# Dermasel ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Köln (Cologne) | | Status | Acquired | | Manufacturing | Europe (country not specified) | | Distribution | Pharmacy | | Website | https://www.dermasel.de/ | Dermasel, stylised by the company as DermaSel, is a German body-care and skincare brand built around salt and minerals from the Dead Sea. It grew out of Fette & Co., a family business that began importing Dead Sea salt in the 1970s and later traded as Fette Pharma. The range covers bath salts, shower products, body lotions, hand creams and face masks, grouped into themed care lines, and the brand is sold exclusively through pharmacies. Dermasel is an acquired brand. After passing from Fette Pharma to the distribution company Murnauer, it was taken over in September 2023 by Klosterfrau, a long-established pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Cologne [7]. It remains actively marketed under its new owner, with new products still being added to its care lines. ## Origin & founders Dermasel's roots lie in a trade rather than a beauty idea. According to the German pharmacy trade publication APOTHEKE ADHOC, the merchant Josef Dawidowicz shipped the first salt from the Dead Sea to Germany in the 1970s [9]. Together with Walter Grohal and Rolf Fette, he founded the company Fette & Co. in Rösrath to import the salt for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use. Its first product reached the market in 1976: "Fette medizinisches Badesalz", a medicinal bath salt approved as a drug. Not every account dates the beginning the same way. A 2009 anniversary feature in the online magazine AVIVA-Berlin, written in a press-release style, said that Fette Pharma had first introduced Dead Sea salt to Germany 40 years earlier, which would place it around 1969 [13]. This article follows the 2013 trade-press account, which gives a concrete product year. Neither source dates the Dermasel name itself. The person who created the Dermasel brand, and the year it was first used, are not documented. By 2018, trade press described Dermasel as having been on the market for more than 40 years [10], which ties it closely to the company's early bath-salt business. Fette remained in family hands and moved its seat to Cologne. By 2013 the company was led by Henry Dawidowicz, the founder's son, together with Tamar Vingron. At that point the group employed around 40 people and generated annual revenue of about 50 million euros. ## History & milestones By 2013 the company offered close to 30 different products under the Dermasel name. In the same period it was also expanding its sales structure: the year before, the Cologne firm had taken over its distribution partner, including a field sales team of eleven people. Dermasel was positioned as its pharmacy brand, while a separate label, Salthouse, served as its mass-market counterpart. In 2016 the brand moved beyond cosmetics into medical devices. Under the sub-brand Dermasel Therapie, three medical devices were introduced [10], including ointments for eczema and psoriasis and a balm for acute itching. Two years later, in 2018, Fette Pharma extended Dermasel into nasal care. The new products included a nasal rinse pot, a liquid nasal rinse salt and a nasal balm. APOTHEKE ADHOC framed the launch as a direct challenge to Emser, a long-standing name in that category, under the headline "Dermasel: Angriff auf Emser" ("Dermasel: attack on Emser"). The liquid nasal rinse salt was sold as a pharmacy-exclusive medical device in packs of 20. Not all of these products survived. The company's own FAQ states that the "Gold Zauber" and "Rosen Magie" product lines are no longer part of the range, and that two former Therapie products, "Therapie Balsam Juckreiz Akut" (an itch balm) and "Therapie Salbe Schuppenflechte" (a psoriasis ointment), are no longer available. No dates are given for these withdrawals. ## Ownership Dermasel's ownership has passed through several hands, and the exact timing of each step is not fully documented. For most of its history the brand belonged to Fette Pharma AG in Cologne, the successor to Fette & Co. Trade-press reports from 2013 and 2018 both name Fette Pharma as the company behind Dermasel. The next link in the chain was