Carmex
Last verified: April 2026
Read our full verification: Is Carmex Made in USA?Verification Summary
American Score
Manufacturing Location
Franklin, WI
Headquarters
Franklin, WI
Founded
1937
Products Verified
11 products
Evidence Breakdown
Factory Location Specificity
Specific factory city identified
Website Claim
Brand website explicitly claims Made in USA
Manufacturing History
20+ years of USA manufacturing
Known Overseas Production
No known overseas production
Verification Notes
All lip balm products manufactured in Franklin, WI since 1937. Family-owned, single-facility production. Iconic American lip care brand.
Last verified: April 2026
Carmex has been manufacturing products in Franklin, WI since 1937. We carry 11 verified American-made Carmex products.
Heritage & History
Carmex was created in 1937 by Alfred Woelbing, a Milwaukee-area entrepreneur who developed the formula in his home kitchen and initially sold it from the trunk of his car to local drugstores. The distinctive yellow jar with its paper label became recognizable across the Midwest, and the medicated formula — combining menthol, camphor, salicylic acid, and cocoa butter — proved effective enough to generate word-of-mouth growth without significant advertising for decades.
The Woelbing family grew the business through three generations, maintaining private ownership while building Carmex into one of the best-known lip care brands in the United States. The product expanded from the original pot to squeeze tubes and stick formats while the core formula remained essentially unchanged from Alfred's original recipe. Today Carmex is sold in over 30 countries, a remarkable reach for a product that started in a Wisconsin kitchen nearly 90 years ago.
Made in Franklin, Wisconsin
Carmex is manufactured in Franklin, Wisconsin, a suburb south of Milwaukee where the company has been based for generations. The Franklin facility produces the full range of Carmex products — the original pot, squeeze tubes, and stick formats — all using the medicated formula that has not fundamentally changed since Alfred Woelbing developed it in 1937.
Family ownership spanning three generations has kept decision-making rooted in the Wisconsin operation rather than distributed across a multinational corporation. That stability has allowed Carmex to maintain its manufacturing base and formula integrity without the reformulation pressure that often accompanies brand acquisitions. The original jar, still sold today with packaging that echoes its Depression-era origins, connects the current product directly to Alfred Woelbing's kitchen experiments — a continuity of place and purpose rare in American consumer goods.
Quick Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carmex made in the USA?
Yes. Carmex manufactures 11 verified products in Franklin, WI. Carmex has been made in Franklin, Wisconsin since 1937, when Alfred Woelbing mixed the original medicated lip balm formula in his kitchen and began selling it from the trunk of his car.
Where is Carmex manufactured?
Carmex is headquartered in Franklin, WI. Manufacturing takes place in Franklin, WI.
What Carmex products can I buy?
We carry 11 verified Carmex products across Health & Personal Care. Every listing links directly to Amazon with verified American manufacturing.
When was Carmex founded?
Carmex was founded in 1937. Carmex has been made in Franklin, Wisconsin since 1937, when Alfred Woelbing mixed the original medicated lip balm formula in his kitchen and began selling it from the trunk of his car.
Does Carmex ship from Amazon?
Yes, all Carmex products listed here are available on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.