What Penetrex does

Penetrex is a private consumer health brand developed and marketed by Biomax Health Products, Inc., a corporation headquartered in San Diego, California. The company sells a topical joint and muscle pain relief product line built around a proprietary four-ingredient formulation — Arnica Montana, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and Boswellia Serrata — delivered in a fast-absorbing, non-greasy, paraben-free, non-NSAID cream base designed to be applied to targeted areas such as the back, neck, knees, shoulders, hands, and feet. The product is positioned as a multi-pathway alternative to single-ingredient numbing agents and oral NSAIDs, avoiding gastrointestinal side effects associated with systemic pain medications. Since launch, the brand has sold over 2 million jars and accumulated 91,000+ verified five-star reviews.

The product portfolio spans a core daily-care cream (2oz, 4oz, 8oz pump), enhanced variants (Advanced 5% Menthol, Warming with plant-based capsaicin, Hemp & Menthol), an oral supplement (Joint, Muscle & Nerve Support), and bundle/multi-pack SKUs. Distribution runs through three primary channels: a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront at penetrex.com that supports a Subscribe & Save subscription offering 20% off at 30/60/90-day intervals; Amazon.com marketplace with Prime shipping; and physical retail in 12,000+ locations including Walmart and CVS nationwide. The storefront is localized to 80+ countries with regional currencies and payments, and the company has earned media coverage in HuffPost, USA Today, Shape, Good Housekeeping, The Daily Beast, and Business Insider.

The business model is a hybrid of consumer goods direct-to-consumer e-commerce and wholesale retail, with a vertically controlled brand that outsources manufacturing and uses Recharge Payments for subscription management. Customer segments are horizontal — including athletes, aging adults with chronic joint and muscle discomfort, office workers with repetitive strain, and general consumers seeking NSAID-free alternatives — and the company relies primarily on word-of-mouth referrals and earned media rather than traditional paid advertising. Penetrex is privately held with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment, indicating a bootstrapped or founder-owned capital structure.

Name

Penetrex

Legal name

Biomax Health Products, Inc.

Website

https://penetrex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Penetrex is a private topical joint and muscle pain relief brand selling a proprietary non-NSAID four-ingredient cream via DTC e-commerce, Amazon, and 12,000+ retail locations across 80+ countries. It serves athletes, aging adults, and general consumers seeking NSAID-free alternatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Topical Pain Relief / OTC Analgesics

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

OTC Pain Relief & Fever (Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Topical Pain Relief) (CRADAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC)

Keywords

• Topical pain relief
• Joint muscle cream
• NSAID-free analgesic
• Arnica boswellia cream
• Warming menthol gel

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: One-time purchases and subscription sales of topical pain relief creams and supplements through penetrex.com. Subscription model offers 20% discount with automatic delivery at 30, 60, or 90-day intervals.
2. Retail Channel Distribution: Wholesale distribution through Walmart and CVS retail locations nationwide, with over 12,000 retail locations. Products also sold through Amazon.com marketplace.
3. Amazon Marketplace Sales: Products available on Amazon.com with Prime shipping, utilizing Amazon's fulfillment infrastructure and customer base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Penetrex manufactures and sells topical joint and muscle pain relief creams, lotions, gels, and an oral supplement built on a proprietary four-ingredient formulation (Arnica, Vitamin B6, MSM, and Boswellia Serrata). The brand markets directly to consumers seeking non-NSAID, non-greasy, fast-absorbing relief for joint, muscle, and nerve discomfort, with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Product overview

