Zanfel Laboratories

What Zanfel Laboratories does

Zanfel Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held, Iowa-domiciled consumer dermatological products company that has operated continuously since 1996, marketing a single flagship SKU: Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash. The product is a topical wash whose proprietary formulation is designed to bind to and remove urushiol oil from the skin's dermal layers when rinsed, rather than merely treating surface symptoms; company-claimed benefits include relief within approximately 30 seconds, resolution of 75-80% of rash within 24 hours, and a 10-year shelf life. The product has no modular variants, subscription, or international variant documented in the source material.

The business is a classic single-SKU niche OTC brand. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time consumer product sales at a unit retail price of approximately $40 or less. Distribution is U.S.-only and runs through a mix of mass merchants (Walmart), grocery chains (Albertsons, Safeway, Hyvee, Harris Teeter), CVS, independent pharmacies, Amazon, and the company's own e-commerce site; the company publicly exited its Walgreens relationship over pricing concerns. The firmographic profile is small (11-50 employees), with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no management team information, and no M&A or restructuring activity in the source data.

Marketing is content-led: a quarterly newsletter (Zanfel Zone), educational resources, plant identification tools, and references to clinical studies (St. Luke's Medical Center) and nursing journals (American Journal of Nursing, American Nurse Today). Customer concentration is structurally diffuse across individual consumers, with a secondary push into outdoor-worker and outdoor-recreation organizations. There is no disclosed AI, software, API, or platform component to the business.

Name

Zanfel Laboratories

Legal name

Zanfel Laboratories, Inc.

Website

https://zanfel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zanfel Laboratories is a privately held U.S. dermatological consumer products company that, since 1996, has sold a single topical wash designed to remove urushiol oil from poison ivy, oak, and sumac rashes, distributed through major U.S. retailers and online channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Dermatological Products

NAICS

Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611), Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)

akta.pro primary industry

Hand Soap & Hand Wash (CRABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hand Sanitizers & Cleansing Sprays (CRABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Dermatological consumer products
• Poison ivy treatment
• Topical urushiol removal
• Over-the-counter skincare
• Allergic rash treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseburg

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

Revenue model

1. Consumer Product Sales: Zanfel generates revenue through one-time consumer product purchases. The product is sold through retail channels (pharmacies, grocery stores, mass merchants) and e-commerce (Amazon and direct website). No subscription or recurring revenue model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zanfel Laboratories manufactures and sells Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash, a single topical wash product clinically shown to remove urushiol oil from the skin at any time after contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac. The product is sold through major U.S. retail chains (Walmart, Albertsons, Safeway, Hyvee, CVS, Harris Teeter), independent pharmacies, and online via Amazon and the company's own website, targeting individual consumers and outdoor-exposure organizations.

Product overview

Zanfel Laboratories offers a single flagship product: Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash. This is a topical wash solution that removes urushiol oil from the skin at any point after outbreak, enabling immediate healing. The company has operated since 1996 and sells primarily through major U.S. retailers including Walmart, Albertsons, Safeway, Hyvee, CVS, and independent pharmacies. There is no modular platform architecture — the product line consists of one core product with no add-ons or variations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zanfel Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Wash A topical wash clinically shown to remove urushiol oil from the skin after contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, providing relief from itching and pain typically within 30 seconds. Safe for use during pregnancy, on the face, eyelids, and genitals, with a 10-year shelf life. Sold over the counter through major U.S. retailers and online channels for individual consumers and outdoor-exposure organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Relief from itching and pain within 30 seconds of application
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Aveeno (Johnson & Johnson): Mass-market dermatological skin-care brand with anti-itch and eczema product lines, often positioned adjacently to Zanfel on retail shelves for sensitive/irritated skin.
• Sarna (Reckitt Benckiser): OTC anti-itch lotion brand under Reckitt competing for the same itch-relief consumer occasion at drug and grocery retail channels.
• Caladryl (Haleon): Legacy anti-itch brand (calamine/diphenhydramine lotion) sold by Haleon, competing in the same OTC first-aid segment for poison plant rash relief.
• Neosporin (Johnson & Johnson): J&J's leading OTC topical treatment brand; while focused on infection/wound care, it occupies the same first-aid shelf set where consumers search for poison ivy remedies.
• Cortizone-10 (Chattem / Sanofi): Leading OTC anti-itch brand (hydrocortisone creams) sold across the same mass and drug retail channels. Competes with Zanfel for treatment-of-choice decisions on poison ivy/oak rashes.
• Benadryl Topical (Johnson & Johnson): Iconic OTC anti-itch franchise (creams, sprays, sticks) from J&J's Kenvue/consumer health portfolio. Competes for the same retail shelf space and consumer-first-aid purchase occasion.
• Gold Bond (Sanofi Consumer Health): Established anti-itch and skin-care brand offering lotions, creams, and powders that address general itch relief, including skin irritation that overlaps with poison plant reactions.

Direct peers

• Tec Laboratories (Tecnu): Maker of Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser, the most direct competitor to Zanfel in the urushiol-removal wash category. Sells through similar retail and outdoor channels targeting poison ivy/oak/sumac exposure.
• Ivy-Dry (Health Enterprises): Sells Ivy-Dry, a topical poison ivy treatment (cream/serum) competing in the same itch-relief category with overlapping retail distribution and consumer use cases.

Emerging players

• Burt's Bees (Clorox): Natural personal-care brand under Clorox with overlapping distribution and a 'natural/gentle' positioning that increasingly competes for the same dermatologically-sensitive consumer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ZanfelPoisonIvy
• Facebookfacebook.com/Zanfel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zanfel-laboratories

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 Zanfel Laboratories