Murnauer Markenvertrieb, a Frankfurt-based company selling dental care, natural remedies and food supplements. Sources disagree on when Murnauer joined Fette. A business interview published by Wirtschaftsforum states that Murnauer has belonged to Fette Pharma AG since 2007 [12]. APOTHEKE ADHOC, writing in November 2013, reported instead that the Cologne company had taken over its distribution partner in the previous year, which points to 2012 [9]. In June 2018, Fette Pharma sold a majority stake in Murnauer Markenvertrieb to Bregal Unternehmerkapital, the private-equity arm of Cofra Holding, which belongs to the Brenninkmeijer family behind the C&A clothing chain [11]. The Fette family holding kept a minority stake, and Henry Dawidowicz stayed on as Murnauer's chief executive. That report does not mention Dermasel by name. By 2020, however, consumer testing coverage described a Dermasel bath product as coming from Murnauer. When exactly the brand moved from Fette Pharma to Murnauer is not recorded in public sources. The most recent change came in September 2023, when Klosterfrau took over three brands from Murnauer: Dermasel, Murnauer Bachblüten (a Bach flower remedy range) and the CBD-containing muscle and joint gels Cannaren and Cannaxil [7]. Klosterfrau is a Cologne manufacturer also known for its Melissengeist products. According to figures from the market-research firm Insight Health cited at the time, it ranked ninth among suppliers to German pharmacies, with revenue of 220 million euros at pharmacy retail prices. Its other pharmacy brands include Neo Angin, Soledum, Bronchicum and Nasic. The legal entity named on the Dermasel website is Maria Clementine Martin Klosterfrau Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH in Cologne, and the site now carries the name Klosterfrau Health Care. ## Philosophy & positioning Dermasel describes its approach as "Skin-to-Soul-Wellness", and its tagline presents the brand as wellness from the pharmacy. The idea, as the company puts it, is to combine Dead Sea minerals with selected plant essences so that bathing and daily body care become a small sensory ritual as well as a routine. Pharmacy exclusivity is central to how Dermasel presents itself. The company says its products are available only in pharmacies so that customers can get expert advice about their skin and can be sure of receiving genuine products [2]. When asked what sets it apart from other sea-salt skincare, Dermasel names two things: that pharmacy exclusivity, and the Dead Sea salt itself, which it describes as particularly rich in magnesium. The brand's website tells the story of the Dead Sea at some length. It notes the lake's salt content of around 30 percent, roughly ten times that of the oceans, and its Hebrew name "Jam ha'melach", the Sea of Salt. It also retells older stories: that Aristotle wrote no person or animal could sink in its water, that the historian Flavius Josephus described the lake 2,000 years ago, and that, according to tradition, Cleopatra used its "white gold" for her beauty baths. These are presented as legend and history, not as evidence for the products. On the skin-care side, Dermasel attributes specific roles to the minerals. The company says magnesium supports the skin's regeneration, potassium helps regulate its moisture balance and calcium helps it calm down and stay supple. It also says salt baths soften hardened skin and gently remove dead skin flakes, that the minerals can help relieve itching and irritation, and that visible improvements in dry or stressed skin usually appear after two to three weeks of regular use. These are the brand's own statements; no independent studies of the products are documented. Dermasel frames its environmental commitments in general terms. It says it sources its Dead Sea minerals in a resource-conscious way, pays attention to its supply chains and keeps working on its packaging and production to reduce its ecological footprint. ## Products & innovation Every Dermasel product is built on Dead Sea minerals, and the range is organised into named care lines, each pairing the minerals with a second ingredient. The oldest strand of the business is the bath salt. The company refers to "DermaSel Bad PUR – Das Original