# Kreussler ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 1912 | | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden-Biebrich), Germany | | Status | Active | | Manufacturing | Wiesbaden, Germany | | Distribution | Pharmacy | | Website | https://www.kreussler.com/ | Kreussler is a German family company based in Wiesbaden that makes over-the-counter medicines, medical devices and cosmetics alongside chemicals for professional textile care. The legal entity, Chemische Fabrik Kreussler & Co. GmbH, was founded in 1912 by Christian Kreussler as a specialist house for aniline dyes and chemical products [3]. It added a pharmaceutical division in 1948, and that side of the business is the one most consumers meet, through oral-care products such as the pain-relieving DYNEXAN MUNDGEL, the mouth rinse DYNEXIDIN FORTE and DEQUONAL, and through sclerosants used to treat varicose and spider veins. The company describes itself as independent and family-owned in the fourth generation [4]. It remains active: Kreussler Pharma says it earns more than two thirds of its revenue outside Germany [2], and a business profile published by the city of Wiesbaden puts the group's activity at more than 70 countries [11]. ## Origin & founders Christian Kreussler set up the business in 1912 to serve the clothing trade. In its first decades, according to the company's own history, it developed, produced and sold dyes and finishing agents for the professional dyeing of clothes and other textiles, along with its first detergents. A German pharmacy trade journal, looking back at the founding a century later, described the early firm as a specialist in aniline dyes and chemical products for garment dyers, dry cleaners and steam laundries. In 1927 the company moved to its present site on Rheingaustraße in Wiesbaden-Biebrich, a plot it enlarged through later purchases. Ten years on, in its 25th anniversary year, it inaugurated a new administration building, which still serves as head office. The founder's son, Heinrich Kreussler, joined in 1935 and became managing director in 1939. Christian Kreussler formally handed over the management to him in 1947, and Heinrich's wife, Maria Kreussler, also took part in running the company for a time during the post-war years. ## History & milestones ### From dyes to medicines The turn toward health care came in 1948, when the company founded its pharmaceutical division and launched its first two products, CIONAL and DYNEXAN MUNDGEL [10]. The textile side kept growing at the same time. In 1953 Kreussler introduced DERVAL PER, which it describes as the first modern cleaning booster for the dry-cleaning solvent perchloroethylene, and from 1962 its boosters under the CLIP umbrella brand became, in the company's words, a reference product for professional dry cleaners for decades. ### The Travers generations In 1963 Dr. Detlev Travers, Heinrich Kreussler's son-in-law, joined as managing partner, making the business family-run in the third generation. During the same decade Kreussler bought spotting and dry-cleaning ranges from Gronewald & Stommel in 1963 and Zschimmer & Schwarz in 1965, as well as from Henkel in Düsseldorf, and acquired the competitor Simon & Dürkheim [3]. The fourth generation arrived in 1995 with Dr. Stephan Travers, son of Detlev Travers and of Christa Travers-Kreussler, the founder's granddaughter. He became a managing partner in 2000, took over the running of Kreussler Pharma from Joachim Haupt in 2001, and in 2013 succeeded his father in overall charge of the company. ### Building the pharmaceutical business The years around 2000 shaped the pharmaceutical division as it exists today. In 2000 Kreussler received GMP certification, the standard for good manufacturing practice, to produce polidocanol, the active ingredient in its sclerosant AETHOXYSKLEROL. The company says it was one of the first active-ingredient makers in Germany to obtain this certification. In 2001 the site passed its first inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration. In 2006 Kreussler bought the Swiss company Resinag AG and with it the SCLEROVEIN range of sclerosants [3]. The same year it launched DYNEXAN PROAKTIV 0.2%, later renamed DYNEXIDIN FORTE, which it presents as the first alcohol-free mouth rinse containing 0.2% chlorhexidine [3]. AETHOXYSKLEROL, the company states, was approved in 2009 as the world's first sclerosant for foam sclerotherapy [3]. A year later the FDA approved the product for the United States under the name ASCLERA. ### Textile care in parallel The chemicals business kept its own line of development. In 1994 Kreussler decided to enter the market for commercial laundries