What Salonpas does

Salonpas is the U.S. consumer brand of Hisamitsu America, Inc., a New Jersey-domiciled subsidiary of Japanese pharmaceutical company Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. The brand sells over-the-counter topical analgesic products designed for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches and pains associated with arthritis, simple backache, strains, bruises, and sprains. Its core technology platform is a transdermal patch system with multiple delivery formats including adhesive patches, hydrogels, gels, sprays, creams, roll-ons, and liquids, spanning active ingredients such as menthol, methyl salicylate, maximum-strength lidocaine (4%), and capsaicin. The Salonpas Pain Relief Patch was the first FDA-approved OTC topical pain reliever, approved in 2008, with clinical safety and efficacy demonstrated in trials involving over 800 patients.

The company generates revenue through one-time retail unit sales of OTC consumer health products, distributed across 18+ major U.S. retail chains in Food, Drug, Mass, Club, and Ecommerce channels, including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Amazon, Target, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Publix, Albertsons, Safeway, HEB, Meijer, Sam's Club, ShopRite, Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Harris Teeter, and Food Lion. Products are HSA/FSA-eligible under CARES Act provisions, and the company operates a direct-to-consumer website alongside an event-driven sampling program (Japan Parade, Salonpas Day events, Gratitude Month) and a multi-channel marketing mix built on Facebook, YouTube, TV commercials, email, and medical-society-aligned content. Salonpas was ranked the world's #1 OTC topical analgesic patch brand by Euromonitor International (2022) and was the #1 Doctor and Pharmacist recommended OTC Topical Pain Patch per the IQVIA ProVoice Survey 2023.

The brand carries 90 years of heritage (introduced in Japan in 1934) and is registered in over 100 countries, with U.S. retail sales exceeding $200 million in 2023 across all measured channels, representing more than tenfold growth since 2010. Salonpas 1 in 20 U.S. households buys the category; less than 1 in 3 U.S. households purchases products in the External Analgesics category, and Salonpas attracts 1 in 20 households, indicating meaningful headroom within its served market.

Name

Salonpas

Legal name

Hisamitsu America, Inc.

