitable causes.
Markham contributed as a technical consultant to Nancy Haigh, Set Decorator for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In February 2020, he published a hybrid memoir combined with an entrepreneurial guide.
Early life
Born on December 22, 1943, in Houston, Texas, Markham was the youngest of three children. He endured a challenging upbringing marked by poverty in Hobbs, New Mexico and Farmington, New Mexico, primarily raised by his alcoholic mother Ruby while his father was mostly absent. At age 15, Markham left high school to marry his pregnant girlfriend. He subsequently enrolled at Lubbock Barber School in Lubbock, Texas, earning his barber’s license at just 16 years old. By 22, he was a father of three children and had experienced two divorces.
Career
Markham began his career as a barber in Farmington, New Mexico, charging $1.50 per haircut and earning distinctions such as a Silver Medal at the Hair Olympics. In 1967, inspired by an article revealing that celebrity stylist Jay Sebring charged $50 per cut, Markham relocated to Hollywood to compete with him. Although initially unsuccessful in surpassing Sebring, he paid a franchise fee to master Sebring’s techniques and launched the first Sebring International franchise in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He became Sebring’s inaugural distributor across four states and created an educational certification program for barbers specializing in Sebring styling.
Following Sebring’s murder in 1969, Markham assumed the roles of president and CEO at Sebring International. He inherited Sebring’s high-profile clients and expanded the product line nationally by leveraging his training program. After Sebring International declared bankruptcy under its founder’s father’s oversight, Markham and associates acquired the company to continue its growth trajectory. A subsequent disagreement among partners led to receivership; eventually Markham established his own independent company.
On his birthday in 1972—and with backing from investors including British actor Peter Lawford—Markham founded Markham Products. By early 1973, he introduced a men’s hair care line distributed through barbers who became certified distributors alongside salons designated as Markham Style Innovator locations. Throughout the 1970s into the early 1980s, Markham maintained his reputation as stylist to leading male celebrities like Paul Newman, who engaged him for several film projects. National television appearances bolstered his profile as one of the highest-paid stylists at $55 per haircut. Lawford and Wolfman Jack helped promote his brand via public engagements and advertisements. After nearly ten years of success, Markham sold Markham Products in 1981 and returned to Albuquerque where he opened a thriving salon focused initially on franchising but later prioritized product innovation.
In 1989, Markham established ABBA Pure and Natural Hair Care to address gaps in women’s hair care by launching one of America’s earliest fully vegan hair care lines featuring plant-derived ingredients with an emphasis on environmental responsibility and salon education. He divested ABBA in 1997.
PureOlogy Serious Colour Care emerged in 2001 after Markham formulated sulfate- and carcinogen-free products inspired by a friend battling ovarian cancer who sought safe beauty options. Based in Irvine, California, PureOlogy quickly garnered accolades including the HBA Global Packaging award along with commendations from Health and Allure magazines as Best Shampoo. Within three years of launch, PureOlogy achieved sales exceeding $25 million.
Private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners collaborated with Markham by appointing him CEO of Alterna while he simultaneously provided consultancy services for Sexy Hair.
By 2007 retail sales for PureOlogy soared above $263 million from $200 million the previous year. On May 8, 2007, L'Oreal acquired PureOlogy for $280 million under its professional products division and relocated its headquarters to New York City.
In 2011, Markham launched ColorProof Color Care Authority. Remaining at the cutting edge of ingredient science, he partnered with chemists to develop BioRepair-8—a drug-free formula aimed at preventing hair loss—and introduced SuperSheer: the first professional line clinically tested to be silicone-free, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic specifically for color-treated hair.
Awards
Throughout a distinguished career spanning over fifty years, Jim Markham has received a multitude of honors. In 2019, he was bestowed with the Intercoiffure Lifetime Achievement Icon Award. His enterprise, PureOlogy, earned the title of Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007 from Ernst & Young within the consumer products category and was subsequently inducted into their Hall of Fame. That same year, Markham was recognized by the Professional Beauty Association’s North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) through induction into their Hall of Leaders for his significant contributions to the industry. Additionally, he secured the 2007 Orange County Business Journal Entrepreneur of the Year accolade and was honored as the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors (ICMAD) 2007 Cosmetic Innovator of the Year.
Other notable distinctions include the 2002 ICMAD Entrepreneur of the Year award and the 2012 Beauty Industry West Entrepreneur of the Year. Early in his career, Markham achieved recognition such as a silver medal at the 1967 Men's Hair Styling Olympics and regional championship titles in Colorado and New Mexico.
The Markhams have long been active supporters of various charitable organizations including the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC), Habitat for Humanity, SeriousFun Children's Network, and City of Hope National Medical Center. At City of Hope, both Jim Markham and his wife Cheryl were honored with the Spirit of Life Award. Their commitment to environmental responsibility is reflected in ColorProof’s packaging choices, which prioritize post-consumer recycled plastics and Forest Stewardship Council certified recyclable paper whenever feasible.