in earnest, starting with TREBON SI, which it calls the first concentrated powder detergent based on layered silicates. DERVAL POWER, marketed as "the liquid powder", followed in 2008, and in 2010 the company introduced SYSTEMK4, a patented solvent system for textile cleaning. In 2012 the pharmacy press described it as a halogen-free alternative to perchloroethylene dry cleaning. In 2009 Dr. Helmut Eigen became co-managing director and head of Kreussler Textile Care, succeeding Kaspar Hasenclever, who retired after 41 years with the company. Christoph Richter took over both roles from Eigen in 2024. ### The centenary and after Kreussler marked its 100th anniversary in 2012. A feature in the German pharmacy weekly Pharmazeutische Zeitung that year noted that the pharmaceutical division was the smaller of the company's two pillars, and that most of its roughly 180 employees worked in textile chemicals [10]. At a press conference reported in the article, Stephan Travers said the company was proud not to have to "scrape by from one quarterly report to the next" like some large listed corporations. The decade that followed brought more clinical work and new infrastructure. The company reports a first clinical study on foam sclerotherapy of hemorrhoids, published in 2013, and a first clinical study on pain relief in the mouth in infants, babies and toddlers using DYNEXAN MUNDGEL in 2015. In 2018 it founded the Kreussler International School of Sclerotherapy (K.I.S.S.), and in 2019 it moved into a new high-bay warehouse building with offices and conference rooms. In 2023 Kreussler took over production and worldwide distribution rights for the FIBROVEIN sclerosants from the UK-based S.T.D. Pharmaceuticals Ltd [3]. ## Ownership Kreussler has no parent company. Chemische Fabrik Kreussler & Co. GmbH is owned and run by the founding family, now in its fourth generation, and is organised into two divisions: Kreussler Pharma and Kreussler Textile Care. Family control has passed from Christian Kreussler to his son Heinrich, then through marriage to the Travers family, with Detlev Travers and later his son Stephan Travers at the head of the business. The company has grown partly through acquisitions. On the textile side it bought several spotting and dry-cleaning ranges in the 1960s. On the pharmaceutical side it acquired Resinag AG of Switzerland, and with it SCLEROVEIN, in 2006, and the FIBROVEIN rights in 2023. ## Philosophy & positioning Kreussler presents itself as a business that combines "scientific precision with responsible action". Its pharmaceutical division says it develops products in close cooperation with medical professionals and tailors them to the needs of patients, doctors and pharmacists. The Kreussler Pharma website carries the tagline "Echte Gesundheit fordert echte Qualität" ("Real health demands real quality"), and the company names reliability, trust, openness and fairness among the values behind its long-term partnerships with customers, suppliers and staff. Keeping production in one place is a recurring theme. Kreussler Pharma says it has developed and made medicines, medical devices and cosmetics almost entirely at its Wiesbaden headquarters since 1948, and the city's business profile quotes the company as saying it does no outsourcing and produces and stores everything itself at its own site [11]. The pharmaceutical division states that its products are made to GMP standards and that many areas of the company are certified by international regulators, including the FDA. It sells internationally through its own country subsidiaries and through distribution partners. The 2012 trade-press feature also recorded an approach to product development described by Dr. Joachim Otto, then medical and scientific head of Kreussler Pharma: besides new active substances, modern medicines could be made by leaving out problematic excipients such as alcohol, sugar, lactose and gluten, a path he said the company was following consistently. ## Products & innovation ### Oral care Oral health is the division Kreussler Pharma lists first, and it covers pain relief, mouth rinses and dental prophylaxis. DYNEXAN MUNDGEL, one of the two products from 1948, is a pain-relieving gel for use in the mouth. It has been sold in Austria since 1961 and in France since 1999, according to the 2012 Pharmazeutische Zeitung article, which also reported that, as of mid-2012, a launch in Russia was planned for later that year after regulatory approval had already been granted. A cartridge version is described by the company as "pocket anaesthesia without needle-stick pain". The rest of the oral-care line includes DYNEXIDIN FORTE, a