Morgan's

Morgan's is a British men's grooming brand founded in London in 1873 and known above all for Morgan's Pomade, a hair styling and hair-darkening product the company has sold internationally for more than 150 years [1][10]. Trading today as Morgans Pomade Company Ltd., the business is run from Whitstable, Kent, where it manufactures hair, beard, shave, cologne and spa products for men, alongside a smaller women's range [2]. It describes itself as one of the oldest independent manufacturers of hair and skin care products in England — a description echoed by the trade body British Master Barbers [11].

The company remains active. It runs a direct e-commerce site, keeps current social channels, and published a seasonal newsletter as recently as January 2026.

Morgan's was founded in 1873 by Robert Martin, who began making his first products by hand in the kitchen of the family home; according to the company, formulation, labelling, packaging and distribution were all done by hand at the outset [7]. His first product, the company's histories say, was a hair preparation called the "Marie Antoinette Eucalyptus Egg Julep Shampoo," followed a year or two later by Morgan's Pomade — the product that would come to define the brand.

The pomade found early favour with fashionable gentlemen's hairdressers in London's West End, and from those first stockists it spread among style-conscious men. After Robert Martin died during the First World War, his wife, Jane Dinah, took over the business [7]. The company says it has remained family-run for six generations since.

From its London base the brand expanded steadily over the following decades. The company's accounts describe early growth into Paris and other European capitals, then far wider reach during and after the First World War. India became one of its largest export markets, reached in part through distribution to the British Army, and the pomade entered the American market during what the brand calls the "Classic age of Hollywood," when a sleek, immaculately groomed look was in fashion and the product was, by the company's account, used by well-known names in entertainment [7].

Production grew with the business. After early moves to a small factory at Highgate, the company bought a larger factory at Hornsey Rise in 1935 to scale up its hand-blending, mixing and packaging [4]. Following the Second World War it expanded into West Africa, where Nigeria became a significant market, and into parts of Asia, before eventually consolidating manufacturing at a purpose-built factory near Whitstable, Kent.

By the brand's own count, the original pomade has sold over one billion jars worldwide, and its products are distributed to more than 50 export markets [7]. Morgan's marked its 150-year anniversary in 2023.

The company trades as Morgans Pomade Company Ltd. and presents itself as an independent, family-owned business; no parent company is named in its materials. The brand is sold internationally through distributor sites, including operations covering Australia and the United States that present the same brand name and shared history.

Morgan's positions itself around British heritage, domestic manufacturing and a traditional barbershop aesthetic, combined with what it calls a "21st century environmentally friendly ethos" [2]. The company states that its products have been made in England throughout its history — from hand-mixing in the original factory to the current site in Whitstable — and displays a "Made in Britain" mark on them. It frames its outlook around what it describes as the founding "principles of excellence, integrity and value," and says it aims to serve the barbering and hairdressing trade while weighing its global impact.

The brand's range centres on men's grooming — styling pomades, beard and moustache products, shaving products, cologne, hair tonics and spa or skin care — alongside a smaller women's line that includes body care, shampoos, styling products and hand and nail care. The trade association British Master Barbers describes the company as carrying over 150 products [11].

The signature product remains Morgan's Pomade, historically sold as a hair-darkening pomade. Rather than using conventional dye, the company explains, its active ingredients combine with the hair and, with the influence of warmth and sunlight, darken it gradually over roughly two to three weeks. Morgan's notes it has since removed some colourants from the formula "for a more natural appearance without artificial colours."

On ingredients, the company says it sources natural plant and herb extracts, and it publishes a long list of materials with their stated benefits — among them argan oil, tea tree oil, jojoba oil, keratin amino acids and shea butter. It highlights the tagua nut, or Ecuadorian ivory palm, as a plant-based exfoliant used as an alternative to plastic. Morgan's states that many of its products are vegan and describes itself as a cruelty-free brand with a commitment to increasing the recyclability of its paper packaging [6]. It also says its products comply with UK, EU and US cosmetic safety regulations and have been examined by independent safety assessors.

Morgan's Matt Paste was voted Product of the Year 2019/20 by members of British Master Barbers [11]. The company also describes itself as a winner of a "Best Hair & Beauty Products Manufacturer in the UK" award. Beyond trade recognition, the brand is cited in Wikipedia's general article on pomade, which records that "In 1873 UK company Morgan's Pomade was established selling Hair Darkening Pomade across the world" [10].

The brand is active and continuing to operate. Morgan's runs a direct e-commerce site, maintains accounts on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, and published a seasonal newsletter in January 2026. Manufacturing continues at its site in Whitstable, Kent, and the company reports ongoing product development, including its vegan line and a reformulated hair-darkening pomade.