Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty

What Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty does

Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty is a UK-based professional haircare brand, established circa 1990 and operated today by PZ Cussons Beauty LLP, a subsidiary of PZ Cussons International. Its portfolio is organised into roughly 12 specialist sub-ranges (ColourPlex, ColourPlex Grey, Everyday Gentle, Grow Strong, MenoPlex, Moisture Seal, ShinePlex, Thicker & Fuller, Volume & Bounce, Clean + Protect, Scalp Restore, Takeaways) covering shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling, colour management and scalp care, with about 72+ SKUs. The underlying product technology centres on the proprietary Plex Technology system (combining Keravis and hydrolysed vegetable protein complexes that penetrate the hair cortex) and complementary proprietary complexes such as GROWSTRONG (pea sprout extract) and PLEX-REPAIR (used in the menopause-specific MenoPlex range).

The brand serves primarily female UK consumers seeking professional-grade at-home haircare, segmented by concern (colour care, dry/damaged, fine/thinning, weak/breakage-prone, flat/lifeless, naturally grey, scalp concerns, menopause). Its target customers include women seeking salon-quality results, perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing hormonal hair changes, and individuals with colour-treated, grey, fine, or damaged hair.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales distributed via a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through charlesworthington.com and third-party retail distribution through Boots, Superdrug, Amazon UK and Ocado. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but follows standard FMCG mass-market haircare price points. Marketing relies on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), email, a customer superfan testimonial program, and clinical ambassador partnerships (e.g., Dr. Shirin Lakhani for MenoPlex). The brand is registered through PZ Cussons Beauty LLP (LLP, registered office at 14 Upper St. Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London; company number OC364213) and is privately held within the PZ Cussons group — no independent funding rounds, M&A or IPO activity is present in the data.

Name

Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty

Legal name

PZ Cussons Beauty LLP

Website

https://charlesworthington.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Charles Worthington is a UK-based professional haircare brand (owned by PZ Cussons Beauty LLP, a subsidiary of PZ Cussons International) that sells Plex-technology shampoos, conditioners, treatments and styling products across 12 specialist ranges through DTC e-commerce and major UK retailers (Boots, Superdrug, Amazon UK, Ocado), primarily serving female consumers across multiple hair-concern segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Haircare Products

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Styling, Treatments) (CRADANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Hair Care (Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatments) (CRABALAB), Shampoo & Scalp Cleansers (CRABABAA), Conditioners & Hair Masks (CRABABAB), Professional Hair Styling & Finishing (CRABALAC), Professional/Salon Haircare (Backbar & Retail) (CRABABAK), Styling Products (Gels, Sprays, Mousses, Creams) (CRABABAC)

Keywords

• Professional haircare products
• Hair strengthening treatments
• Colour care systems
• Hair styling products
• Scalp care solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Haircare Product Sales: Sale of professional haircare products including shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, and colour management products. Products sold in multiple sizes including full-size (250ml) and travel/takeaway sizes (75ml, 50ml, 30ml). Revenue generated through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and retail partner channels.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charles Worthington is a professional haircare brand that develops, manufactures and sells a portfolio of hair care and styling products including shampoos, conditioners, intensive treatments, styling products and colour management items organised into 9+ specialist sub-brand ranges such as ColourPlex, Grow Strong, Moisture Seal, MenoPlex, Thicker & Fuller, Volume & Bounce, Everyday Gentle, ShinePlex and Scalp Restore. Products are anchored by proprietary Plex Technology that strengthens hair from within and reduce breakage by up to 90%, and are sold through the brand's own e-commerce site and major UK retailers (Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, Ocado).

Product overview

Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty is a professional haircare brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of hair care and styling products organized into nine distinct sub-brands/ranges. The core technology across most products is Plex Technology, which strengthens hair from within and reduces breakage by up to 90%. The ColourPlex range provides colour protection and toning for blonde, brunette, and grey hair. Everyday Gentle offers micellar cleansing for daily use. Grow Strong focuses on hair growth with pea sprout extract. MenoPlex addresses menopause-related hair concerns. Moisture Seal delivers intensive hydration through a 5-oil blend. ShinePlex enhances shine with Vitamin C. Thicker & Fuller provides volumising and densifying benefits. Volume & Bounce delivers 155% volume increase with collagen. Takeaways offers travel-size versions with eco-friendly packaging. The brand also recently launched Scalp Restore for targeted scalp care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ColourPlex: Revolutionary colour care system with Plex technology for protecting, enhancing and toning colour-treated hair.
• Everyday Gentle
• Grow Strong
• Moisture Seal
• ShinePlex
• MenoPlex
• Takeaways
• Thicker & Fuller
• Volume & Bounce
• Clean + Protect
• Sunshine Protect
• Scalp Restore

