Gold Bond is a brand of over-the-counter

Over-the-counter drug

Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...

 skin care products produced by Chattem

Chattem

Chattem is a Chattanooga, Tennessee, producer and marketer of over-the-counter healthcare products, toiletries, dietary supplements, topical analgesics, and medicated skin care products...

 of Chattanooga

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, now a subsidiary of the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis

Sanofi-Aventis

Sanofi S.A. is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, the world's fourth-largest by prescription sales. Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sale principally in the prescription market, but the...

. It is available as both a powder and a topical

Topical

In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...

 cream. Gold Bond is used to curb moisture, control odor, and soothe minor skin irritations, notably jock itch

Jock itch

Tinea cruris, also known as crotch itch, crotch rot, Dhobie itch, eczema marginatum, gym itch, jock itch, and ringworm of the groin in American English is a dermatophyte fungal infection of the groin region in either sex, though more often seen in males...

. Spin-off products are designed for specific uses, such as foot powders or powders for infants to treat diaper rash

Diaper rash

Irritant diaper dermatitis is a generic term applied to skin rashes in the diaper area that are caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants.Generic rash or irritant diaper dermatitis is characterized by joined patches of erythema and...

.

The active ingredients of Original Strength Gold Bond Powder are Menthol

Menthol

Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...

 (0.15%) and zinc oxide

Zinc oxide

Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants,...

(1.0%). Some product variants, such as Gold Bond Extra Strength Powder, offer higher concentrations of the active ingredients.

History

Gold Bond’s heritage dates to 1908, when the original Gold Bond Medicated Powder was first introduced to consumers in the New England region. Arthur W. Guilford bought the formula from The Rhode Island State Medical Association, whose conference of physicians originally developed it in 1882. For six years, Guilford mixed Gold Bond Powder in a small shop located on the top floor of a building at 47 Main Street in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Right from the start, the unique powder enjoyed strong customer loyalty and a dedicated following that grew largely by word-of-mouth.

In early 1912, Guilford decided it was time to pass the powder, and he sold the formula and manufacturing rights to a businessman named John M. Chapman. It was under Chapman's guidance that Gold Bond Powder first began to receive wider distribution and recognition. A can of Gold Bond was the first New Years Baby gift in 1914, an idea that quickly caught on with other merchants. Chapman also gave a free can of Gold Bond to every man drafted for military service during World War II.

In 1930, a man named Timothy Shea joined what was then known as "The Gold Bond Sterilizing Powder Company." During his 35 year career with the company, Shea rose from manager to become the company’s sole owner. His son Robert, a registered pharmacist, took over as president in 1965 and consolidated operations in a three story building in Fairhaven. For years, the manufacture and sale of Gold Bond Powder was a family operation, with Robert Shea's wife, daughter and in-laws all taking part in running the business. Only three men were required to operate the manufacturing process during this period. All raw materials were delivered, mixed and processed under a secret formula behind locked doors, and then shipped out through various commercial delivery channels. The process was so simple that the three men could fill an average of 10,000 cans in a normal morning's work, which meant that Shea had the freedom to continue working 15 hours a week as a pharmacist at Finn's Pharmacy in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Gold Bond was becoming so popular that barely a week went by that Shea didn’t receive an offer to buy his company, but he routinely rejected these overtures because he enjoyed making the product and running his father’s company. Eventually times changed, and as Shea neared retirement age, new regulations were making it costly for him to keep the company running. So he finally decided it was the right time to sell. The family sold the trade mark and formula retaining the productive assets and real estate. The price was low for what the next owner built into a nationally recognized brand.

In 1990, Gold Bond was purchased by Martin Himmel Inc. who began developing the regional brand on a national level. During the early 90s, Himmel introduced the first Gold Bond line extensions - Gold Bond Medicated Baby Powder, Extra Strength Gold Bond Medicated Powder and Gold Bond Medicated Anti-Itch Cream. In 1996, Gold Bond was acquired by Chattem, Inc., who has continued steadily building it into the market leading therapeutic skin care brand we know today. Now in its second century of healing, Gold Bond currently offers a broad line of products, including some of the fastest growing hand and body lotions, as well as the top selling medicated body powder, foot powder, foot cream, and foot pain cream in America.