The roots of PZ Cussons lie with the Paterson Zochonis company, trading products between Sierra Leone and Britain from 1884. In 1975 the business acquired Cussons Ltd, a UK soap manufacturer. They carried on making the famous Imperial Leather brand soap and continued to expand in Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2002 the company adopted the name PZ Cussons Plc.

Besides Imperial Leather, other PZ Cussons brands include Original Source (acquired in 2002), Charles Worthington hair products, Sanctuary Spa, St Tropez tanning products, Carex soap and various food brands. In the 2010s the company moved into palm oil production in Nigeria, forming the company PZ Wilmar in partnership with Wilmar International.

PZ Cussons headquarters are located in Stockport, with the PZC Beauty division located in London’s Covent Garden. As of 2021, the company’s largest market is in Nigeria, overseen by the subsidiary company PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc.

Company number 00019457.