Products and services

• ColourPlex Revolutionary colour care system with Plex technology that protects, enhances and tones hair colour (blonde, brunette, grey) while reducing breakage by up to 90%; for consumers with colour-treated hair.
• Everyday Gentle Gentle micellar cleansing range enriched with aloe vera for daily use, removing impurities without stripping hair and reducing breakage by 82%; for consumers wanting a mild everyday haircare routine.
• Grow Strong Hair growth and strengthening range featuring the GROWSTRONG complex (pea sprout extract plus nourishing proteins) that maximises healthy hair growth and reduces breakage by 90%; for consumers with weak, damaged or breakage-prone hair.
• MenoPlex Specialist haircare range developed and tested on perimenopausal and menopausal women, using the PLEX-REPAIR system and Specialist Thickening Polymer to increase hair density, restore volume and reduce hair fall; the first haircare brand to display the Gen M M-Tick on its packaging.
• Moisture Seal Intensive hydration range using an encapsulated 5-oil blend (Argan, Abyssinian, Coconut, Tsubaki, Macadamia) that penetrates the hair shaft and leaves hair 5x softer and 3x smoother; for consumers with dry, damaged or thirsty hair.
• ShinePlex Hair strengthening and shine enhancement collection enriched with Vitamin C combined with Plex technology to deliver stronger, healthier and shinier hair; for consumers wanting added shine alongside strengthening.
• Takeaways Travel-size versions of favourite products in flight-friendly pouches using 75% less plastic than regular packaging; for consumers wanting portable, eco-friendlier haircare on the go.
• Thicker & Fuller Densifying range with marshmallow flower and encapsulated Vitamin E beads that makes fine hair feel thicker in one week, increases hair density by 180% with the Densifying Mousse, and reduces breakage by up to 90%; for consumers with fine, thinning or limp hair.
• Volume & Bounce Volume enhancement range enriched with plumping collagen and pomegranate (with plumping kale protein in the shampoo) that increases hair volume by 155% and delivers a 24-hour sky-high boost; for consumers with flat, lifeless hair.
• Scalp Restore Scalp care range featuring Sea Salt Crystals and Niacinamide that gently removes product build-up, visible flaking and excess oil while soothing and moisturising the scalp; for consumers with scalp build-up, flaking or oily scalp concerns.
• ColourPlex Grey Specialised range for naturally grey hair that neutralises yellow tones with salon-strength pigments and Plex technology to deliver sparkling silver shine; 89% user agreement on grey colour enhancement and 93% agreement that coarse grey strands feel softer.
• ColourPlex Ultra-Violet Toning Drops Ultra-concentrated purple pigment drops (30ml) that allow fully customised toning levels for bespoke blonde tones; for consumers with blonde hair who want to neutralise brassiness at a custom intensity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hair breakage reduced by 90% with Plex Technology
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gen McoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partners of Gen M, leading the category as the first haircare brand to confidently display the M Tick on the MenoPlex range. This partnership signifies the brand's commitment to supporting women experiencing menopause and positions Charles Worthington as a leader in menopause hair care.
• Dr. Shirin LakhanicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDr. Shirin Lakhani, an aesthetic doctor and women's health specialist, serves as the brand's ambassador for MenoPlex. She provides expert support and advice on managing common hair symptoms from menopause, lending credibility to the specialist range.
• PZ Cussons Beauty LLPcoreOthersParent company that owns and operates the Charles Worthington brand. Registered in England and Wales under company no. OC364213. The brand is part of PZ Cussons International portfolio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pureology: L'Oréal-owned professional colour-care brand built around a proprietary bond-strengthening system (similar in concept to Plex); directly comparable to Charles Worthington's ColourPlex range in target consumer and salon-channel DNA.
• Living Proof: Science-driven premium haircare brand (originally spun out of MIT) with patent-protected technologies and focus on volume, density, and styling; competes with Charles Worthington's Volume & Bounce and Thicker & Fuller ranges on a science-claims basis.
• Moroccanoil: Story-led premium haircare brand centered on argan-oil signature treatment with a broad range of shampoos, masks, and stylers; competes with Charles Worthington's Moisture Seal 5-Oil range on oil-infused hydration positioning.
• Olaplex: Bond-building science-led premium haircare brand; the closest direct comparison to Charles Worthington's Plex Technology positioning, also targeting breakage reduction and colour-care consumers via salon and DTC channels.
• Christophe Robin: Premium French scalp-care and colour-care brand sold via Sephora and pharmacy channels; comparable to Charles Worthington's Scalp Restore launch and ColourPlex range on prestige scalp/hair positioning.
• Philip Kingsley: UK-based trichologist-founded professional scalp and haircare brand with strong Boots/pharmacy distribution and a focus on elasticity, breakage, and scalp health; competes head-to-head with Charles Worthington's Grow Strong and Scalp Restore ranges.

Broad incumbents

• Redken: L'Oréal-owned professional salon haircare brand with range-by-concern structure (Extreme, All Soft, Color Extend); broadly comparable professional-channel DNA and similar mass-premium price tier to Charles Worthington's UK pharmacy pricing.
• John Frieda: Kao-owned UK-staple mass-premium haircare brand sold predominantly through Boots/Superdrug; direct competitor for shelf space and the same range-by-concern narrative (Frizz Ease, Sheer Blonde, Brilliant Brunette) targeting British women.
• Aveda: Estée Lauder-owned plant-derived professional haircare brand with a broad multi-range portfolio spanning colour, volume, and scalp; comparable in range breadth and salon-rooted positioning to Charles Worthington's nine-range structure.
• Kérastase: L'Oréal-owned luxury professional haircare brand with a multi-range portfolio (Nutritive, Resistance, Chroma Absolu) sold through salons and premium retail; overlaps directly with Charles Worthington's range-by-concern structure and salon-grade positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CharlesWorthingtonUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/charles.worthington
• Instagraminstagram.com/cwhairlondon
• Xx.com/CWHairLondon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charles-worthington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charles Worthington Hair & Beauty