Physiogel

Physiogel is a dermatological skincare brand for dry and sensitive skin, created by the German pharmaceutical company Stiefel Laboratories and built around the idea of replicating the skin's own moisture barrier [4]. Its formulas center on lipids similar to those in the outer layer of skin — marketed as BioMimic Technology — which the company says help strengthen and replenish that barrier so skin holds on to moisture. The brand is active and sold internationally, mainly through pharmacies and dermatology channels.

Ownership of Physiogel is unusual for a skincare label: rather than sitting with a single company, its rights are divided by region. After years inside larger pharmaceutical groups, the brand was split geographically in 2020, with LG Household & Health Care taking Asia and North America and the European and South American business passing to Klinge Pharma and Aristo Pharma [3][6].

The brand descends from Stiefel Laboratories, a German dermatology company that dates its own founding to 1847 [4]. Stiefel introduced Physiogel as a skincare line for sensitive skin, though the launch year is not firmly settled: material tied to the brand places it in 1996, while other accounts give 1998 or around 2000 [3]. Its founders and headquarters are not part of the public record.

Physiogel is sometimes promoted with a claim of "175 years of German dermatology expertise" [5]. That figure refers to the heritage of Stiefel Laboratories rather than the Physiogel line itself, which is considerably younger.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) took over Physiogel in 2009 through its acquisition of Stiefel Laboratories [3]. GSK held the brand for about a decade before divesting it, and in 2020 the sale was structured by territory rather than as a single transaction. LG Household & Health Care acquired the license for Asia and North America in a deal reported at KRW 192.3 billion, roughly $161 million. As part of the move, production was set to shift from a base in Thailand to LG facilities in South Korea, China, Japan and the United States.

The European and South American rights went instead to Klinge Pharma and Aristo Pharma, both linked to Germany's Strüngmann family [6]. The outcome is a brand with shared heritage but different owners depending on the market.

Physiogel presents itself as science-led barrier care, using the tagline "Powered by Science. Clinically Proven Results." The company frames its products as inspired by the skin's natural moisture barrier — described as a layer of lipids that seals in moisture and shields skin from irritants — and aimed at dry, sensitive and reactive skin. The range is presented as fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and clinically tested [5]. Distribution leans on pharmacies and dermatology clinics rather than general retail, in keeping with the brand's derma-cosmetic positioning.

Physiogel's catalogue is built around everyday moisturizers and soothing treatments. Among its better-known items are the Daily Moisture Therapy Hydrating Facial Cream, the Calming Relief Redness Relieving Cream and Lotion, a Daily Moisture Therapy Barrier Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, and the Scienceuticals Dailimune Ampoule Serum.

The technology the brand emphasizes is BioMimic Technology, described as a complex of essential lipids resembling those in the outermost layer of skin, meant to reinforce the barrier and lock in moisture [1]. Promotional material states that within two weeks, 80% of users reported skin that looked healthier and felt less sensitive [5]. No third-party certifications are documented for the brand.

Physiogel has drawn trade-press attention mainly around its ownership and product moves. BeautyMatter reported LG's 2020 purchase of the Asian and North American rights [3], and CosmeticsDesign-Asia covered the brand's 2021 launch of sensitive-skin sheet masks and sunscreen aimed at the K-beauty market [7].

Physiogel remains an active brand. It is sold through LG Beauty's US operation as of 2026, and under its European owners it has continued to move in and out of individual markets — Aristo Pharma, for instance, relaunched Physiogel in Russia in June 2022 after a three-year absence [4]. Ownership is fragmented by region, but the brand's overall footprint spans Asia, Europe and the Americas.