HTH

HTH is a Swedish skincare brand built around a single idea: that dry skin is best treated by replenishing the moisture-binding substances the skin makes naturally, rather than by sealing it under oils. The name is an abbreviation of the Swedish phrase Hjälper Torr Hud — "helps dry skin" — and the company describes the brand as doing exactly what its name says. Its products are sold mainly through Swedish pharmacies and are manufactured at a facility in Falun, Sweden.

The brand traces back to dermatological research in the 1960s and launched its first lotion in 1970 [3]. It is an active brand, today part of the Norwegian group Orkla, and is positioned at the affordable, pharmacy end of the market rather than as a prestige line.

HTH grew out of work by Gunnar Swanbeck, a dermatologist and professor at Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg, who collaborated with the pharmaceutical company Pharmacia during the 1960s [3]. Swanbeck found that dry skin lacks certain moisture-giving substances that occur naturally in healthy skin, among them urea and lactic acid. Combining these ingredients proved effective for patients with disease-related dry-skin problems.

From that clinical research the company developed a more cosmetic version intended for ordinary consumers with dry skin, and the original HTH lotion was launched in 1970 [3]. According to the brand's account, the product's distinguishing approach was to add moisture rather than fat — summarised on its history page as "adds moisture, not fat" — which it presents as a departure from the oil-based creams of the time.

HTH belongs to a portfolio that passed to Orkla through the acquisition of Cederroth, the Swedish personal-care and healthcare company that previously owned the brand. Cederroth was founded in Gävle in 1895 and built up a stable of consumer brands that included HTH [7].

The timing of Orkla's takeover is recorded slightly differently across sources. Wikipedia, citing Orkla's own announcement, states that the Norwegian conglomerate acquired Cederroth in 2015, with the deal announced in January and completed on 28 August 2015 for SEK 502 million [7]. Orkla's Falun factory page instead says the plant "was acquired by Orkla in 2016" [8]; this most likely refers to the factory's integration into the Orkla Home & Personal Care business unit rather than the legal acquisition date. The 2015 completion date is the better-supported figure.

Today the Falun factory produces HTH alongside a range of sister brands within Orkla Home & Personal Care, including Dr. Greve, LdB, Define and L300 [8]. The site has manufactured personal-care products since 1939 and serves as the main Swedish distribution centre for the group's personal-care range.

The brand's positioning follows directly from its name. Hjälper Torr Hud frames a narrow, functional purpose — relief for dry and very dry skin — and the company emphasises gentleness, using ingredients it describes as moisturising and soothing substances "found naturally in the skin." HTH markets its products as mild and moisturising with documented effect, and states that nine out of ten users in its own testing had a positive impression.

Commercially, HTH sits at the drugstore tier. Its products are dermatologically tested and distributed through Swedish pharmacy chains including Apoteket, Apotea, Apotek Hjärtat and MEDS, which describe it as a Swedish brand offering effective care for dry skin [10]. The range is positioned as affordable everyday skincare rather than a premium line.

The HTH range centres on body lotions and creams for dry skin, together with a small selection of deodorants. Long-standing products include the HTH Original Body Lotion — sold in both fragranced and unscented versions — and the HTH Original Universal Cream, which the company describes as enriched with extra fats and softening oils for vulnerable areas such as hands, elbows and the face. Newer additions include HTH Skin Repair, a milder cream for dry and sensitive skin, and an HTH Aloe Vera line.

The formulations rest on the moisture-binding ingredients identified in Swanbeck's research. Urea (karbamid) and lactic acid (mjölksyra) act as the active humectants; the company explains that their combination produces a low pH, which in turn removes the need for preservatives. HTH notes that normal skin contains roughly 1.5 percent urea while its products use higher concentrations, and that urea has documented effectiveness against atopic eczema. The brand also uses aloe vera and betaine, the latter extracted from sugar beet, for added moisture retention and barrier support.

HTH states that all of its products are certified vegan, meaning they are free from animal ingredients and that neither the finished products nor their individual ingredients are tested on animals [4]. Many products also carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, which the company describes as the official environmental label of the Nordic countries [4]. The brand has been transitioning its packaging toward recycled plastic, work it characterises as still in its early stages.

In a 2024 comparison test, the Swedish beauty publication The Beauty Room reviewed several HTH creams, naming HTH Skin Repair its "Best Overall" pick and the HTH Original Body Lotion the "Most Gentle" of those tested [9]. The same review described the Original Body Lotion as "a classic from 1970 that still holds up today," reflecting the product's long presence in the Swedish market.

HTH is an active brand. It maintains a current product range and website, continues to be manufactured in Falun, and remains in distribution across major Swedish pharmacies. In 2019 the company carried out a sustainability initiative, achieving Nordic Swan and vegan certification across its products and beginning its shift to recycled plastic packaging. Having launched in 1970, the brand passed its 50-year mark in 2020.