Church & Dwight
An American consumer packaged goods company whose portfolio includes Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Trojan, Waterpik, TheraBreath, Hero and Touchland.
Last updated August 27, 2026
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Overview
Church & Dwight is an American consumer packaged goods company headquartered in Ewing Township, New Jersey. Its roots extend to 1846, when Austin Church and his brother-in-law John Dwight began commercially preparing sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda. The business became closely associated with the Arm & Hammer name and logo, which eventually developed from a baking-soda trademark into a broad consumer brand spanning household cleaning, laundry, personal care and specialty applications. The company was formed in its modern corporate structure in 1896 through the combination of Church & Company and John Dwight & Company. Although baking soda remains central to its heritage, Church & Dwight has expanded through product development, licensing and acquisitions. Its consumer portfolio now covers laundry and household cleaning, oral care, hair care, skin care, reproductive health, vitamins, over-the-counter remedies and personal hygiene. Major brands include Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Trojan, Nair, First Response, Orajel, Xtra, Zicam, Batiste, Waterpik, TheraBreath, Hero Cosmetics and Touchland. Church & Dwight organizes its activities into Consumer Domestic, Consumer International and Specialty Products segments. Consumer Domestic serves the United States with products sold through mass retailers, drugstores, supermarkets, e-commerce channels and other outlets. Consumer International markets selected brands outside the United States. Specialty Products supplies sodium bicarbonate and related materials for industrial, agricultural, medical and food uses, connecting the company's original commodity expertise with its consumer businesses. A defining feature of the company's strategy has been the creation of a diversified portfolio around a small number of recognizable brands. Arm & Hammer remains the best-known corporate asset, while OxiClean, Waterpik, TheraBreath, Hero and Touchland have been treated as major growth platforms with international potential. The company has also used acquisitions to enter or strengthen categories such as oral care, reproductive health, vitamins, acne treatment, cold remedies and hand sanitization. Church & Dwight is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CHD and is a component of the S&P 500. In 2025, Richard Dierker became chief executive officer after Matthew Farrell retired. The company also announced portfolio changes during that period, including plans to exit certain businesses while adding Touchland. Its present identity combines a long-established baking-soda business, a large collection of consumer brands and a specialty-materials operation.
History
Church & Dwight's history begins in 1846, when Austin Church and John Dwight started preparing sodium bicarbonate for commercial distribution in Dwight's kitchen. John Dwight & Company was formally established the following year. Baking soda gave the business a durable foundation because it could be sold both as a household ingredient and as an industrial material. In 1867, Church & Company adopted the arm-and-hammer emblem that had previously been used by James Church for his Vulcan Spice Mills business. Church & Company and John Dwight & Company merged in 1896, creating Church & Dwight Co., Inc. For much of its early history, the company was identified primarily with baking soda and related sodium-bicarbonate products. The Arm & Hammer name later became a platform for extending the company's reach into household products. In 1970, Church & Dwight introduced Arm & Hammer Powder Laundry Detergent, described by the company as the first nationally distributed phosphate-free laundry detergent. The Arm & Hammer name was not derived from industrialist Armand Hammer. In 1986, Occidental Petroleum received a minority interest and a board seat through an agreement connected with a potassium-carbonate plant, creating a corporate association but not changing the historical origin of the brand name. Church & Dwight accelerated its consumer-products expansion in the 2000s. The 2001 acquisition of USA Detergents added Xtra and Nice 'n Fluffy. Later that year, Church & Dwight and Kelso & Company completed the purchase of Carter-Wallace's consumer-products business. This brought major reproductive-health and personal-care names, including Trojan, Nair and First Response, into the broader portfolio, alongside directly acquired Arrid and Lambert Kay products. The company then expanded oral care through rights to several Unilever brands in the United States and Canada in 2003 and through the Spinbrush battery-operated toothbrush business in 2005. The 2006 purchase of Orange Glo International strengthened the household-cleaning business with OxiClean, Kaboom and Orange Glo. In 2008, the company bought Del Pharmaceuticals' over-the-counter business from Coty, adding Orajel. These transactions helped transform Church & Dwight from a baking-soda-centered manufacturer into a multi-category consumer packaged goods company while retaining a specialty-products operation based on sodium bicarbonate and related materials. During the 2010s, acquisitions broadened the company into vitamins, hair care and oral care. Avid Health, acquired in 2012, owned VitaFusion and L'il Critters gummy vitamins. Spencer Forrest, acquired in 2016, made Toppik hair-building fibers. In 2017, Church & Dwight acquired Water Pik, adding water flossers and replacement showerheads and reinforcing its presence in dental care and bathroom products. The expansion continued in the 2020s. Matrixx Initiatives, acquired in 2020, brought the Zicam cold-remedy brand. Church & Dwight completed the purchase of TheraBreath in 2021 and acquired Hero Cosmetics in 2022, adding the Hero brand and Mighty Patch acne treatments. In 2025, Richard Dierker became chief executive officer after Matthew Farrell retired. The company also completed its acquisition of Touchland, a hand-sanitizer brand, while announcing exits from Flawless, Spinbrush and Waterpik showerheads. The VitaFusion and L'il Critters brands and associated assets were subsequently sold to Piping Rock Health Products. By this period, Church & Dwight described Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Batiste, Waterpik, TheraBreath, Hero and Touchland as its seven power brands, emphasizing their potential for further international growth.