Penetrex is a topical joint and muscle pain relief company offering a family of creams, lotions, and supplements. The core product line centers on the Daily Joint & Muscle Care cream/lotion available in 2oz, 4oz, and 8oz sizes. Enhanced variants include the Advanced formula with 5% Menthol for fast-acting OTC pain relief, the Warming formula with capsaicin for heat therapy, and the Hemp & Menthol formula combining 1.5% Menthol with hemp seed oil. A complementary oral supplement (Joint, Muscle & Nerve Support) provides internal nerve health support. Bundle options like the Trio Bundle combine products for comprehensive daily and flare-up care. All topical products share a four-ingredient foundation (Arnica, Vitamin B6, MSM, Boswellia Serrata) and are non-NSAID, non-greasy, and paraben-free. Available via direct-to-consumer website, Amazon, and 12,000+ retail locations including Walmart and CVS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily Joint & Muscle Care Cream (2 Oz) A 2 oz topical cream built on Penetrex's proprietary four-ingredient Arnica, Vitamin B6, MSM, and Boswellia Serrata formulation, marketed for daily relief of joint, muscle, and nerve discomfort in individual consumers.
• Daily Joint & Muscle Care Cream (4 Oz) A 4 oz topical cream using Penetrex's proprietary four-ingredient Arnica, Vitamin B6, MSM, and Boswellia Serrata formulation, marketed for daily relief of joint, muscle, and nerve discomfort in individual consumers.
• Daily Joint & Muscle Care Lotion Pump (8 Oz) An 8 oz lotion-pump format of Penetrex's daily joint and muscle care formulation, targeted at consumers seeking a larger pump-dispensed format for regular application at home.
• Daily Joint & Muscle Care Gel (3 Oz Roll-On) A 3 oz roll-on gel version of Penetrex's daily joint and muscle care formulation, providing a hands-free, mess-free application for targeted joint and muscle relief.
• Advanced Joint & Muscle Pain Relief Cream with 5% Menthol A menthol-based topical cream containing 5% menthol for advanced joint and muscle pain relief, targeted at consumers seeking a stronger cooling sensation than the daily-care cream.
• Warming Pain Relief Cream A warming topical cream formulated with capsaicin, designed for consumers who prefer heat-based warming relief for joint and muscle pain.
• Moisturizing Pain Relief Cream with Hemp & Menthol A moisturizing topical cream combining hemp seed oil and menthol, marketed for consumers seeking combined pain relief and skin moisturization.
• Joint, Muscle & Nerve Support Supplement An oral dietary supplement intended to support joint, muscle, and nerve health, complementing Penetrex's topical cream line for users seeking a combined topical-plus-oral regimen.
• Trio Bundle A multi-product bundle combining three Penetrex items at a discounted bundle price for consumers who want a starter or value package of the brand's topical offerings.
• 4 Oz Cream 3-Pack A multi-pack of three 4 oz Penetrex Daily Joint & Muscle Care Cream jars sold at a discounted bundle price for repeat users and value buyers.
• 2 Oz 6-Pack (Friends & Family) A six-pack of 2 oz Penetrex Daily Joint & Muscle Care Cream jars marketed as a Friends & Family value bundle for sharing and high-volume users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million jars sold with loyal customer base
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail partnership making Penetrex 2-ounce jars available in Walmart stores nationwide. Part of expansion to 12,000+ retail locations.
• CVScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail partnership making Penetrex 2-ounce jars available in CVS stores nationwide. Part of expansion to 12,000+ retail locations.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace distribution with Prime shipping availability. Utilizes Amazon's fulfillment infrastructure and customer base for product distribution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Biofreeze: Biofreeze is the closest direct peer — a topical menthol-based pain relief gel/cream sold through the same retail (Walmart, CVS, Amazon) and professional (PT, chiropractic) channels Penetrex targets. Both compete for the same shelf space in the OTC topical analgesic category, with Penetrex positioning as the non-menthol, multi-ingredient alternative.
• Tiger Balm: Tiger Balm is a heritage topical analgesic brand sold in cream, ointment, and patch formats in the same mass and drug channels. It targets the same arthritis, muscle soreness, and active-lifestyle use cases as Penetrex, with a more menthol/camphor-heavy formulation.
• Aspercreme: Aspercreme is a topical lidocaine-based pain relief brand owned by Chattem/Sanofi, sold in drug and mass retail nationwide. It overlaps with Penetrex's positioning for older adults seeking non-NSAID alternatives and competes directly at the Walmart/CVS shelf.
• Blue-Emu: Blue-Emu is a topical pain relief brand centered on emu oil, sold through drug, mass, and direct response TV channels. It targets the same joint and muscle pain consumer as Penetrex with a similarly differentiated, non-NSAID positioning and competes on retail shelf in the same OTC analgesic section.

Broad incumbents

• Icy Hot (Chattem / Sanofi): Icy Hot is a household-name topical analgesic brand owned by Sanofi, sold nationally across grocery, mass, drug, and club channels. It overlaps with Penetrex on consumer pain relief occasions but operates as a broader portfolio brand with significantly larger marketing and trade-spend budgets.
• Voltaren (Haleon): Voltaren is the leading OTC topical NSAID (diclofenac) brand, now owned by Haleon and distributed across all major US retail and pharmacy chains. It competes with Penetrex for the same chronic joint-pain consumer, with the differentiator of clinical NSAID efficacy vs. Penetrex's botanical positioning.
• Salonpas (Hisamitsu): Salonpas is a global topical pain relief brand owned by Hisamitsu, dominant in OTC pain patches and expanding into creams and sprays. It competes with Penetrex for the same chronic pain consumer across mass, drug, and grocery channels with a much larger international footprint.
• Bengay (Johnson & Johnson): Bengay is a legacy menthol/camphor topical analgesic brand owned by Johnson & Johnson, sold across all US drug and mass channels. It targets the same muscle and joint pain consumer as Penetrex but operates as a category incumbent with decades of brand awareness and broader portfolio positioning.

Emerging players

• Theraworx Relief: Theraworx is a direct-to-consumer topical brand specializing in muscle cramp and spasm relief, sold via DTC and select retail. It overlaps with Penetrex on the active-adult muscle care use case but with a narrower therapeutic focus, making it a partial-overlap emerging competitor rather than a full-line rival.
• CBDistillery (CBD topicals): CBDistillery is a CBD-focused wellness brand with a topical pain relief product line sold through DTC and select retail. It intersects with Penetrex on the natural-alternative, non-NSAID positioning for joint and muscle discomfort, representing an emerging competitive vector in the same consumer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Penetrex
• Instagraminstagram.com/penetrex
• TikToktiktok.com/@penetrexusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penetrex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penetrex