Colgate-Palmolive (CL)
Makes Colgate oral care, Palmolive household products and Hill's specialty pet nutrition.
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Colgate-Palmolive sells the everyday things people use to clean their teeth, bodies and homes, alongside Hill’s pet food, with most sales coming from outside the United States. Oral care remains the center of gravity; the newer push is toward complete tooth-care routines and fresh pet food, while professional skin care is working through a setback.
Item facts: FY2025 · year ended Dec 31, 2025, from filings, earnings calls and company pages.
Judgment weights, not filed revenue
The band summarizes business focus and direction. ~ marks estimates.
7 in detail · 13 more below
Oral Care
Toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash and dentist-recommended products generated about $8.97 billion in FY2025. This is the largest engine and has been gaining share of company sales; watch whether shelf access and professional recommendations keep that going.
Competes with Crest toothpaste and Oral-B brushes (Procter & Gamble) · Sensodyne and parodontax toothpastes (Haleon)
In plain English
Open a bathroom cabinet and this is the Colgate-Palmolive business most likely to be staring back: toothpaste, brushes and mouthwash used up a little at a time and replaced again and again. The company also sells products that dentists recommend for particular needs.
Households choose the product, but retailers and pharmacies place most orders and decide what gets shelf space. Advertising creates the pull; wide availability turns that demand into shipments. The model works when familiar brands, useful formulas and regular brushing keep people returning before a rival wins the next purchase.
Colgate Total Active Prevention
A three-product toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash routine began rolling out in late 2024 and early 2025. Watch whether wider shelf placement turns an initial launch into repeat purchases now that management talks about it less often.
Competes with Crest and Oral-B prevention routines (Procter & Gamble) · Sensodyne and parodontax sensitivity and gum care (Haleon)
In plain English
Instead of asking a shopper to pick one tube, Active Prevention offers a matched set for the whole brushing routine: toothpaste, a toothbrush and mouthwash. The toothpaste contains a form of fluoride kept stable so it can help with several common mouth-health needs.
Colgate-Palmolive gets paid as each piece moves through stores, while dentists can help make the routine feel worth adopting. The hard part comes after launch displays disappear: all three products need manufacturing, approved health claims and shelf space to line up, then households must keep replacing them rather than trying the set once.
Hill's Pet Nutrition
Science Diet and Prescription Diet produced $4.61 billion in FY2025 sales. This second engine has edged up as a share of company sales; watch whether consistent ingredients, health evidence and veterinarian trust keep it moving.
Competes with Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets (Nestlé Purina) · Royal Canin Veterinary Nutrition (Mars)
In plain English
A bag of Hill’s is food, but part of the selling happens in the veterinary clinic. Science Diet covers everyday feeding; Prescription Diet is made for pets with particular health conditions and is often chosen with a veterinarian’s guidance.
Pet owners ultimately pay, while clinics, pet shops and online stores explain or deliver the product. That recommendation can make a bag feel less interchangeable with ordinary pet food and helps support repeat buying. Hill’s depends on dependable poultry, corn and soy, careful food making and evidence that earns veterinary trust across more than eighty countries.
Hill's Fresh Pet Food
In FY2025, Prime100 added about one point to Hill’s growth in products sold; refrigerated Science Diet rolls then began as a deliberately small July 2026 test. Watch cold-storage placement and repeat buying.
Competes with Freshpet refrigerated rolls and meals (Freshpet) · JustFoodForDogs prepared fresh food (JustFoodForDogs)
In plain English
The chilled cabinet changes almost everything. Prime100 brought Hill’s an Australian fresh-food brand in 2025, and refrigerated Science Diet dog-food rolls reached selected U.S. pet shops in July 2026. These products sit closer to prepared food than a long-lasting sack of dry food.
Owners buy through stores equipped to keep the food cold, so every sale depends on refrigerated transport, safe handling and limited cabinet space. Hill’s is learning whether shoppers will pay for the format and feed it repeatedly. Management deliberately kept the first Science Diet rollout small, making this a test of the route as much as the recipe.
Personal Care
Soap, body wash, deodorant, hair care and professional skin products generated about $3.46 billion in FY2025. Its portion of company sales had been shrinking before a bounce in the second quarter of 2026; watch whether that recovery holds.