chlorhexidine rinse for reducing germs in the mouth; DEQUONAL, a mouth rinse and spray that the company says acts against various viruses, bacteria and fungi; RECESSAN, a pain-relieving ointment designed to adhere well inside the mouth; and two fluoride products, DYNEXAMINFLUORID GELÉE for caries protection and DYNEXAMINFLUORID LACK, a varnish the company describes as providing fourfold fluoridation. In 2012 Kreussler named mouth and throat care as a future focus for the pharmaceutical division. ### Vein and proctology treatments The other main pillar of Kreussler Pharma is phlebology, the treatment of vein disorders. Its sclerosants are used for spider veins and varicose veins, for hemorrhoids and for varices of the esophagus. AETHOXYSKLEROL, sold in the United States as ASCLERA, is based on polidocanol, which Kreussler manufactures itself. Speaking in 2012, Stephan Travers described the company as the world's leading manufacturer of sclerosants for these uses and said AETHOXYSKLEROL was distributed in more than 50 countries [10]. SCLEROVEIN and FIBROVEIN complete the range. The company points to clinical research as part of this work. It cites the ESAF study, published in 2008, as the first clinical study conducted to Good Clinical Practice standards on ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy of large veins. It also trains doctors through its sclerotherapy school, K.I.S.S., and Kreussler Pharma lists professional events such as a compact course in micro-sclerotherapy in Munich. ### Muscle care A smaller range covers movement and relaxation. Its product, Phardol Thermo, uses warmth and is intended, in the company's description, to support muscle recovery and promote mobility and relaxation. ### Textile care Outside the pharmacy, Kreussler Textile Care develops and manufactures washing and care products for commercial textile cleaning and hygiene, and the group is also active in dosing technology and plant engineering. The 2012 trade-press report noted that the division worked with the appliance maker Miele on processes for large-scale washing, for example for hospitals and the catering trade. The division presented new products for washing and bleaching at the Texcare trade fair in 2024 and appeared at the Clean Show in 2025. ## Sustainability Kreussler calls sustainability "not a trend, but lived responsibility". At its Wiesbaden site it uses wastewater treatment, solar modules and heat exchangers, and the Textile Care division is certified to the environmental management standard DIN EN ISO 14001:2015 [4]. No third-party certifications specific to its cosmetic or oral-care products are documented. The company's recent news also reflects local environmental projects. In 2025 staff helped restore a biotope; in 2026 they joined a clean-up along the Rhine, and the company took part in the Bike to Work Challenge. As an employer, Kreussler emphasises the combination of work and family life. In the 2012 trade-press feature, Stephan Travers reported that more than half of the employees had been with the company for over ten years and more than a quarter for over 20, and that it had introduced part-time models and explicitly committed itself to employees over 55. ## Recognition In September 2026 Kreussler's campaign for its fluoride varnish, titled "Einfach Vierfach" ("Simply fourfold"), received several awards at the Dental Marketing Award 2026 [5]. The company has also sponsored the "Labor der Zukunft" ("Laboratory of the future") category of the Leonardo School Award run by a Wiesbaden foundation. ## Current status Kreussler is active. Its news page lists the Dental Marketing Award result on 17 September 2026 and its sponsorship of the Leonardo School Award a few days earlier, and Kreussler Pharma's website lists professional events for October and November 2026 in phlebology and oral health. The company continues to produce at its Wiesbaden-Biebrich site, where it has been based since 1927, and remains under the management of the founding family's fourth generation. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1912 | Christian Kreussler founds the company as a specialist house for aniline dyes and chemical products. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1927 | Move to the current site on Rheingaustraße in Wiesbaden-Biebrich. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1937 | New administration building inaugurated in the 25th anniversary year; still the head office. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1947 | Management passes from Christian Kreussler to his son Heinrich Kreussler (second generation). | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1948 | Pharma division founded; first products CIONAL® and DYNEXAN MUNDGEL®. