What Dr. Theiss Naturwaren does

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German manufacturer of pharmaceutical cosmetics, OTC medicines, and homeopathic remedies, headquartered in Homburg/Saar. Founded in 1978 by Prof. Dr. Peter Theiss after taking over his father's pharmacy, the company operates two GMP-certified production plants in Homburg covering R&D, manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics, and employs approximately 510-550 staff at headquarters with around 2,000 employees globally across 20 subsidiaries. Its portfolio spans six brands — Dr. Theiss (natural remedies and homeopathic medicines), medipharma cosmetics (dermo- and decorative cosmetics), Lacalut (dental care, sold in 60+ countries), Allgäuer Latschenkiefer (foot, leg, muscle care from owned pine plantations), proff/Dolorgiet (topical ibuprofen pain relief), and MILINDA (hand disinfection).

The company sells exclusively through pharmacies, supported by a 700+ field sales force that conducts training and merchandising at point of sale. Distribution covers more than 60 countries with established market leadership in Poland, Hungary, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Croatia, and a #3 position in the German pharmacy personal care category. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales of branded consumer health and cosmetic SKUs, with no subscription or licensing model disclosed; pricing is not publicly listed and is set through pharmacy wholesale channels. Notable technical and brand assets include vertical integration into Latschenkiefer raw material via 100 hectares of owned plantations, GMP-certified medicinal manufacturing, heritage brands dating to 1928 (Lacalut), and proprietary formulations combining natural ingredients (olive oil, evening primrose oil, dwarf pine) with pharmaceutical-grade quality control.

Recent strategic activity has been measured: bolt-on acquisitions of Dolorgiet (2013), Allga Pharma (2005), and Lacalut (2000); product line extensions into hyaluronic skincare, decorative cosmetics, and pandemic-era disinfection; and an emerging internal AI platforms initiative signalled by hiring for a KI-Plattformen Solution Consultant role. The company is led by founder Prof. Dr. Peter Theiss, managing partner Giuseppe Nardi, and Managing Director Jonas Thielmann, and remains independent with no disclosed parent, private equity, or public-market ownership.

Name

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren

Legal name

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren GmbH

Website

https://naturwaren-theiss.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren is a family-owned German manufacturer of pharmaceutical cosmetics, OTC medicines, and homeopathic remedies, selling six heritage brands (Dr. Theiss, medipharma cosmetics, Lacalut, Allgäuer Latschenkiefer, proff, MILINDA) exclusively through pharmacies across 60+ countries from its GMP-certified Homburg facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Cosmetics

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hand & Body Care (Lotions, Creams, Body Oils) (CRADANAC), OTC Pain Relief & Fever (Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Topical Pain Relief) (CRADAMAC), Dermatology & Aesthetics Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAK), OTC Medicines & Consumer Health Products Distribution (CRAOAHAB)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical cosmetics
• Natural personal care
• Dental care products
• OTC pain relief
• Homeopathic medicines

Headquarters

HQ city

Homburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Cosmetics: Revenue from manufacturing and selling cosmetics and health care products through pharmacy distribution channels. Products include facial care, body care, hair care, and decorative cosmetics sold under multiple brand names.
2. Medicinal Products: Revenue from over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal products including analgesics (Ibuprofen-based proff products) and homeopathic medicines. Products are sold primarily through pharmacies.
3. Dental Care Products: Lacalut dental care range providing all-round protection for teeth and gums, sold in over 60 countries worldwide through pharmacy channels.
4. Natural Health Products: Natural care products and homoeopathic medicines from carefully selected raw materials, including the Dr. Theiss brand products for nearly 40 years.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren researches, manufactures, and supplies a multi-brand portfolio of pharmaceutical cosmetics and OTC medicinal products sold exclusively through pharmacies. The portfolio spans natural personal care, dermocosmetics, dental care, topical pain relief, and homeopathic medicines under brands including Dr. Theiss, medipharma cosmetics, Lacalut, proff, Allgäuer Latschenkiefer, and MILINDA.