Badesalz" as its original bath salt, and describes its classic bath salts as supportive care for problem skin. Its suggested use is 400 to 500 grams per bath, at about 37°C for 15 to 20 minutes, followed by a quick rinse and a moisturiser. The current care lines include: - **PUR+**, aimed at sensitive and stressed skin, which combines the minerals with oat extract and oat kernel oil. The company says these products contain no dyes, silicones, PEGs or paraffins, and that their fragrance was developed without known fragrance allergens [6]. Dermasel also suggests the line for basic care between flare-ups for skin prone to atopic eczema. - **ARGANÖL**, built around argan oil, including the "Arganöl Traum" shower cream, shower foam, hand cream and body cream, plus an argan bath and mask. - **MEERESBRISE**, which pairs the minerals with sea algae for dehydrated skin and includes a body foam that turns into oil. - **MEERESENERGIE**, the newest line, with a firming body lotion, an invigorating shower gel and a vitamin C mask. Alongside the lines sit gift sets and seasonal limited editions, which the company says change with the time of year and carry their own scents. Face masks form a separate category. They come as sachet masks, sheet masks and eye pads, and Dermasel says they combine Dead Sea minerals with plant extracts and active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and coenzyme Q10. Caffeine also appears among the ingredients the brand lists across its range. On formulation and testing, Dermasel says its products are made in Europe, comply with the EU cosmetics regulation and have had their skin tolerability confirmed by dermatological testing [2]. The products carry no vegan certificate, but the company states that they are formulated without animal-derived ingredients. It also notes that animal testing of cosmetics is banned in the EU and that it follows this rule. No third-party certifications are documented. ## Controversies In November 2020 Öko-Test published a test of 50 bath additives, and its results were reported by APOTHEKE ADHOC. The Dermasel "Totes Meer Badesalz Rosen Ölbad", then sold by Murnauer, received only the grade "ausreichend" (adequate) [8]. The testers found the fragrance substances citronellol and geraniol, PEG derivatives and halogenated organic compounds in the product. The article noted that such substances can make skin more permeable and can pose an allergy risk. No public response from the company is documented. ## Current status Dermasel is an acquired brand that remains active. Since September 2023 it has belonged to Klosterfrau, which markets it as a pharmacy-exclusive line. The official website, carrying a 2026 copyright notice from Klosterfrau Health Care, lists new products in the MEERESENERGIE and PUR+ lines as well as current limited editions [1]. The brand is sold mainly through pharmacies and maintains a German-language website and Instagram account. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1976 | Originating company Fette brings its first product to market: 'Fette medizinisches Badesalz', approved as a medicinal product (company lineage, pre-dates documented DermaSel branding). | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/fette-pharma-meersalz-und-st-tropez/ | | 2009 | Fette Pharma marks 40 years of Dead Sea salt in Germany; DermaSel is presented as 'DermaSel® – Dead Sea Essentials' with bath-salt compositions. | https://www.aviva-berlin.de/aviva/content_Move%20+%20Relax.php?id=1425635 | | 2013 | Fette offers close to 30 different products under the DermaSel brand. | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/fette-pharma-meersalz-und-st-tropez/ | | 2016 | Three medical devices introduced under the sub-brand 'Dermasel Therapie'. | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasel-angriff-auf-emser-nasendusche/ | | 2018 | Fette Pharma extends DermaSel into nasal care (nasal rinse salt liquid, sold as a pharmacy-exclusive medical device); trade press states DermaSel had been on the market for more than 40 years. | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasel-angriff-auf-emser-nasendusche/ | | 2023 | Klosterfrau takes over DermaSel (together with Murnauer Bachblüten and Cannaren/Cannaxil) from Murnauer (reported 22 Sep 2023). | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/klosterfrau-uebernimmt-murnauer-marken/ | | 2023 | Acquired by Klosterfrau from Murnauer (Murnauer Markenvertrieb). | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/klosterfrau-uebernimmt-murnauer-marken/ | | — | Product lines 'Gold Zauber' and 'Rosen Magie' and the products 'Therapie Balsam Juckreiz Akut' and 'Therapie Salbe Schuppenflechte' are no longer in the range (year not stated). | https://www.dermasel.de/faq | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **DermaSel® Bad PUR – Das Original Badesalz (Dead Sea bath salt)** — Die klassischen Badesalze und das DermaSel® Bad PUR – Das Original Badesalz bieten eine sinnvolle, begleitende Pflege und Unterstützung bei Hautproblemen. — https://www.dermasel.de/faq - **DermaSel® PUR+ line (sensitive/stressed skin)** — DermaSel® PUR+ kombiniert die bewährte Kraft naturreiner TOTES MEER Mineralien mit hautberuhigendem Hafer – für eine verträgliche Pflege-Routine bei gestresster und empfindlicher Haut. — https://www.dermasel.de/ - **DermaSel® ARGANÖL TRAUM line** — Luxuriöse Pflege für Deine Haut mit reichhaltigem Arganöl und TOTES MEER Mineralien. — https://www.dermasel.de/ - **DermaSel® Pflegemasken (face masks, sachet and sheet masks)** — Die DermaSel® Gesichtsmasken verbinden die einzigartige Mineralienverbindung des Toten Meeres mit hochwertigen Pflanzenextrakten und Wirkstoffen wie Hyaluronsäure oder Q10. — https://www.dermasel.de/faq - **DermaSel® MEERESBRISE line (incl. Körperschaum zu Öl)** — Meeresalgen und TOTES MEER Mineralien verbinden sich zu einem Pflegeerlebnis für feuchtigkeitsarme Haut und hinterlassen ein belebend-geschmeidiges Hautgefühl. — https://www.dermasel.de/produkte/pflege-linien ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} Dead Sea salt / TOTES MEER minerals (magnesium, calcium, potassium) · Oat kernel oil / oat extract (Haferkernöl / Haferextrakt) · Argan oil · Sea algae (Meeresalgen) · Vitamin C · Caffeine (Koffein) Source: https://www.dermasel.de/produkte/pflege-linien ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **APOTHEKE ADHOC** (2013) — Company profile 'Salzige Brise für Apotheken' on Fette Pharma, its Dead Sea salt origins and the DermaSel range (~30 products). — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/fette-pharma-meersalz-und-st-tropez/ - **APOTHEKE ADHOC** (2018) — 'Dermasel: Angriff auf Emser' — DermaSel nasal-care launch positioned against Emser; notes Dermasel Therapie medical devices (2016). — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasel-angriff-auf-emser-nasendusche/ - **APOTHEKE ADHOC (reporting Öko-Test)** (2020) — Öko-Test bath-additive test of 50 products: DermaSel Totes Meer Badesalz Rosen Ölbad rated only 'ausreichend'. — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/oeko-test-beurteilt-badezusaetze-von-schaumbergen-bis-fettraeubern/ - **APOTHEKE ADHOC** (2023) — 'Klosterfrau übernimmt Murnauer-Marken' — Klosterfrau acquires DermaSel. — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/klosterfrau-uebernimmt-murnauer-marken/ - **AVIVA-Berlin** (2009) — Fette/DermaSel 40-year Dead Sea salt anniversary feature (press-release style). — https://www.aviva-berlin.de/aviva/content_Move%20+%20Relax.php?id=1425635 ## Sources 1. (T1) https://www.dermasel.de/ 2. (T1) https://www.dermasel.de/ueber-dermasel 6. (T2) https://www.dermasel.de/faq 7. (T3) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/klosterfrau-uebernimmt-murnauer-marken/ 8. (T3) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/oeko-test-beurteilt-badezusaetze-von-schaumbergen-bis-fettraeubern/ 9. (T3) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/fette-pharma-meersalz-und-st-tropez/ 10. (T3) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasel-angriff-auf-emser-nasendusche/ 11. (T4) https://www.vc-magazin.de/blog/2018/06/11/fette-pharma-verkauft-mehrheit-an-medizin-und-kosmetikunternehmen/ 12. (T4) https://www.wirtschaftsforum.de/interviews/murnauer-markenvertrieb-gmbh/natuerlich-gesund-und-schoen 13. (T4) https://www.aviva-berlin.de/aviva/content_Move%20+%20Relax.php?id=1425635 --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-10-05 Please cite with a link to the article URL.