Fragrance house

Haeckels

Founded in Margate, Kent, in 2012 by Dom Bridges, Haeckels began with experiments using seaweed and local botanicals in his family kitchen. The brand developed as a handcrafted skincare concept focused on Margate’s coastal ingredients and heritage, with an identity shaped by locally harvested seaweed, coastal provenance, community involvement, and sustainability-oriented product development. It evolved from premium men’s grooming into a broader skincare, body, and fragrance company, and achieved B Corp certification in 2022. In February 2022, Estée Lauder Companies made a minority investment while Haeckels continued to operate independently. After reassessing the racist ideologies associated with Ernst Haeckel, whose illustrations inspired the original name, the company removed Haeckels from packaging and communications during 2024. In November 2025, it relaunched as Dulcie, named after Bridges’s daughter, retaining its Margate and seaweed-based foundations. Its fragrance concept drew on scents associated with locations along the Kent coastline; Pegwell Bay was identified as its bestselling fragrance and a cult favourite.