Ellen

Ellen is a Swedish intimate-care and FemTech brand built around probiotic lactic acid bacteria, best known for what it describes as the world's first probiotic tampon [1]. Founded in 2000 [6], the brand develops pH-balancing products intended to support the body's natural intimate flora through every life phase, from menstruation to menopause. It sells across the Nordic markets under the tagline "Underlivets bästa vän" — roughly, the intimate area's best friend.

Since August 2025 the brand has been owned by Addeira Pharmaceuticals AB, which acquired it and now operates it as a going concern with a live store and full product range [6]. The line still trades actively rather than having been wound down.

The brand traces its roots to research carried out in the 1990s by Endre Kvanta, who identified a group of probiotic lactic acid bacteria occurring naturally in a healthy vagina [5]. That discovery was developed into a consumer product launched in the early 2000s and marketed as the world's first probiotic tampon [1]. The idea rested on a simple physiological premise the company returns to repeatedly: according to Ellen, "a pH-balanced vulva and vagina is the prerequisite for good intimate health," a balance the brand says is maintained by the body's own lactic acid bacteria.

Ellen's catalogue centres on intimate health rather than conventional cosmetics. Its hero ingredient is a proprietary probiotic blend called Lacto Naturel, abbreviated LN® — a name the company notes is a deliberate pun, since "LN" spoken aloud sounds like "Ellen" [5]. Alongside the probiotic tampon, the range includes a prebiotic cleansing foam, a probiotic cream, a prebiotic deodorant spray, and a self-test marketed as Vaginal pH-Control®. The broader assortment extends into self-tests, menopause products, and probiotic and prebiotic items.

The company positions the products as free of unnecessary ingredients and perfume, formulated to maintain the natural pH balance of the vulva and vagina throughout life. Two proprietary names anchor the line: the Lacto Naturel (LN®) blend and Vaginal pH-Control®.

Ellen frames its work as a question of access rather than indulgence, stating that "everyone has the right to good intimate health, regardless of where they are in life" [5]. The brand presents itself as science-based and oriented toward education, and operates an "Intimate Care School" that it justifies with survey data: it reports that 78% of the women it surveyed felt there was not enough information available about intimate health [5]. The brand describes itself plainly as a Swedish FemTech company [3].

Ellen grounds its product claims in published research on vaginal lactic acid bacteria. Its studies page collects four selected clinical papers on Lactobacillus and vaginal health, including randomised work on the persistence of lactobacilli in postmenopausal women and on the management of bacterial vaginosis. The company summarises the body of evidence with the statement that lactic acid bacteria can improve vaginal health when applied directly to the intimate area. The brand's manufacturing of probiotic tampons is certified to the ISO 13485 medical-device quality standard.

The brand says sustainability is a central part of its operations, guided by science and the United Nations sustainability goals. It aims to produce as much as possible in Sweden to limit unnecessary transport, turning to partners elsewhere in Scandinavia or Europe where Swedish production is not feasible. According to Ellen, all of its packaging is recyclable, with a stated ambition for every package to be made from bio-based materials, and its products contain no microplastics or cyclic silicones.

The brand is owned by Addeira Pharmaceuticals AB, the registered entity behind the current operation. CB Insights records that Ellen was acquired by Addeira in August 2025 [6]. Sources differ on the brand's location: its current site lists the Addeira Pharmaceuticals AB address at Sydgatan 3 in Södertälje [1], while CB Insights gives an older Stockholm address at Olof Palmes Gata 11, associated with the earlier Ellen AB entity [6].

Ellen is an acquired but ongoing brand. Following the August 2025 acquisition by Addeira [6], it continues to operate under Addeira Pharmaceuticals AB with an active e-commerce site, a full current product range, and active social media accounts. It markets itself as having served intimate health for over 20 years, consistent with its founding in 2000 [2].