# KadeHydro ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 2023 | | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Berlin | | Status | Active | | Previous names | KadeFungin (Befeuchtungsgel sold under the KadeFungin name before October 2023) | | Distribution | Pharmacy | | Website | https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ | KadeHydro is a German line of hormone-free intimate moisturisers made by DR. KADE Pharmazeutische Fabrik GmbH, a family-owned pharmaceutical company based in Berlin [5]. The line sits inside KadeFemina, the company's women's-health range, and consists of three products for vaginal and vulvar dryness: a moisturising gel, vaginal ovules and an external cream. All three are sold without a prescription in pharmacies [2]. The KadeHydro name itself is fairly new. Pharmacy trade press reported in September 2023 that Dr. Kade's existing moisturising gel, until then sold under the KadeFungin name, would be relaunched as "Kadehydro Befeuchtungsgel" from October that year [8][9]. The line remains active, and its three products continue to be offered under the KadeHydro name. ## History & milestones KadeHydro's story is closely tied to that of its manufacturer. Dr. Kade traces its roots to 1886, when Dr. Franz Lutze acquired the Oranien-Apotheke, a Berlin pharmacy run by Dr. Rudolph Kade [7]. According to the company's own history, the pharmacy supplied the imperial yacht *Hohenzollern*, and Dr. Kade describes its path as one from court supplier to mid-sized pharmaceutical manufacturer. In 1922 it introduced Posterisan, a haemorrhoid preparation, and in 1949 Dr. Marietta Lutze, a physician, took over management as the third generation of the family. A modern production site in Berlin-Marienfelde followed in 1982. In 2003, the company moved actively into pharmacy sales with two established brands, Posterisan and KadeFungin [7]. KadeFungin was the name under which the moisturising gel that later became KadeHydro was sold. Ten years later, in 2013, Dr. Kade took over an over-the-counter portfolio from Takeda, which included the brands Sanostol, Faktu lind and Riopan [7]. The KadeHydro name arrived in autumn 2023. The pharmacy news site apotheke adhoc reported on 19 September 2023 that the gel would be sold from October in a new blue design and with a new German pharmacy product code (PZN 18006670) [8]. Packs in the old design and under the old name remained legally saleable. A week later the trade site PTA in Love covered the same change and noted a parallel step earlier that spring, when the company's lactic-acid treatment, formerly "Kadefungin Milchsäurekur", was renamed KadeFlora [9]. KadeFungin 3, the company's thrush treatment, kept its name. Neither trade report includes a statement from Dr. Kade explaining the reasoning behind the rename, and when the original gel first went on sale is not documented. ## Ownership KadeHydro is not a standalone company. It is a product line of DR. KADE Pharmazeutische Fabrik GmbH, which names itself as the manufacturer on each KadeHydro product page and describes itself as an independent family company [6]. The firm is headquartered at Rigistraße 2 in Berlin. Dr. Kade's business spans several therapeutic areas: women's health, proctology, heartburn, children's vitamins, tonics and dermocosmetics. It also carries out contract manufacturing of semi-solid pharmaceutical forms, such as creams and gels, and licenses products to partners in Germany and abroad. In 2018 its corporate services moved to the Ullsteinhaus building in Berlin-Tempelhof, while production at Rigistraße was modernised to specialise in semi-solid forms; that site was expanded again in 2025. Within the KadeFemina range, KadeHydro sits alongside KadeFungin 3 for vaginal thrush, KadeFlora with lactic acid and lactic-acid bacteria, KadeZyklus for menstrual complaints and KadeFemin for everyday intimate washing and care. Where exactly the KadeHydro products are made is not stated publicly. ## Philosophy & positioning KadeHydro presents itself under the tagline "Hormonfreie Befeuchtung und Pflege", meaning hormone-free moisture and care. Its starting point, as the company explains it, is that skin changes over a lifetime, and that hormonal shifts during and after menopause in particular leave intimate skin thinner, drier and more sensitive. That skin, Dr. Kade argues, therefore needs gentle daily care that restores oils, adds moisture and helps the skin recover. The range names the symptoms it addresses plainly: a feeling of dryness, burning, itching and soreness, pain during sex, and light bleeding from tiny tears in the vaginal skin. The absence of hormones is central to the pitch. According to the brand, its products contain no oestrogens, which it gives as the reason they can be used alongside hormone replacement therapy. All three are described as "microbiome-friendly", meaning they are designed not to disturb the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina. The wider KadeFemina umbrella frames its purpose