Health & Beauty

ArjoHuntleigh Inc. Addison

Founded in 1957, medical equipment company Arjo made its mark with the first height-adjustable bathtub. Now a subsidiary of a Swedish medical technology company, it changed its name to ArjoHuntleigh Inc. in 2011.

Amazing Cosmetics Libertyville

Two working mothers with young children — Sue Katz and Lisa Thurman — founded Amazing Cosmetics in 1999. They have a store in Libertyville, where they also do designing and testing.

Faber Castell Elgin

The cosmetics firm, based in Germany, is opening its first American plant in Elgin, where it expects to employ 50 full-time workers. Though only 40 years old, the company traces its roots back to Kaspar Faber, who set up a pencil-making business in Nuremberg in 1761.

Gretta’s Goats Pecatonica

Owner Gretta Winkelbauer produces small batch-made farmstead cheeses, goat’s milk soaps, and laundry soap. Her farm also produces raw honey and pasture-raised chicken eggs.

Hydrox Laboratories Elgin

Hydrox started making hydrogen peroxide way back in 1913. Now, it’s a jack-of-all-trades manufacturer that produces more than 100 products, from hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol to a surgical instrument care line.

Hill-Rom Chicago

Once known mostly for hospital beds, Hill-Rom manufactures everything from patient lifts to cardiac monitoring to operating room equipment. The company says its products touch some 7 million patients daily.

Peoria Production Shop Peoria

The company provides a number of health care services in its 130,000-square-foot facility, but it’s best known for its colorful gait belts, used to safely transfer patients with mobility issues.

Scrub Me Chicago

Founder Katherine Heinze used her background as an esthetician to create a plant-based skincare line. Her products include soaps, scrubs, and whipped butter.

Serious Lip Balm Springfield, Jacksonville

Never mind their name, the folks at Serious Lip Balm aren’t so serious after all. They offer 50-plus scents — ranging from bacon to champagne to white chocolate. PB&J, anyone? Sangria?

Silver Prairie Natural Soap Company Woodstock

Silver Prairie makes its products from scratch, including goat milk from the company’s own herd, in the production of its artisan soap.

Vyaire Medical Mettawa

This medical device maker formed in October 2016. It manufactures and markets some 27,000 different medical products, including face masks, ventilators and blood pressure monitors.

Wahl Clipper Corporation Sterling

Founded in 1919 on the strength of Leo J. Wahl’s patent for an electromagnetic hair clipper, Wahl has innovated grooming technology for nearly a century. The company introduced the first vacuum clipper, cordless and rechargeable soldering iron, and cordless consumer beard and mustache trimmer.