Competes with Dove and Lifebuoy cleansing products (Unilever) · Safeguard, Old Spice and Secret personal care (Procter & Gamble)
In plain English
This is the shower-and-sink aisle: bars of soap, body wash, hand soap, deodorant and hair products under names such as Palmolive, Softsoap and Irish Spring. Professional skin-care products also live here, though they reach buyers through more specialized channels.
The money arrives as people use these affordable products up and replace them. Supermarkets, drugstores and online sellers choose the assortment and promotions; households use the products and return for more. Colgate-Palmolive has to balance price, package size and discounts against oil, fragrance and plastic costs without giving shoppers an easy reason to switch.
Skin Health
EltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga remain active after a $919 million FY2025 write-down caused by weaker performance, especially in China. Professional recommendations are the advantage; rebuilding demand is the test.
Competes with SkinCeuticals professional skin care (L'Oréal) · La Roche-Posay dermatologist-oriented skin care (L'Oréal) · Olay mass-market skin care (Procter & Gamble)
In plain English
A recommendation does much of the selling here. EltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga offer skin products through clinics, pharmacies and selected stores and websites, where a practitioner’s advice can carry more weight than an ordinary shelf display.
Patients and shoppers pay for the products, and the professional channel supplies trust and repeat visits. That only works when health claims are well supported and practitioners keep recommending the brands. Recent sales were weak enough—particularly in China—that Colgate-Palmolive sharply reduced what it said the business was worth, even though all three brands remain on sale.
Home Care
Dishwashing liquids, household cleaners and fabric conditioners generated about $3.26 billion in FY2025. This mature line held its company-sales share recently; watch affordable prices, promotions and the cost and availability of ingredients and packaging.
Competes with Dawn hand-dishwashing liquid (Procter & Gamble) · Pine-Sol and Formula 409 cleaners (Clorox) · Cif, Sunlight and Comfort home care (Unilever)
In plain English
After dinner, the plate soap, floor cleaner and fabric conditioner do quiet repeat business. Ajax, Fabuloso, Suavitel and other lines cover chores that return every week, so empty bottles naturally lead to replacement purchases.
Grocery chains, big retailers and online sellers place the orders, set promotions and decide which sizes get room. Households provide the steady underlying need. Colgate-Palmolive earns by keeping products available at prices people will accept, while managing the cost of cleaning ingredients, fragrance and packaging. When budgets tighten, shoppers can use less, wait for a discount or choose a cheaper alternative.
Oral CareToothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash and dentist-recommended products generated about $8.97 billion in FY2025. This is the largest engine and has been gaining share of company sales; watch whether shelf access and professional recommendations keep that going.Toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash and dentist-recommended products generated about $8.97 billion in FY2025. This is the largest engine and has been gaining share of company sales; watch whether shelf access and professional recommendations keep that going.
In plain English
Open a bathroom cabinet and this is the Colgate-Palmolive business most likely to be staring back: toothpaste, brushes and mouthwash used up a little at a time and replaced again and again. The company also sells products that dentists recommend for particular needs.
Households choose the product, but retailers and pharmacies place most orders and decide what gets shelf space. Advertising creates the pull; wide availability turns that demand into shipments. The model works when familiar brands, useful formulas and regular brushing keep people returning before a rival wins the next purchase.
Competes with Crest toothpaste and Oral-B brushes (Procter & Gamble) · Sensodyne and parodontax toothpastes (Haleon)
Colgate Total Active PreventionA three-product toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash routine began rolling out in late 2024 and early 2025. Watch whether wider shelf placement turns an initial launch into repeat purchases now that management talks about it less often.A three-product toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash routine began rolling out in late 2024 and early 2025. Watch whether wider shelf placement turns an initial launch into repeat purchases now that management talks about it less often.
In plain English
Instead of asking a shopper to pick one tube, Active Prevention offers a matched set for the whole brushing routine: toothpaste, a toothbrush and mouthwash. The toothpaste contains a form of fluoride kept stable so it can help with several common mouth-health needs.