Website

https://us.hisamitsu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Salonpas, operated by Hisamitsu America, is the world's #1 OTC topical analgesic patch brand, selling FDA-approved pain relief patches, gels, sprays, and creams through 18+ major U.S. retailers including Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, and Amazon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Florham Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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. Consumer OTC Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of topical analgesic products (patches, creams, gels, sprays, liquids) through retail partners and ecommerce channels. Products available at major drugstores, mass merchants, club stores, and online retailers.
2. Retail Distribution: Wholesale distribution to 18+ major retail chains (Costco, Walmart, Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Publix, Albertsons, Safeway, HEB, Meijer, Sam's Club, ShopRite, Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Harris Teeter, Food Lion) across Food, Drug, Mass, Club, and ecommerce channels.
3. HSA/FSA Eligible Products: Products qualify for Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account purchases under CARES Act provisions, expanding consumer access and payment options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels19 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Salonpas manufactures and sells over-the-counter topical analgesic products for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches and pains. The product line includes pain relief patches, lidocaine patches and gel-patches, arthritis patches, pain relieving creams, liquids, gels, sprays, and roll-ons distributed through major U.S. retail chains, club stores, drugstores, and ecommerce platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salonpas Pain Relief Patch LARGE OTC topical analgesic patch formulated with menthol and methyl salicylate for adults 18+ for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backache, strains, bruises, and sprains.
• Salonpas Pain Relief Patch OTC topical analgesic patch for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains; approved for children 12+ with parental consultation.
• Salonpas LIDOCAINE Pain Relieving Gel-Patch OTC topical analgesic gel-patch with lidocaine for numbing relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints.
• Salonpas LIDOCAINE FLEX Patch Maximum OTC strength lidocaine 4% pain relieving patch in a thin, flexible, highly adhesive format that contours to the body and adheres during movement, bending, twisting, and flexing.
• Salonpas Arthritis Pain Patch OTC topical analgesic patch targeted at temporary relief of minor arthritis pain in muscles and joints.
• Salonpas LIDOCAINE PLUS Pain Relieving Liquid Liquid topical analgesic combining benzyl alcohol and lidocaine 4% for fast-acting, maximum-strength OTC numbing relief for hard-to-reach areas.
• Salonpas LIDOCAINE PLUS Pain Relieving Cream Cream topical analgesic combining benzyl alcohol and lidocaine 4% for fast-acting, maximum-strength OTC numbing relief.
• Salonpas Pain Relieving Gel-Patch HOT OTC topical gel-patch combining menthol cooling and capsaicin warming sensations for dual-action pain relief of minor muscle and joint aches.
• Salonpas DEEP Relieving Gel OTC topical analgesic gel for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints.
• Salonpas JET SPRAY OTC topical analgesic spray providing convenient no-touch application for temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches and pains.
• Salonpas HOT OTC warming topical analgesic featuring capsaicin for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints.
• Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch (general line) OTC topical analgesic patch for temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% of opioid users discontinued opioids at 6 months when switching to topical analgesics
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Icy Hot (Chattem / Sanofi Consumer Health): Icy Hot is the leading OTC topical analgesic brand in the US, offering menthol-based patches, creams, and sprays in the exact same category and retail channels as Salonpas. Owned by Sanofi Consumer Health, it competes head-to-head on retail shelf, marketing spend, and healthcare-professional recommendations.
• Bengay (Johnson & Johnson): Bengay is a heritage OTC topical analgesic brand (camphor/menthol-based) from J&J, sold through the same drug, mass, and grocery retailers as Salonpas. It is one of the foundational competitors in the External Analgesics category, competing on the same consumer occasions and clinical claims.
• Voltaren (Haleon): Voltaren is a topical NSAID (diclofenac) brand recently switched from prescription to OTC in the US by Haleon (GSK Consumer Healthcare spin-off). It is a directly substitutable topical pain reliever for Salonpas and has used clinical efficacy claims to capture pharmacy recommendations.
• Aspercreme (Chattem / Sanofi Consumer Health): Aspercreme is a topical analgesic brand from Chattem/Sanofi featuring lidocaine and trolamine salicylate formulations. It is a direct OTC topical pain-relief competitor sold in the same retailers and competing on the same end-aisle and analgesics shelf space as Salonpas.
• Biofreeze (Performance Health): Biofreeze is a leading menthol-based topical analgesic brand sold through retail and professional channels (chiropractors, physical therapists). It is a directly comparable OTC and pro-channel brand competing on similar cooling-analgesic claims and is leveraged by Performance Health's healthcare distribution network.
• Tiger Balm (Haw Par Corporation): Tiger Balm is a heritage menthol/camphor topical analgesic from Haw Par, distributed globally in similar mass and drug channels. Like Salonpas, it leans on brand heritage and an iconic topical analgesic formulation, making it a direct substitute in many consumer purchases.
• Capzasin (Chattem / Sanofi Consumer Health): Capzasin is a capsaicin-based topical analgesic from Chattem/Sanofi, sold in the same OTC pain category as Salonpas. It is a directly comparable consumer topical brand competing on natural/warming-positioning against Salonpas's HOT and Gel-Patch HOT lineup.
• Blue-Emu (Performance Health): Blue-Emu is an emu-oil-based topical analgesic from Performance Health, sold through mass and drug channels. It is a directly comparable OTC topical pain-relief brand targeting arthritis, joint, and muscle pain in the same category as Salonpas.
• ThermaCare (Angelini / Pfizer legacy): ThermaCare is a heat-wrap topical analgesic brand historically built by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and now under Angelini. It offers heat-therapy OTC pain relief in drug and mass channels, competing for the same consumer occasion as Salonpas Pain Relief Patch and HOT products.

Emerging players

• Stopain (Troy Healthcare): Stopain is a smaller, growth-oriented OTC topical analgesic brand from Troy Healthcare competing on menthol-based spray and roll-on formats. While not a category leader in scale, it directly overlaps Salonpas on product format (spray, roll-on) and competes for retailer shelf space in drug and mass channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/salonpas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MRSALONPAS
• Facebookfacebook.com/Salonpas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Salonpas