Product overview

Dr. Theiss Naturwaren GmbH is a medium-sized family company in the pharmaceutical cosmetics sector offering a multi-brand portfolio. The company operates a platform of complementary brands: Dr. Theiss (core natural remedies and homoeopathic medicines), medipharma cosmetics (dermocosmetics including facial, hair, body care and decorative cosmetics), Lacalut (oral/dental care), proff/Dolorgiet (ibuprofen-based pain relief products), Allgäuer Latschenkiefer (foot/leg/muscle care with dwarf pine), and MILINDA (disinfection products). All products are manufactured in Homburg, Saarland, following GMP guidelines and sold primarily through pharmacies in over 60 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dr. Theiss: Natural care products and homoeopathic medicines from carefully selected raw materials. Products for dry, itching skin, natural medicinal products, dietary supplements, and analgesics.
• Lacalut
• medipharma cosmetics
• Allgäuer Latschenkiefer
• proff
• MILINDA

Products and services

• Dr. Theiss The original brand offering natural care products and homoeopathic medicines made from carefully selected natural raw materials, including products for dry/itching skin, natural medicinal products, dietary supplements, and analgesics. Sold through pharmacies.
• medipharma cosmetics Dermocosmetics brand combining traditional natural knowledge with modern scientific evidence. Offers facial care, hair care, body care, and decorative cosmetics including Olivenöl (olive oil) Pflegeserie, Hyaluron series, and mascara med line.
• Lacalut Dental care brand offering toothpaste assortment for all-round protection of teeth and gums. One of Germany's oldest dental care brands, available in over 60 countries.
• proff Topical ibuprofen-based pain relief products including proff Schmerzcreme (pain cream), proff Schmerzgel (pain gel), proff Schmerzkapseln (pain capsules), and proff Schmerzdragées for musculoskeletal pain treatment.
• Allgäuer Latschenkiefer Foot and leg care products using Latschenkiefer (dwarf pine) from own plantations in Allgäu. Includes foot care, callus reduction, tired/heavy legs, calf cramps, and muscle/joint products.
• MILINDA Hand disinfection products dermatologically tested and effective against enveloped viruses (including coronaviruses) and bacteria.

Quantifiable outcome

• No. 3 in personal care market in German pharmacies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dolorgiet GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired in 2013, Dolorgiet is a medium-sized family company based in Sankt Augustin, Germany. They manufacture the proff pain relief product line including ibuprofen-based topical treatments (gel, cream, capsules). Products include proff Schmerzgel, Schmerzcreme, and Schmerzkapseln. The acquisition expanded Dr. Theiss Naturwaren's pain management portfolio significantly.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Beiersdorf AG: Global dermocosmetics leader (Eucerin, La Prairie) operating in the same pharmacy and mass channels as Dr. Theiss with much larger R&D and marketing budgets; directly competes with medipharma cosmetics in skin and body care.
• L'Oréal Active Cosmetics Division: Owns La Roche-Posay, Vichy, CeraVe, SkinCeuticals — the global benchmark in pharmacy-channel dermocosmetics; competes head-to-head with medipharma cosmetics across skincare sub-categories.
• Stada Arzneimittel AG: Major European OTC and generics manufacturer with strong pharmacy distribution; overlaps with Dr. Theiss across OTC pain relief, natural remedies, and consumer health categories.
• Bayer Consumer Health: Large OTC and consumer health division of Bayer (Aspirin, Bepanthen, Canesten) — sets the competitive benchmark in European OTC pain relief, dermatology, and pharmacy-channel consumer health against which the proff and Dolorgiet portfolios compete.

Direct peers

• Pierre Fabre Group: French family-owned pharmaceutical company whose dermo-cosmetics portfolio (Ducray, A-Derma, Avène) is sold primarily through pharmacies — directly comparable pharmacy-channel dermocosmetics platform anchored in natural ingredients.
• Sebapharma GmbH & Co. KG: German family-owned company selling sebamed pH-balanced skin and body care products exclusively through pharmacies — a closely comparable German mid-cap dermocosmetics peer with pharmacy-only distribution.
• Dermapharm Holding SE: German specialty pharma group focused on dermatology, allergy and OTC products including branded generics — comparable German mid-cap with parallel pharma/dermatology brand portfolio.
• Bionorica SE: German family-owned phytopharmaceutical company selling herbal OTC medicines (Sinupret, Bronchipret) primarily through pharmacies — most direct comparable for the natural/herbal medicinal positioning of the Dr. Theiss core brand.
• Klosterfrau Melisana GmbH: German family-owned OTC company with traditional natural-remedy brands (Klosterfrau Melissengeist, Taxofit) sold through pharmacies — directly comparable German private mid-cap OTC/natural-remedy peer.
• Queisser Pharma GmbH & Co. KG: German family-owned OTC and consumer health company (Doppelherz, Protefix) sold through pharmacies and drugstores — comparable private German mid-cap in pharmacy-channel OTC and health products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Dr. Theiss Naturwaren