Molton Brown is a luxury British fragrance brand known for Eaux de Parfum and Toilette, as well as bath, body, hair, and home collections. Molton Brown started up in 1971 on South Molton Street,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Since then, they have manufactured all products in Elsenham, Hertfordshire, England. The brand has been

cruelty-free In the animal rights movement, cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products tested on animals or made from animals are not considered cruelty-free, since these tests are often ...

since 1971 and created 100% vegetarian formulas. Its manufacturing facility is

carbon neutral Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "p ...

and has used 100%

renewable electricity Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

since 2016 and recycled 97% of its waste since 2021. Molton Brown now has over 50 stores worldwide. They provide five-star hotels around the world with luxury amenities. They can also be found in international travel retail and wholesale locations. In 2012, Molton Brown was awarded a Royal Warrant for the supply of toiletries by appointment of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II They are a member of Walpole, the official sector body for promoting, protecting and developing British luxury.

History

Founded by Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis in 1971, the brand began as an exclusive hair salon drawing celebrities, musicians, film stars and models to its doors. Located at 58 South Molton Street, Mayfair, London it was situated almost opposite Caroline's parents’ trend-setting, famed fashion boutique Browns. Molton Brown were globally renowned for pioneering natural hair care products and revolutionary styling techniques such as finger-drying and Molton Browners. Their celebrated in-house stylists, including Sam McKnight and Kerry Warn, created countless covers for fashion magazines, most notably Vogue and Cosmopolitan. The brand also featured the then-unknown supermodel Kate Moss as a in-house model in the 1990s. To begin with, the founders hand-mixed their products at the salon, then moved production to their country house, Motts Hall, in 1984. During this time, they created Bath, Body, Fragrance and Colour Cosmetics. They provided their Orange Grove collection, known today as Orange & Bergamot, to the distinguished Mayfair hotel, Grosvenor House, making them one of the first British luxury toiletry houses to supply hotels. The business continued to thrive in the 1990s with Hotel and Travel collections, creating restorative Travel Spas and partnering with

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...

in 1996 to offer indulgent in-flight amenities. Japanese company

Kao Corporation is a chemical and cosmetics company headquartered in Nihonbashi-Kayabacho, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. History Kao was established in 1887 by Tomiro Nagase as a manufacturer of domestic toiletry soap. Until 1954, they were known as , and finall ...

acquired Molton Brown for £170m in 2005.

Awards

In February 2013 Molton Brown was awarded the BUAV Leaping Bunny stamp of approval by Cruelty Free International certifying all of the brand's products to be free from animal tests under the international Humane Standards.

Products

The brand have created many award-winning products over the decades, working with a diverse range of perfumers including industry masters such as Jacques Chabert who created their iconic Re-charge Black Pepper collection in 2002. Fragrance: Eaux de Parfum and Toilette Bath & Body: Bath & Shower Gels, Body Lotions, Body Polishers, Bath Oils, Body Oils, Bath Salts Hand Care: Hand Washes, Hand Lotions, Hand Creams, Hand Sanitisers Hair Care: Shampoos, Conditioners, Masks, Perfume Mists Home: Candles, Aroma Reeds, Room Sprays Men's Grooming: Skin Care, Shaving, Deodorants

Sustainability

Since their beginning, Molton Brown have never tested on animals and the brand have been Leaping Bunny-approved since 2012. The Leaping Bunny programme is the globally recognised gold standard for cruelty free cosmetics and household products, and demonstrates that a brand is genuinely committed to removing animal testing from its supply chain. They have also committed to ambitious sustainable initiatives including refillable packaging, responsible manufacturing and reduction of plastic.

References

External links

* {{Cosmetics Cosmetics companies of the United Kingdom Cosmetics companies of Japan Personal care brands British brands Companies based in East Hertfordshire District British Royal Warrant holders