Colgate-Palmolive gets paid as each piece moves through stores, while dentists can help make the routine feel worth adopting. The hard part comes after launch displays disappear: all three products need manufacturing, approved health claims and shelf space to line up, then households must keep replacing them rather than trying the set once.
Competes with Crest and Oral-B prevention routines (Procter & Gamble) · Sensodyne and parodontax sensitivity and gum care (Haleon)
Hill's Pet NutritionScience Diet and Prescription Diet produced $4.61 billion in FY2025 sales. This second engine has edged up as a share of company sales; watch whether consistent ingredients, health evidence and veterinarian trust keep it moving.Science Diet and Prescription Diet produced $4.61 billion in FY2025 sales. This second engine has edged up as a share of company sales; watch whether consistent ingredients, health evidence and veterinarian trust keep it moving.
In plain English
A bag of Hill’s is food, but part of the selling happens in the veterinary clinic. Science Diet covers everyday feeding; Prescription Diet is made for pets with particular health conditions and is often chosen with a veterinarian’s guidance.
Pet owners ultimately pay, while clinics, pet shops and online stores explain or deliver the product. That recommendation can make a bag feel less interchangeable with ordinary pet food and helps support repeat buying. Hill’s depends on dependable poultry, corn and soy, careful food making and evidence that earns veterinary trust across more than eighty countries.
Competes with Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets (Nestlé Purina) · Royal Canin Veterinary Nutrition (Mars)
Hill's Fresh Pet FoodIn FY2025, Prime100 added about one point to Hill’s growth in products sold; refrigerated Science Diet rolls then began as a deliberately small July 2026 test. Watch cold-storage placement and repeat buying.In FY2025, Prime100 added about one point to Hill’s growth in products sold; refrigerated Science Diet rolls then began as a deliberately small July 2026 test. Watch cold-storage placement and repeat buying.
In plain English
The chilled cabinet changes almost everything. Prime100 brought Hill’s an Australian fresh-food brand in 2025, and refrigerated Science Diet dog-food rolls reached selected U.S. pet shops in July 2026. These products sit closer to prepared food than a long-lasting sack of dry food.
Owners buy through stores equipped to keep the food cold, so every sale depends on refrigerated transport, safe handling and limited cabinet space. Hill’s is learning whether shoppers will pay for the format and feed it repeatedly. Management deliberately kept the first Science Diet rollout small, making this a test of the route as much as the recipe.
Competes with Freshpet refrigerated rolls and meals (Freshpet) · JustFoodForDogs prepared fresh food (JustFoodForDogs)
Personal CareSoap, body wash, deodorant, hair care and professional skin products generated about $3.46 billion in FY2025. Its portion of company sales had been shrinking before a bounce in the second quarter of 2026; watch whether that recovery holds.Soap, body wash, deodorant, hair care and professional skin products generated about $3.46 billion in FY2025. Its portion of company sales had been shrinking before a bounce in the second quarter of 2026; watch whether that recovery holds.
In plain English
This is the shower-and-sink aisle: bars of soap, body wash, hand soap, deodorant and hair products under names such as Palmolive, Softsoap and Irish Spring. Professional skin-care products also live here, though they reach buyers through more specialized channels.
The money arrives as people use these affordable products up and replace them. Supermarkets, drugstores and online sellers choose the assortment and promotions; households use the products and return for more. Colgate-Palmolive has to balance price, package size and discounts against oil, fragrance and plastic costs without giving shoppers an easy reason to switch.
Competes with Dove and Lifebuoy cleansing products (Unilever) · Safeguard, Old Spice and Secret personal care (Procter & Gamble)
Skin HealthEltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga remain active after a $919 million FY2025 write-down caused by weaker performance, especially in China. Professional recommendations are the advantage; rebuilding demand is the test.EltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga remain active after a $919 million FY2025 write-down caused by weaker performance, especially in China. Professional recommendations are the advantage; rebuilding demand is the test.
In plain English
A recommendation does much of the selling here. EltaMD, PCA SKIN and Filorga offer skin products through clinics, pharmacies and selected stores and websites, where a practitioner’s advice can carry more weight than an ordinary shelf display.
