Pitralon F, aftershave with vitamin F, 100 ml

Czech men have been using it since 1920, even in the 1950s it was used with the slogan – With men, Pitralon sets the tone. It regularly appeared under the Christmas tree or at the birthday cake of many men, probably not just because of its qualities, but also because the market offered little else or only in limited quantities. For the older generation, “pitralon” is still synonymous with any after shave, regardless of whether it says Adidas, Boss, or Gillette on the bottle. The brand has also penetrated popular speech as a saying - about insistent individuals, it is said “he’s pestering like pitralon”.

But let's return to the history of this product and brand. Although Pitralon was already produced during the First Republic, Setuza began to produce after shave with this name only in 1951 – at that time, the state transferred the rights to the trademarks of the confiscated German company from Podmokel to Setuza, which, like the toothpaste Odol, produced Pitralon after shave. The version from Setuza copied the composition and packaging of the original Pitralon, and only small changes have occurred since then; the base remains 75 percent alcohol, glycerin, water, and perfume, with the modern addition being only vitamin E, which generally benefits the skin.

The high alcohol content also led to a completely different kind of use than originally intended – reportedly, pitralon was flavored with fruity vitacit (by the way, also a well-known brand of its time) and thus became an improvised and accessible drink, especially for military conscripts.

Later, a shaving cream under the Pitralon brand was also included in production, but it seems that pitralon will fade away – in the 1990s, Setuza made an attempt and launched the innovated Pitralon Sensitiv line for the younger generation. It did not catch on; pitralon is simply a generational matter and is sought after by customers around sixty and older – there is tremendous inertia here.

Nevertheless, even today you can order Pitralon F after shave or foaming shaving cream enhanced with silicone oil online, and where global brands operate in the hundreds, the modest pitralon gets by with tens. We will see if the invisible but functioning “hand of the market” will throw this after shave into the dustbin of history, and our children will not even understand the saying “he’s pestering like pitralon”.