- 2025
Touchland acquisition and portfolio restructuring
[1]Church & Dwight completes the Touchland acquisition and announces exits from several lower-priority businesses.
- 2022
Hero Cosmetics is acquired
[1]The Hero brand and Mighty Patch acne-treatment products join the portfolio.
- 2017
Water Pik is acquired
[1]Waterpik water flossers and replacement showerheads become part of Church & Dwight.
- 2006
OxiClean joins the portfolio
[1]The Orange Glo International acquisition adds OxiClean, Kaboom and Orange Glo.
- 1970
Arm & Hammer enters laundry detergent
[1]The company launches Arm & Hammer Powder Laundry Detergent.
- 1896
Church & Dwight is formed
[1]Church & Company and John Dwight & Company merge.
- 1867
Arm-and-hammer emblem adopted
[1]Church & Company adopts the arm-and-hammer logo associated with the later Arm & Hammer brand.
- 1847
John Dwight & Company is established
[1]The early baking-soda business is formally organized as John Dwight & Company.
- 1846
Commercial baking-soda business begins
[1]Austin Church and John Dwight begin preparing sodium bicarbonate for commercial distribution.
Products and positioning
Mass-market consumer packaged goods company built around trusted household, personal-care and specialty-product brands.
Household and specialty products · 1867
Arm & Hammer
The company's heritage brand, originating in sodium bicarbonate and extending into laundry detergent, household cleaning, deodorizing, oral care, personal care and specialty-material applications. Its identity is built around the practical uses of baking soda and the long-established arm-and-hammer emblem.
Laundry and household cleaning · 2006
OxiClean
A household-cleaning brand centered on oxygen-based stain-removal products. It entered Church & Dwight through the 2006 acquisition of Orange Glo International and became one of the company's principal growth brands.
Reproductive health · 2001
Trojan
A reproductive-health brand offering condoms and related sexual-wellness products. It became part of Church & Dwight's broader consumer portfolio through the Carter-Wallace transaction and is one of the company's prominent personal-care franchises.
Oral care · 2017
Waterpik
An oral-care brand best known for water flossers and related dental-care devices. Church & Dwight acquired Water Pik in 2017, adding a device-led category to a portfolio otherwise dominated by consumable products.
Oral care · 2021
TheraBreath
An oral-care brand associated with breath-freshening and other dental-hygiene products. Church & Dwight completed its acquisition in 2021 and identifies the brand as one of its major international growth platforms.
Skin care · 2022
Hero Cosmetics
A skin-care brand focused on acne management, including the Mighty Patch range of hydrocolloid acne products. It joined Church & Dwight through the 2022 acquisition of Hero Cosmetics.
Personal hygiene · 2025
Touchland
A personal-hygiene brand known for hand-sanitizer products. Church & Dwight completed its acquisition in 2025 and added the brand to its group of power brands.
Over-the-counter medicine · 2020
Zicam
An over-the-counter cold-remedy brand acquired through Matrixx Initiatives in 2020.
Vitamins and supplements · 2012
VitaFusion and L'il Critters
Gummy-vitamin brands acquired through Avid Health in 2012. Church & Dwight later sold the brands, related rights and associated facilities to Piping Rock Health Products.
Brand decisions
2025
Acquisition of TouchlandM&ABackground
Church & Dwight sought to strengthen its personal-hygiene portfolio with a growing hand-sanitizer brand.
