# Aknederm ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 1929 | | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Hennef (near Cologne), Germany | | Owner | gepepharm GmbH | | Status | Active | | Manufacturing | Germany | | Distribution | Multi-channel | | Website | https://aknederm.com/ | Aknederm is a German skincare brand for acne-prone and blemished skin. According to the company, it was introduced in Germany in 1929 as a product for treating acne and skin impurities, and it is approaching its centenary [4]. The brand belongs to gepepharm GmbH, a pharmaceutical company based in Hennef, near Cologne, where Aknederm also has its headquarters and warehouse [3]. The range is split into two lines. The "classic" line keeps what the company calls its original formula, built on zinc oxide and a sulfur-rich oil distilled from shale rock, while the newer "pure" line relies on plant-derived actives and is marketed as a vegan alternative. Aknederm is active, sells through its own online shop and through pharmacies, and uses the tagline "Reine Haut seit 1929" ("Clear skin since 1929"). ## Origin & founders The brand's own account of its beginnings is brief. Its FAQ states only that Aknederm was launched in Germany in 1929 as a treatment for acne and blemishes. No published source names the person or company that created the original product, and the early decades of the brand are not described anywhere in its public materials. One name does appear in the brand's heritage text. On its "Pure & Classic" page, Aknederm says it is "Vertrauen seit 1929" (trust since 1929) and that the brand was "geprägt durch Dr. Karl Georg Mothes", meaning "shaped by" him [2]. This wording has at times been read as naming him the 1929 founder, but the phrasing does not say that. Dr. Karl-Georg Mothes founded the brand's current owner, gepepharm GmbH, in 1987, and he is the company's managing director [6]. His link to Aknederm is as head of its current owner, not as the creator of the 1929 product. When and how Aknederm came under gepepharm's ownership is not stated in any available source. ## History & milestones Aknederm's history, as the company tells it, is anchored at two points: the launch in 1929 and the founding of gepepharm in 1987. The brand frames itself around its age. Its homepage says it has helped people feel comfortable in their skin "for almost 100 years" without having to hide behind make-up, and the "classic" line is presented as an original recipe in use for close to a century. The brand reaches its centenary in 2029. Between those dates, the most visible public milestone is an independent product test. In October 2015, the German consumer-testing magazine ÖKO-TEST included "Aknederm Salbe Neu", an ointment made by Gepepharm, in a comparison of pharmacy acne remedies (see Independent testing below). Today the range spans both the traditional "classic" formulas and the plant-based "pure" products. The brand's own online shop sells single products alongside routine sets and bundles, and an English-language version of the website exists alongside the German one. ## Ownership Aknederm is owned by gepepharm GmbH, registered in Hennef, Germany. The company's legal notice names gepepharm as the operator of the brand's website and Dr. Karl-Georg Mothes as managing director [3]. Mothes founded gepepharm in 1987; he is also described as the founder of another company, biomo pharma GmbH [6]. gepepharm describes itself as a company focused on skin health. Its portfolio, by its own description, covers cosmetics, dermatological medicines and specialised antiparasitic products, combining pharmaceutical know-how with dermatological research. The company calls Aknederm "a central part" of its range, standing for targeted care concepts for blemished and acne-prone skin [6]. No acquisition history for the brand has been published, and no sister brands under gepepharm are named in available sources. ## Philosophy & positioning Aknederm presents itself as a meeting point of "nature and science". Its stated mission is to fight skin problems effectively, tolerably and sustainably, on the grounds that every skin is different and deserves care that works. The company adds that it develops its products "with a lot of heart", using modern science and natural ingredients, and aims at long-term skin health rather than short-term fixes. Its short slogans sum up the pitch: "Skincare with responsibility. Made in Germany. For real results." The brand leans heavily on its German manufacturing. According to its FAQ, all Aknederm products are made and tested in Germany, and orders ship from the warehouse at its Hennef headquarters. It also claims "certified pharmaceutical quality", although no certifying body is named for that phrase. Positioning differs between the two lines. The "classic" range is aimed, in the company's words, at people who prefer a traditional, proven formula without unnecessary extra ingredients. The "pure" range is described as modern skincare "inspired by nature", with plant actives that Aknederm says have scientifically demonstrated effects, for people who want a natural alternative without giving up on results. Across the range, the company makes a set of consistent claims: all products are vegan and not tested on animals, and the formulas are free from parabens, microplastics and added fragrance [4]. These are the brand's own statements; no third-party vegan or cruelty-free certification is documented. Beyond the microplastic claim, Aknederm has not published environmental targets or packaging commitments. ## Products & innovation The product that defines the "classic" line is its shale oil. Aknederm's ingredient glossary describes it as a light, sulfonated shale oil obtained by distilling naturally sulfur-rich Jurassic limestone, also called oil shale, from the French Alps [5]. Marketing copy refers to it more loosely as "shale oil from the Alpine region". The company credits it with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects and says