elmex Zahnschmelz Professional Opti-schmelz Toothpaste

Brand History and Heritage

elmex was created in Switzerland in 1962 by the Swiss pharmaceutical company GABA (Goldene Apotheke Basel), which originally formulated the brand's pioneering amine fluoride toothpaste in collaboration with the Dental Institute of the University of Zurich.

Corporate Ownership

In 2004, the American multinational consumer goods corporation Colgate-Palmolive Company acquired the GABA Group. Consequently, elmex is now fully owned and managed by Colgate-Palmolive.

Manufacturing and Distribution

While historically manufactured in Switzerland and Germany, Colgate-Palmolive consolidated much of its European oral care production—including the elmex toothpaste range—to manufacturing facilities in Świdnica, Poland, from where products are distributed throughout Germany and across Europe.