Action taken
The company completed the acquisition of Touchland using upfront cash and restricted stock, with additional consideration tied to 2025 sales.
Aftermath
Touchland joined Arm & Hammer, OxiClean, Batiste, Waterpik, TheraBreath and Hero as one of the company's identified power brands.
Upfront consideration and potential additional payments. Approximately $700 million upfront and up to $180 million in additional payments (2025)
2025
Portfolio exits and vitamin-brand divestitureStrategyBackground
Church & Dwight reviewed its portfolio to concentrate resources on higher-priority brands and categories.
Action taken
The company announced exits from Flawless, Spinbrush and Waterpik showerheads and completed the sale of VitaFusion and L'il Critters and related assets to Piping Rock Health Products.
Aftermath
The changes reduced the number of lower-priority businesses while reinforcing the company's focus on its core and power brands.
2022
Acquisition of Hero CosmeticsM&ABackground
Church & Dwight aimed to add a digitally oriented skin-care brand with growth potential in acne treatment.
Action taken
The company acquired Hero Cosmetics and its Hero and Mighty Patch brands.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Church & Dwight into targeted skin care and added another designated growth platform.
Transaction value. Approximately $630 million (2022)
2017
Acquisition of Water PikM&ABackground
The company pursued expansion in oral care and sought a stronger presence in consumer dental devices.
Action taken
Church & Dwight acquired Water Pik and its water-flosser and replacement-showerhead businesses.
Aftermath
Waterpik became a major oral-care platform within the portfolio.
Acquisition value. Approximately $1.02 billion (2017)
2006
Acquisition of Orange Glo InternationalM&ABackground
Church & Dwight wanted to expand its household-cleaning portfolio beyond its established detergent and baking-soda businesses.
Action taken
The company acquired substantially all assets of Orange Glo International, including OxiClean, Kaboom and Orange Glo.
Aftermath
OxiClean became one of Church & Dwight's most important consumer brands.
Acquisition value. Approximately $325 million (2006)
1970
Launch of Arm & Hammer Powder Laundry DetergentProduct launchBackground
Church & Dwight sought to extend the Arm & Hammer name beyond baking soda into a national household-cleaning category.
Action taken
The company introduced a powder laundry detergent positioned as phosphate-free.
Aftermath
The launch helped establish Arm & Hammer as a broader consumer brand rather than only a baking-soda label.
Recent events
- 2025
Richard Dierker becomes chief executive officer[1]
Leadership change
Dierker succeeded Matthew Farrell following Farrell's retirement.
- 2025
Church & Dwight completes Touchland acquisition[1]
M&A
The transaction added Touchland's hand-sanitizer products and broadened the personal-hygiene portfolio.
- 2025
Church & Dwight announces exits from selected businesses[1]
Other
The company announced plans to exit Flawless, Spinbrush and Waterpik showerheads.
- 2022
Church & Dwight acquires Hero Cosmetics[1]
M&A
The acquisition added Hero's acne-treatment portfolio, including Mighty Patch.
- 2021
Church & Dwight completes TheraBreath acquisition[1]
M&A
The company completed its acquisition of the TheraBreath oral-care brand.
- 2020
Church & Dwight acquires Matrixx Initiatives[1]
M&A
The acquisition added Zicam cold-remedy products.
- 2017
Church & Dwight acquires Water Pik[1]
M&A
Waterpik water flossers and replacement showerheads expanded the company's oral-care and bathroom-product presence.
- 2016
Church & Dwight acquires Spencer Forrest[1]
M&A
The purchase added Toppik hair-building fibers.
- 2012
Church & Dwight acquires Avid Health[1]
M&A
Avid Health brought the VitaFusion and L'il Critters gummy-vitamin brands into the company.
- 2008
Church & Dwight acquires Del Pharmaceuticals' over-the-counter business[1]
M&A
The purchase added Orajel and related over-the-counter pharmaceutical products.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources4 sources
- 1Church & Dwighten.wikipedia.org
- 2Church & Dwight official websitechurchdwight.com
- 3Dry shampoo brand Batiste revamped for the 3rd time since 2011mumbrella.com.au
- 4The Maker of ARM & HAMMER™ Cat Litter Launches "Feline Generous," an Online Platform That Puts Local Cat Shelters Front and Center to Increase Adoption and Donationsprnewswire.com
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