Colgate-Palmolive makes personal care products, household products, pet products, and more. Some of its many recognizable brands include Ajax, Irish Spring, Tom’s of Maine, Softsoap, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Science Diet, and of course, Colgate and Palmolive products. 

Founded in 1806 in New York City, and still headquartered there, this mammoth multinational began as a simple soaps, candles, and starches store—which didn’t introduce scented soaps until 1866. In 1896, Colgate & Company sold the first toothpaste in a tube, Colgate’s Ribbon Dental Cream. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, around 1864, the B.J. Johnson Soap Company began production in Milwaukee, WI, and in 1898, introduced Palmolive Soap, which originally did contain both olive and palm oils. By 1900, Palmolive was the world’s best-selling soap. In 1926, Palmolive m...