Noughty

Noughty is a British haircare and body care brand founded in 2016 by Rachel Parsonage and Lorna Mitchell, two childhood friends, within the London beauty company KMI Brands Limited [1][8]. The brand sells naturally derived haircare that it describes as a minimum of 97% natural and free from silicones, parabens and sulphates, and it positions these formulas as a performance-led alternative to conventional salon products. The name is a play on "naughty", with the "no" standing for the ingredients the brand leaves out.

The company operates dedicated storefronts for both the United Kingdom and the United States, and its products are distributed in more than 16 countries [8]. Its primary online presence is the UK site at lovenoughty.co.uk; the separate American storefront at lovenoughty.com links back to the UK site as the brand's home market [1][3].

Noughty was established in 2016 by Rachel and Lorna, who, according to the brand, had been friends for over twenty years. The brand's own about page gives only their first names; the parent company KMI Brands and a founder interview with Spa and Beauty Today identify them in full as Rachel Parsonage and Lorna Mitchell [8][9].

Rather than launching independently and being acquired later, Noughty was created from the outset within KMI Brands, a London beauty group whose portfolio also includes the Ted Baker beauty line and the wellness brand Plantopia. The founders worked with a formulator the brand calls "the beauty botanist", Jennifer Hirsch, and say they benchmarked professional salon brands to match their performance while keeping prices accessible and the formulas vegan and cruelty-free.

Noughty launched on 15 September 2016, initially in selected Superdrug stores in the United Kingdom and Clicks stores in South Africa, with an online shop at the original domain noughtyhaircare.co.uk [7]. Its earliest products centred on ingredients such as coconut, olive oil, sea kelp, blue mallow flower and argan oil.

The brand received the Vegan Society trademark in September 2017. In March 2021 it became Plastic Neutral through a partnership with CleanHub, which recovers ocean-bound plastic from coastal areas including Indonesia. In May 2023 it became B Corp certified, which the company describes as making it one of only 50 haircare brands globally to hold the certification, and the following month its packaging became "100% recyclable" through a partnership with the recycling service First Mile [4].

Noughty is a trading name of KMI Brands Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 4276412) and based at 71 Kingsway in Holborn, London [3]. No separate acquisition event applies, because the brand was developed inside the KMI Brands portfolio rather than bought in. KMI Brands describes its wider business as spanning haircare, wellness, bodycare and home fragrance.

Noughty markets itself as a "naturals brand on a mission, to exceed the performance of premium conventional hair and body care with natural alternatives that won't cost the earth". Each product is said to contain a minimum of 97% natural ingredients, with the remaining share consisting of preservatives and stabilisers the company describes as keeping the formulas safe and stable. The brand summarises its standards with the line "zero, that's right, none, nada, nought silicones, parabens or sulphates".

Alongside this performance pitch, Noughty cultivates an informal tone. KMI Brands describes it as "97% natural haircare, with a cheeky personality", aimed at a consumer "who cares about doing good, yet doesn't take herself too seriously" [7]. The brand frames its values around the phrase "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, for people, paws and the planet".

Noughty's catalogue is organised into named ranges targeting specific hair needs, including Wave Hello for curls, To The Rescue for damage repair, Detox Dynamo for clarifying, Pumped Up for volume and Purple Reign for colour-treated hair. Among its repair products is the Let's Bond range, which the brand says is formulated with "11 biometric amino acids and an innovative patented bond-repairing molecular compound" [10].

The brand states that every formula contains at least 97% natural ingredients, and its products are made in the United Kingdom. Independent recognition has come from UK press: Grazia Daily reviewed the Let's Bond range and described Noughty as an affordable British haircare brand delivering "salon-worthy results" that "could become a serious contender for higher-end products on the market" [10].

Sustainability is central to how Noughty presents itself, summarised on its site with the statement that "sustainability is and should always be, a dynamic journey and not a static goal." The brand holds Leaping Bunny certification from Cruelty Free International and is registered with the Vegan Society, and it carries B Corp certification awarded in May 2023 [4]. Its environmental commitments include Plastic Neutral status via CleanHub and recyclable packaging via First Mile, with a freepost scheme for returning mixed-material pump components to be separated and recycled. The company also notes plainly that "B Corp certification does not mean that a company is perfect".

Noughty is an active brand. It maintains dedicated UK and US storefronts and ongoing product ranges, holds B Corp certification from 2023, and its most recent recorded activity includes a July 2024 price-update notice [11]. Its parent company, KMI Brands, remains active in London.