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1961 | Dynexan oral gel on the Austrian market since 1961 (per Pharmazeutische Zeitung 2012). | https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/ausgabe-232012/100-jahre-kreussler/ | | 1963 | Dr. Detlev Travers, son-in-law of Heinrich Kreussler, joins as managing partner (third generation). | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1963 | Acquired spotting and dry-cleaning ranges from Gronewald & Stommel (1963), Zschimmer & Schwarz (1965), Henkel/Düsseldorf and competitor Simon & Dürkheim during the 1960s (textile-care side). | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1995 | Dr. Stephan Travers joins as fourth-generation representative; managing partner from 2000, head of Kreussler Pharma from 2001. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 1999 | Dynexan oral gel on the French market since 1999 (per Pharmazeutische Zeitung 2012). | https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/ausgabe-232012/100-jahre-kreussler/ | | 2000 | GMP certification for manufacturing the active ingredient polidocanol (AETHOXYSKLEROL®); first US FDA inspection in 2001. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 2006 | Launch of DYNEXAN PROAKTIV 0,2% (later DYNEXIDIN® FORTE), described as the first alcohol-free 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse; acquisition of Swiss Resinag AG (SCLEROVEIN®). | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 2006 | Acquired Swiss Resinag AG and with it the SCLEROVEIN® sclerosants. | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | | 2009 | AETHOXYSKLEROL® approved as the first sclerosant for foam sclerotherapy (company claim). | https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ | ## Awards {#belagg-awards} | Year | Awards | Category | Source | |---|---|---|---| | 2026 | Dental Marketing Award 2026 (multiple awards) | Campaign "Einfach Vierfach. Der Fluoridlack mit 4-facher Fluoridierung" (fluoride varnish campaign) | https://www.kreussler.com/news/ | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **DYNEXAN MUNDGEL®** — Wir gründen die Pharma Sparte und führen die ersten Produkte ein: CIONAL® und DYNEXAN MUNDGEL®. — https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ - **DYNEXIDIN® FORTE** — Mit DYNEXAN PROAKTIV 0,2%, später in DYNEXIDIN® FORTE umbenannt, bringt Kreussler die erste alkoholfreie Mundspüllösung mit 0,2% Chlorhexidin auf den Markt — https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ - **DEQUONAL®** — Mundspüllösung und Spray gegen verschiedene Viren, Bakterien und Pilze — https://www.kreussler-pharma.de/therapiebereiche-produkte/gesunder-mund/ - **AETHOXYSKLEROL® (US: ASCLERA™)** — AETHOXYSKLEROL® wird als weltweit erstes Sklerosierungsmittel für die Schaum-Sklerotherapie zugelassen. — https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ - **Phardol® Thermo** — Unsere Produkte für Bewegung und Entspannung wurden entwickelt, um Sie bei der Regeneration Ihrer Muskeln zu unterstützen und Ihr Wohlbefinden zu steigern. — https://www.kreussler-pharma.de/therapiebereiche-produkte/bewegung-und-entspannung/ ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} Polidocanol · Chlorhexidin (0.2%) Source: https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ ## Proprietary technologies & patents {#belagg-tech} - SYSTEMK4 (patented solvent system for textile cleaning; Kreussler Textile Care division, not cosmetics) — https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **Pharmazeutische Zeitung** (2012) — Centenary feature "100 Jahre Kreussler" (Maria Pues, issue 23/2012): fourth-generation family company; pharmacists know it mainly through Aethoxysklerol, Dequonal and Dynexan; described by MD Stephan Travers as world-leading maker of sclerosants; oral care named as future focus; around 180 employees, most in the textile-chemicals division. — https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/ausgabe-232012/100-jahre-kreussler/ ## Sources 2. (T1) https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/kreussler-pharma/ 3. (T2) https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/ 4. (T2) https://www.kreussler.com/unternehmen/philosophie-verantwortung/ 5. (T2) https://www.kreussler.com/news/ 10. (T3) https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/ausgabe-232012/100-jahre-kreussler/ 11. (T4) https://www.wiesbaden.de/wirtschaft/netzwerke-kooperationen/fachkraefteinitiative/chemische-fabrik-kreussler --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-10-06 Please cite with a link to the article URL.