From a Mayfair salon to scented bath and body
In the basement of the South Molton Street salon, the founders hand-mixed botanical hair products. The turning point came in 1984 with the first signature fragrance, Orange Grove, now called Orange & Bergamot, along with one of the first luxury liquid hand washes in the UK. That same year production moved to the founders' country house in Elsenham, Essex, where the house still makes most of its products. Since 2005 Molton Brown has been part of the Japanese group Kao. From the early days it has kept its refusal to test on animals, and today all of its formulas are vegetarian.
The fragrances in the collection
Orange & Bergamot, the first signature
The house's first signature is a bright citrus, opening with Seville orange and bergamot, with neroli at the heart and a base of musk and cedar. Besides the Orange & Bergamot body wash, the fragrance comes as a body lotion, hand lotion, body scrub and a single-wick candle.
Black pepper and pink pepper
Re-charge Black Pepper was created by master perfumer Jacques Chabert. It is a spicy woody scent with black pepper, ginger and vetiver that the house describes as energizing, and it comes as a body wash, body lotion and eau de toilette. His daughter Carla Chabert created Fiery Pink Pepper, which pairs pink pepper, ginger and patchouli and comes as a body wash, body lotion and a hand and body soap with shea butter and jojoba oil.
Marine, green and aromatic
Carla Chabert also created Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, which sets cypress and sea fennel against marine notes and is available as a body wash, body lotion and refill. Among the aromatics there is also Wild Mint & Lavandin, with wild mint, Provençal lavandin and orris root, and Eucalyptus, which smells of eucalyptus, wild mint and patchouli.
Floral and fruity
Rhubarb & Rose blends rhubarb, rose, yuzu and grapefruit with vanilla and musk and comes as a liquid hand wash, hand lotion and body lotion. Heavenly Gingerlily is also by Jacques Chabert, a lily scent with ginger and cardamom. Flora Luminare is a sunny fragrance built on orange blossom, frangipani and vanilla, Lily & Magnolia Blossom has magnolia, lily of the valley and sandalwood, and Templetree combines gardenia, jasmine and sandalwood. Then there is Rose Dunes, a rose with cassis and patchouli, and Milk Musk, a sensual musk with pear and white cedar. Finally, Graceful Apricot & Freesia is a limited edition that smells of apricot and freesia.
Woods, leather and amber
For darker tones there is Oudh Accord & Gold, with oud, myrrh and cinnamon and real gold flakes in the gel. Dark Leather has Siberian pine, leather and tobacco, Tobacco Absolute pairs rosewood and leather with a touch of citrus, and Neon Amber is built on mandarin, tonka bean and ambroxan.
How to choose and build your Molton Brown routine
Cleanse
Body wash is the format almost every fragrance comes in, and some formulas claim a little more. The Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel body wash, for example, is paraben-free and dermatologically tested, while the Neon Amber one is designed to remove impurities while respecting the skin barrier. For hands there is the Rhubarb & Rose liquid hand wash, with rhubarb extract and rose extract.
Moisturize
Among the body lotions, Rose Dunes has a light yet highly hydrating texture and a vegan formula, free of parabens and phthalates. Flora Luminare is also light and goes on damp skin after a bath or shower. For hands there are the nourishing Orange & Bergamot hand lotion and the Rhubarb & Rose hand lotion.
Exfoliate and unwind
The Orange & Bergamot body scrub is an exfoliator with neroli, orange, bergamot and mandarin oils. The Ylang Ylang line, in body wash and body lotion, is the one the house dedicates to those seeking peace and harmony, enriched with Madagascan ylang ylang extract and yuan zhi root.
Infinite Bottle and refills
Re-charge Black Pepper and Fiery Pink Pepper also come in the Infinite Bottle, a 100% recycled aluminum bottle made to last. The Re-charge Black Pepper Infinite Bottle, for example, is filled with the refill of the same body wash.
Fragrances and home
Among the fragrances to wear there is the Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Toilette, with black pepper, ginger, coriander, vetiver and oakmoss. The Tea Ceremony Eau de Parfum is inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony and is bright, with a fresh opening, while the matching body wash opens on a leafy green reminiscent of matcha. For the home, finally, there is the Rhubarb & Rose diffuser, with its refill, and the three-wick candle in the same fragrance.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Molton Brown?
Molton Brown was founded in 1971 by Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis, who opened a salon at 58 South Molton Street and hand-mixed botanical hair products in its basement. Production is still in England today, in Elsenham, Essex.
What is Molton Brown's original signature scent?
The original signature is Orange & Bergamot, launched in 1984 under the name Orange Grove as the house's first signature fragrance. It is a citrus with Seville orange and bergamot, neroli at the heart and a base of musk and cedar, and today it comes as a body wash, body lotion, hand lotion, body scrub and candle.
Who created Re-charge Black Pepper?
Re-charge Black Pepper was created by master perfumer Jacques Chabert, who also made Heavenly Gingerlily, and his daughter Carla Chabert later composed Fiery Pink Pepper and Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel. Re-charge Black Pepper comes as a body wash, body lotion, Infinite Bottle, refill and eau de toilette.
What's the difference between Re-charge Black Pepper and Fiery Pink Pepper?
Re-charge Black Pepper is a spicy woody scent with black pepper, ginger, coriander and vetiver, which the house describes as energizing. Fiery Pink Pepper, on the other hand, combines pink pepper, ginger, nutmeg and patchouli. Both fragrances come as a body wash and as a body lotion.
Does Molton Brown make perfume?
Yes, alongside its bath and body care Molton Brown also makes eau de toilette and eau de parfum. The collection includes the Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Toilette, a spicy woody scent with black pepper, coriander and vetiver, along with the fresh, bright Tea Ceremony Eau de Parfum, inspired by the Japanese tea ceremony.
What is the Molton Brown Infinite Bottle?
The Infinite Bottle is a body wash bottle made of recycled aluminum, designed to be kept and refilled again and again with the refill of the same fragrance. It is available for Re-charge Black Pepper and Fiery Pink Pepper, each with its own refill, while Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel has a 400 ml refill.
Does Molton Brown test on animals?
No, the house states it has never tested its products on animals, a principle put in writing as early as 1990, and according to Molton Brown all of its formulas are vegetarian. The commitment goes back to the salon years, when the founders also opened an in-house vegetarian restaurant.
Which Molton Brown fragrances have a matching body wash and body lotion?
Orange & Bergamot, Re-charge Black Pepper, Fiery Pink Pepper, Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, Templetree, Milk Musk, Flora Luminare, Ylang Ylang and Oudh Accord & Gold all come as both body wash and body lotion. Orange & Bergamot also has a hand lotion and body scrub, while Fiery Pink Pepper adds a hand and body soap with shea butter.