Patients and shoppers pay for the products, and the professional channel supplies trust and repeat visits. That only works when health claims are well supported and practitioners keep recommending the brands. Recent sales were weak enough—particularly in China—that Colgate-Palmolive sharply reduced what it said the business was worth, even though all three brands remain on sale.
Competes with SkinCeuticals professional skin care (L'Oréal) · La Roche-Posay dermatologist-oriented skin care (L'Oréal) · Olay mass-market skin care (Procter & Gamble)
Home CareDishwashing liquids, household cleaners and fabric conditioners generated about $3.26 billion in FY2025. This mature line held its company-sales share recently; watch affordable prices, promotions and the cost and availability of ingredients and packaging.Dishwashing liquids, household cleaners and fabric conditioners generated about $3.26 billion in FY2025. This mature line held its company-sales share recently; watch affordable prices, promotions and the cost and availability of ingredients and packaging.
In plain English
After dinner, the plate soap, floor cleaner and fabric conditioner do quiet repeat business. Ajax, Fabuloso, Suavitel and other lines cover chores that return every week, so empty bottles naturally lead to replacement purchases.
Grocery chains, big retailers and online sellers place the orders, set promotions and decide which sizes get room. Households provide the steady underlying need. Colgate-Palmolive earns by keeping products available at prices people will accept, while managing the cost of cleaning ingredients, fragrance and packaging. When budgets tighten, shoppers can use less, wait for a discount or choose a cheaper alternative.
Competes with Dawn hand-dishwashing liquid (Procter & Gamble) · Pine-Sol and Formula 409 cleaners (Clorox) · Cif, Sunlight and Comfort home care (Unilever)
Named in filings, launches and programs
- Colgate Optic WhiteBrandWhitening toothpaste and related oral-care products in the current U.S. range.
- elmexBrandAn oral-care name spanning toothpaste, manual toothbrushes and mouthwash.
- helloBrandA toothpaste-led oral-care brand with products alongside the core tube.
- Tom's of MaineBrandAn oral and personal-care brand sold through the geographic businesses.
- DarlieBrandA toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash brand connected to the Hawley & Hazel joint venture in China.
- PalmoliveBrandA cross-aisle name used for personal cleansing, hair care and hand dishwashing.
- SoftsoapBrandLiquid hand soap and shower products inside Personal Care.
- Irish SpringBrandBar soap and shower products that serve the everyday cleansing shelf.
- FabulosoBrandA household-cleaner line inside Home Care.
- SuavitelBrandA fabric-conditioner line inside Home Care.
- Hill's Prescription Diet ONC CareProduct lineCondition-specific food developed for pets with nutrition needs related to cancer.
- Hill's Food, Shelter & LoveCustomer programA shelter and adoption program that also introduces Hill’s food to new pet households.
- Walmart and affiliatesEcosystemThe only buyer above one-tenth of company sales, making shelf access important even in a globally spread business.
Colgate Optic WhiteBrand
Whitening toothpaste and related oral-care products in the current U.S. range.
elmexBrand
An oral-care name spanning toothpaste, manual toothbrushes and mouthwash.
helloBrand
A toothpaste-led oral-care brand with products alongside the core tube.
Tom's of MaineBrand
An oral and personal-care brand sold through the geographic businesses.
DarlieBrand
A toothpaste, toothbrush and mouthwash brand connected to the Hawley & Hazel joint venture in China.
PalmoliveBrand
A cross-aisle name used for personal cleansing, hair care and hand dishwashing.
SoftsoapBrand
Liquid hand soap and shower products inside Personal Care.
Irish SpringBrand
Bar soap and shower products that serve the everyday cleansing shelf.
FabulosoBrand
A household-cleaner line inside Home Care.
SuavitelBrand
A fabric-conditioner line inside Home Care.
Hill's Prescription Diet ONC CareProduct line
Condition-specific food developed for pets with nutrition needs related to cancer.
Hill's Food, Shelter & LoveCustomer program
A shelter and adoption program that also introduces Hill’s food to new pet households.
Walmart and affiliatesEcosystem
The only buyer above one-tenth of company sales, making shelf access important even in a globally spread business.