In 1889, Albert Hyde founded "The Mentholatum Company" in the United States. After a period of research and experimentation, in 1894, "Mentholatum Ointment," formulated with the active ingredients menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus oil, was developed and put on sale, based on the idea of "gentleness, warmth, and reliability."

What sparked Mr. Hyde's inspiration was a throat medicine called "Best Pocket Cough Specific." Its main ingredient, menthol, was mainly imported into the United States from Japan at the time.

Menthol has long been used in Japan as a remedy to soothe burns and inflammation. Mr. Hyde noticed this and thought, "If menthol has pain-relieving effects, then perhaps it also has a healing effect as a sedative?" and began development. This is how "Mentholatum," which brings gentleness to the world, was born.

During the Taisho Democracy era in Japan, a movement advocating for universal suffrage and freedom of speech, Mentholatum, which had become explosively popular in America, was finally going to be sold in Japan.

Mentholatum was already a popular product in the United States. It gained a reputation for being effective against various skin problems, and from this time onward, it rapidly spread throughout the world, with distributors being established in the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, and Taiwan.

The "Little Nurse" character has been used as the symbol character for "Mentholatum" since the first Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Contest) was held. Now, it has become a well-established mascot character that everyone has seen. It is affectionately called "Little Nurse" or "Nurse-chan."

In 2014, it even appeared as an official sticker for the free calling app "LINE." Embodying the spirit of service, "Little Nurse" continues to be loved and cherished somewhere today.

In the same year that the first home video recorder was released in Japan, Rohto Pharmaceutical began manufacturing and selling "Mentholatum."

Consequently, the product range expanded from just a few items, such as "Mentholatum" and "Mentholatum Medicated Lipstick," which existed in 1975. Development continued, carrying on the philosophy of "gentleness, warmth, and reliability" that guided the creation of "Mentholatum," ^resulting in over 170 products.

Thus, Mentholatum, which has been loved since long before your mother's grandmother, continues to grow as a total skincare brand, while cherishing the "gentleness, warmth, and reliability" of its developer, Mr. Hyde.

^* For Mentholatum products shipped in fiscal year 2023.

In 2024, The Mentholatum Company celebrated its 135th anniversary, and the brand is now widely available in approximately 150 countries worldwide.

Mentholatum's journey has been possible only because of our customers who love our brand and products.

Going forward, while cherishing "gentleness, warmth, and reliability," we will continue to develop our products as a total skincare brand, always staying close to our customers.