around education. Its stated aim is to counter the taboos and clichés that, in its view, grow out of a lack of information about the female body. The umbrella's social channels, including the Instagram account @holy.schritt, cover the whole range rather than KadeHydro alone. ## Products & innovation The **KadeHydro Befeuchtungsgel** is the product at the centre of the 2023 rename. It is a water-based gel built around hyaluronic acid, a moisture-binding substance that also occurs naturally in the body. The company says the gel adds moisture and forms a protective, slippery film, and that relief from dryness can be felt from the first use. It can be applied inside the vagina or externally, used daily or as a lubricant, and is compatible with condoms. The gel has a pH of 4, which Dr. Kade matches to the normal acidity of the vagina, and contains no dyes or fragrances. It comes either as a tube with an applicator or in a dispenser. The company recommends it for women with mild to moderate dryness, including those approaching or going through menopause, breastfeeding, or using a low-dose contraceptive pill. The **KadeHydro Befeuchtungsovula** are vaginal ovules, small pessaries inserted in the evening, for more pronounced dryness. They combine hyaluronic acid with jojoba oil, which the company says soothes and helps the skin regenerate. Dr. Kade describes them as vegan and free of preservatives, fragrance and dyes. The ovules are aimed at women after menopause and at those who have had cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy or anti-hormone therapy. A pack holds 14 ovules. The **KadeHydro Befeuchtungscreme** is for the external intimate area. It is a water-in-oil emulsion containing hyaluronic acid, almond oil for a protective lipid layer, and bisabolol, a calming compound derived from chamomile. It contains no dyes, fragrance, hormones, preservatives or alcohol. The brand suggests pairing it with the ovules and positions it for dryness after menopause and as supportive care during cancer treatment. Its claim of very good skin tolerance in long-term use rests on a four-week clinical gynaecological application study with 20 women, dated December 2023 [2]. According to the product pages, the microbiome-friendly label on the line is certified by MyMicrobiome GmbH [3]. No other third-party certifications are documented. ## Current status KadeHydro is active. All three products remain listed on the KadeFemina website, where the line is described as available without prescription in pharmacies [2]. The most recent dated activity is the December 2023 tolerance study for the cream. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 2003 | Parent DR. KADE moves actively into pharmacy distribution with its established brands Posterisan and KadeFungin (KadeFungin being the name the KadeHydro gel was sold under until 2023): "DR. KADE steigt mit den etablierten Marken Posterisan und KadeFungin aktiv in den Apothekenvertrieb ein." | https://www.kade.de/unternehmen/historie/ | | 2023 | From October 2023 the moisturising gel is sold as 'Kadehydro Befeuchtungsgel' in a new blue design with new PZN 18006670 (article dated 19.09.2023). | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/kadenfungin-neuer-name-neue-pzn/ | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **KadeHydro Befeuchtungsgel** — Spendet Feuchtigkeit und bildet einen schützenden Gleitfilm — https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ - **KadeHydro Befeuchtungsovula** — Lindert Symptome wie Brennen, Juckreiz, Wundgefühl oder leichte Blutungen infolge von Mikrorissen — https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ - **KadeHydro Befeuchtungscreme** — Pflegt und schützt gereizte Haut im äußeren Intimbereich — https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} Hyaluronsäure (hyaluronic acid) · Jojoba-Öl (jojoba oil) · Mandelöl (almond oil) · Bisabolol (from chamomile) Source: https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **apotheke adhoc** (2023) — Pharmacy-trade news item on the rename of the Dr. Kade moisturising gel to Kadehydro Befeuchtungsgel from October 2023 (new blue design, new PZN). — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/kadenfungin-neuer-name-neue-pzn/ - **PTA in Love** (2023) — Article 'Kadehydro: Neuer Name, neue PZN' (25 September 2023, Nadine Tröbitscher) on the rename, with product notes for pharmacy staff. — https://www.pta-in-love.de/?p=84775 ## Sources 2. (T2) https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/ 3. (T2) https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/kadehydro-befeuchtungsgel/ 5. (T2) https://www.kadefemina.de/produkte/kadehydro/kadehydro-befeuchtungscreme/ 6. (T2) https://www.kade.de/ 7. (T2) https://www.kade.de/unternehmen/historie/ 8. (T4) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/kadenfungin-neuer-name-neue-pzn/ 9. (T4) https://www.pta-in-love.de/?p=84775 --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-10-06 Please cite with a link to the article URL.