it regulates sebum, the skin's natural oil. The oil also explains the most frequently mentioned trait of the classic creams and lotions: their smell. In its FAQ, the brand says the characteristic scent comes from the shale oil, which it names Ictasol, and that it deliberately avoids adding fragrances that could irritate the skin and mask the odour [4]. The "fragrance-free" label, in other words, refers to the absence of added perfume, not to an absence of smell. Alongside the shale oil, the classic line uses zinc oxide and ammonium bituminosulfonate, which the company describes as pharmaceutically active ingredients with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects. The glossary also lists salicylic acid, a common exfoliating acid, and kaolin, a clay used to absorb oil and reduce shine, for the classic products. The "pure" line takes a different route. The glossary names ingredients such as niacinamide, manuka oil, lotus flower extract, sea fennel extract, allantoin, succinic acid and pomegranate extract among its plant-based and skin-soothing actives. The company describes the line as vegan and dermatologically tested. The shop groups products by step in a routine: daily cleansing, a fruit-acid peel step, daily care and targeted "SOS" treatment. Products are also sorted by concern, including acne, blackheads, redness, pimples and oily skin. Four items are listed as bestsellers on the brand's homepage: - the pure **SOS-Anti-Pickel Lotion**, a drying spot treatment for acute pimples; - the classic **Reinigungsschaum**, a cleansing foam the brand says does not dry the skin; - the classic **Creme intens**, described as intensive care for acute skin problems; - the classic **Tinktur**, a tincture that the brand says cleanses deep into the pores and disinfects. Other products in the range include classic creams and lotions in several variants, a sensitive version of the tincture, and pure-line cleansing gel, gel cream, niacinamide serum, two-phase serum and masks. A tinted BB cream with sun protection is also sold under the name. The range sits on the line between cosmetics and medicine. At least one product, "Aknederm Salbe Neu", is sold as a pharmacy-only medicine rather than a cosmetic [8]. The company also sets age limits for parts of the classic line: the classic tinctures are intended for use from age three, and the classic creams and lotions from age twelve, while the pure products carry no age restriction. The brand's FAQ notes that zinc can, in rare cases, cause an allergic reaction. ## Independent testing The only independent product test found for Aknederm comes from ÖKO-TEST, an independent German consumer-testing magazine. Its October 2015 report, "Mittel gegen Akne im Test", examined 12 acne products bought in pharmacies: 11 over-the-counter medicines and one medical device [7]. "Aknederm Salbe Neu", listed with Gepepharm as manufacturer, was among them. The results were also carried in the magazine's yearbook for 2016. Only four of the 12 products received ÖKO-TEST's top rating of "very good". Aknederm's individual score is not shown in the freely available summary of the test, so how the ointment fared is not publicly known. ## Current status Aknederm is an active brand. Its online shop is operating with current promotions on sets, and customer reviews on its homepage are dated as recently as September 2026 [1]. The brand's legal notice was last updated in January 2025. Germany is its home market, and its products are also sold through German pharmacies, including the online pharmacy Shop Apotheke, which lists more than a dozen Aknederm products under gepepharm as manufacturer [8]. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1929 | aknederm introduced in Germany as a product for the treatment of acne and skin impurities. | https://aknederm.com/pages/haufig-gestellte-fragen | | 1987 | gepepharm GmbH, the brand's current owner (Hennef), founded by Dr. Karl-Georg Mothes, founder of biomo pharma GmbH. When aknederm became part of gepepharm is not stated. | https://gepepharm.de/unternehmen/ | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **aknederm pure SOS-Anti-Pickel Lotion (listed under 'Bestseller')** — SOS gegen akute Pickel - trocknet aus & bekämpft — https://aknederm.com/ - **aknederm classic Reinigungsschaum (listed under 'Bestseller')** — Reinigt sanft, trocknet die Haut nicht aus — https://aknederm.com/ - **aknederm classic Creme intens (listed under 'Bestseller')** — Intensivpflege bei akuten Hautproblemen — https://aknederm.com/ - **aknederm classic Tinktur (listed under 'Bestseller')** — Reinigt porentief und desinfiziert — https://aknederm.com/ ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} Ölschiefer-Öl / sulfonated shale oil from the Alpine region (lexicon: 'helles, sulfoniertes Schieferöl', French Alps) · Zinkoxid (zinc oxide) · Ammoniumbituminosulfonat (ammonium bituminosulfonate) Source: https://aknederm.com/pages/aknederm-pure-classic ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **ÖKO-TEST** (2015) — 'Aknederm Salbe Neu' (manufacturer Gepepharm) was one of 12 pharmacy acne products (11 OTC medicines + 1 medical device) in the test 'Mittel gegen Akne im Test: 4 sind sehr gut' (9 Oct 2015; also in ÖKO-TEST Jahrbuch für 2016). Only four products were rated 'sehr gut'. Aknederm's own rating is not shown in the public summary. — https://www.oekotest.de/kosmetik-wellness/Mittel-gegen-Akne-im-Test-4-sind-sehr-gut_106865_1.html ## Sources 1. (T1) https://aknederm.com/ 2. (T1) https://aknederm.com/pages/aknederm-pure-classic 3. (T2) https://aknederm.com/policies/legal-notice 4. (T2) https://aknederm.com/pages/haufig-gestellte-fragen 5. (T2) https://aknederm.com/pages/wirkstoffe 6. (T2) https://gepepharm.de/unternehmen/ 7. (T3) https://www.oekotest.de/kosmetik-wellness/Mittel-gegen-Akne-im-Test-4-sind-sehr-gut_106865_1.html 8. (T4) https://www.shop-apotheke.com/marken/aknederm/ --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-09-30 Please cite with a link to the article URL.