Who Makes Cottonelle Toilet Paper

Cottonelle toilet paper is made by Kimberly Clark, the same American company behind Kleenex tissues, Huggies diapers, and Scott paper products.

Kimberly Clark has manufactured paper products since 1872, when the company was founded in Neenah, Wisconsin, making it one of the oldest paper companies still operating in the United States today.

What surprises many American shoppers, according to Wikipedia, is that Cottonelle is not sold under the same name everywhere. In the United Kingdom the identical product line is sold as Andrex, in Italy it appears as Scottonelle, and in South Africa it is marketed as Baby Soft, all owned by the same parent company.

In this article we will look at who makes Cottonelle, when it was founded, where it is manufactured, what makes it different, why Kimberly Clark also owns rival brand Scott, and whether Cottonelle is worth buying.

Who Makes Cottonelle Toilet Paper?

Cottonelle is manufactured and owned directly by Kimberly Clark, a multinational personal care and paper products company headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Kimberly Clark produces Cottonelle at its own paper mills rather than outsourcing production to third party contractors, giving the company direct control over quality across its supply chain.

This vertical control also lets Kimberly Clark respond quickly to shifts in raw material costs or consumer demand, adjusting production across its network of mills rather than waiting on outside suppliers.

Beyond toilet paper, Kimberly Clark also owns Kleenex facial tissue, Huggies diapers, and Scott brand paper products, making it one of the largest paper and hygiene product companies in the world.

When Was Cottonelle Founded?

Cottonelle traces back to Kimberly Clark, which was founded in 1872 in Neenah, Wisconsin, originally as a paper manufacturing partnership.

The Cottonelle brand itself was developed later as part of Kimberly Clark’s expansion into bathroom tissue, positioned to compete directly with brands like Charmin.

Over time Cottonelle grew into an international brand, expanding under different names into markets across Europe, Africa, and beyond.

Today Cottonelle remains one of Kimberly Clark’s flagship bathroom tissue lines in the United States.

The brand has also expanded into moist flushable wipes and other bathroom care products, reflecting how far the line has grown beyond its original single roll offering.

Where Is Cottonelle Made?

Cottonelle toilet paper is manufactured at Kimberly Clark paper mills located across the United States.

Kimberly Clark operates numerous production facilities domestically and internationally, allowing it to supply Cottonelle to American retailers while also producing the same underlying product under regional names abroad.

Because Kimberly Clark owns its manufacturing directly, the company can more easily standardize quality control across its various tissue paper brands.

That level of manufacturing scale is difficult for smaller regional paper companies to match, which helps explain why a handful of giant corporations dominate the American toilet paper market.

What Makes Cottonelle Different?

Cottonelle has built its identity around a cleaner, more textured sheet compared to the plush cushioned feel that competitors like Charmin emphasize.

Some shoppers specifically seek out Cottonelle because they find heavily cushioned tissue less effective, preferring a firmer sheet that still feels gentle on skin.

The brand also markets flushable wipes alongside its toilet paper lineup, positioning Cottonelle as a broader bathroom care brand rather than just a tissue paper maker.

Kimberly Clark has periodically reformulated Cottonelle to improve strength and softness, keeping the brand competitive against both name brand and store brand rivals.

These updates typically roll out gradually across different pack sizes, so shoppers may notice slightly different packaging language even while buying what is essentially the same core product.

Cottonelle vs Scott: Why Does Kimberly Clark Make Both?

Kimberly Clark owns both Cottonelle and Scott toilet paper, two brands that compete directly against each other on the same store shelves.

This is a common strategy among massive consumer goods companies, since offering multiple brands at different price points lets Kimberly Clark capture shoppers across the entire market rather than losing budget conscious buyers to a competitor entirely.

Cottonelle typically sits at a slightly higher price point marketed around comfort, while Scott has traditionally focused on value and efficient, no frills rolls, a distinction covered in more detail in our overview of who makes toilet paper generally.

Having two competing brands under one roof also protects Kimberly Clark from losing shelf space entirely if a retailer decides to favor a value focused line over a premium one during a given sales cycle.

Is Cottonelle Worth Buying?

Cottonelle is generally well reviewed for its balance of softness and strength, making it a reliable middle ground option for most households.

It typically costs more than store brand alternatives like Kirkland Signature, so budget focused shoppers may prefer a private label option instead.

That said, many households consider the consistent quality and wide availability of Cottonelle worth paying a little extra for, especially since it is stocked in nearly every major grocery and drugstore chain.

For shoppers who specifically dislike the very plush feel of Charmin, Cottonelle’s official product lineup offers a genuinely different texture worth trying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes Cottonelle toilet paper?

Cottonelle is made by Kimberly Clark, the same company that owns Kleenex, Huggies, and Scott brand paper products.

Is Cottonelle the same as Andrex?

Yes. Andrex is the name Kimberly Clark uses to sell the same Cottonelle product line in the United Kingdom.

Where is Cottonelle toilet paper manufactured?

Cottonelle is manufactured at Kimberly Clark owned paper mills across the United States.

Is Cottonelle better than Charmin?

Neither brand is objectively better since they use different sheet textures. Cottonelle offers a more textured feel while Charmin emphasizes plush cushioning, so preference comes down to personal taste.