In the first four months of 2025, Russians purchased 10.1 million packs of sea water-based products on the retail market [1], spending 4.9 billion rubles (in retail prices, including VAT). Compared to the same period in 2024, sales of this category grew by 7.2% in monetary terms and by 1.8% in physical units. According to the database “Audit of retail sales of medicines in Russia (total sell out)” of the analytical company RNC Pharma, a total of 26.6 million packs of such products worth 12.5 billion rubles were purchased at retail in 2024. As compared to 2023, sales in packs increased by 2%, while the ruble volume grew significantly (+15.2%).

It is noteworthy that products for rinsing and irrigation of the nasal cavity and throat with sea water are sold not only in the pharmacy segment, but also in the e-com channel. Every year the share of online sales of such products grows, for example, if in 2022 online accounted for only 2% of natural consumption, in January-April 2025 it will be more than 5%.

Demand for the analyzed category predominantly reaches high values in the autumn-winter period, and the peak is most often observed in December. Last year, the maximum figures were recorded in September, when almost 2.8 million packs were purchased for the amount of 1.3 billion rubles.

In the reporting period 34 brands of similar products from 29 companies were presented in retail. In total, there were 155 SKU in the category. The maximum expenditures of Russians were incurred by the brand Aqualor from Nizhpharm (share in rubles 44.3%). The second position in the ranking is held by Aqua Maris from the Croatian company Jadran (32.3%). Cumulatively, these products accounted for 77% of the group's monetary volume. Linakva from the domestic manufacturer Grotex holds the third rank, in the reporting period the brand accounted for 14.4% of value sales.

In the analyzed period, products in the top ten demonstrated a significant increase in ruble sales volume. The maximum figures were recorded for the German product Aspecton from Krevel - over the year, spending on this medicine increased 23 times, and natural consumption grew 26 times. The colossal growth is due to the fact that the brand appeared on the Russian retail market relatively recently (in early 2023). The Rinostop Aqua brand from the Russian OTC Pharm can also be singled out; in relation to January-April, the dynamics was recorded at +91% in rubles and 87% in packs.

Among the participants of the top ten, a decrease in sales in rubles was recorded for Linakva brand from Grotex (-20%). However, Grotex actively produces such products for its partners on a contract basis, in particular, it produces a number of SKU brands: Akvazivin, Nosifit, Rinostop and Dr. Lor. Outside the top, Physiomer from Belgian company Omega-Bittner showed a noticeable decline, its sales decreased by 72% in monetary terms and by 80% in natural terms over the year.

We did not include in this review nasal rinsing devices that require self-preparation of solution, in particular, such products are available in Aqua Maris (Jadran) and Dolphin from Zentiva. At the same time, these products play an important role in the market, in particular, Dolphin line in 2024 provided sales in the retail market in the amount of 1.25 billion rubles, compared to 2023 sales increased by 18.4%. High dynamics remains in the current year (+20% to January-April 2024), for the first 4 months of the current year sales amounted to 549 million rubles.

Tab. TOP-10 brands of sea water-based nasal and throat rinses and irrigants by volume of monetary sales in the Russian retail market in January-April 2025.

[1] all products in the form of aerosols, sprays and drops for washing and irrigation of the nose and throat containing sea water and sodium chloride registered as medicines, medical devices and cosmetics were analyzed