For thousands of years, treatments for rashes and skin irritations had more to do with tradition and guess work than actual effectiveness. Some of those methods included horse-hide creams bathing in salt water and honey or even sometimes wine… needless to say, none of these methods were particularly effective. This trend of trial and error continued up to and throughout the 19th century until a druggist and inventor named Max Riese decided to do something about it. In the back room of his pharmacy in Rhöndorf, he devised a protective formula derived from sheep’s wool that not only soothed irritation but was also gentle enough for a baby’s tender skin. On September 17, 1904, the proud inventor registers the "Skin Preservative PENATEN® Cream" at the Patent Office in Berlin and just like that, PENATEN® was born. Since then, PENATEN® has become a treatment for diaper rash trusted by millions around the world to instantly soothe, heal and protect their skin and their baby’s skin from rashes and irritation.