Gold Bond is a brand of

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

skin care products produced by

Chattem Chattem, Inc. is an American, Chattanooga, Tennessee-based, producer and marketer of over-the-counter healthcare products, toiletries, dietary supplements, topical analgesics, and medicated skin care products. Originally named the Chattanooga Me ...

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, now a subsidiary of the French pharmaceutical company

Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...

. It is available as both a

powder A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distin ...

and a

topical A topical medication is a medication that is applied to a particular place on or in the body. Most often topical medication means application to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes to treat ailments via a large range of classes ...

cream. Gold Bond is used to curb moisture, control odor, and soothe minor skin irritations, notably

jock itch Jock may refer to: Common meanings * Jock (stereotype), a North American term for a stereotypical male athlete * Jock, a derogatory term for Scottish people mostly used by the English * Short for jockstrap, an item of male protective undergarmen ...

. Spin-off products are designed for specific uses, such as foot powders or powders for infants to treat

diaper rash Irritant diaper dermatitis (IDD, also called a diaper/nappy rash) is a generic term applied to skin rash in the diaper nappy area that are caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants. Generic irritant diaper/nappy dermatitis is characteriz ...

Ingredients

The active ingredient of Original Strength Gold Bond Powder is

Menthol Menthol is an organic compound, more specifically a monoterpenoid, made synthetically or obtained from the oils of corn mint, peppermint, or other mints. It is a waxy, clear or white crystalline substance, which is solid at room temperature and ...

. Inactive ingredients include

talc Talc, or talcum, is a Clay minerals, clay mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thi ...

and

zinc oxide Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. ZnO is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cemen ...

History

The history of Gold Bond dates to 1882, when it was first developed by physicians of the Rhode Island State Medical Association. The formula was purchased by Arthur W. Guilford in 1908, who established the Gold Bond name and began making the product in

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...

. The formula and rights were sold in 1912 to John M. Chapman of

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...

, who achieved greater brand recognition and distribution. Timothy F. Shea, who in 1930 joined what was then "The Gold Bond Sterilizing Powder Company", eventually rose to general manager and treasurer, and later took over as sole owner. His son, Robert J. Shea, took over as president of the company in 1965. The Gold Bond company sold rights to three of its brands, including Gold Bond Powder, to Block Drug Corporation in August 1987. The brand was then sold to Martin Himmel Inc. in March 1990. To this point, the brand had remained a regional product of New England; soon after its purchase, Himmel began a national marketing campaign which saw sales increase by over 70% annually. By 1995, Gold Bond was a US$27 million business, and was sold to

in April 1996 for $40 million.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.goldbond.com/ Chattem Skin care brands Powders