innovate arkansas

Balm Innovations, LLC of Little Rock announced today that its newest product, Omnibalm Daily Foot Therapy, has hit the shelves of stores in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The product is a cream for general and diabetic foot care that helps keep feet healthy and moisturized and shoes smelling fresh, according to a press release from the company. It is being sold in 97 USA Drug, Super D, Drug Warehouse, May's Drug, Med-X Drug and Ike's stores

"It's exciting to realize that we began just a few years ago in a UAMS laboratory and now we're in stores all throughout the South," said Lydia Carson, president and CEO of Balm Innovations. "Our expansion is a testament to how well Omnibalm creams work for our customers, and there's no doubt that Omnibalm Daily Foot Therapy will produce great results for all who use the product."

The cream was developed by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences pharmaceutical researcher Bill Gurley, who serves as the company's chief science officer. It combines moisturizers with a high concentration of tea tree oil that softens and helps repair dry, cracked skin, according to the company.

"Tea tree oil provides antiseptic and antifungal properties to the cream," Gurley said. "We tend to put a lot of stress on our feet during the summer, so it's important to give them the attention they need. Omnibalm Daily Foot Therapy helps keep feet healthy and smooth in a non-greasy, fast absorbing cream."

The company's initial offering, Omnibalm, is a topical cream based on a formula also developed by Gurley. Seeking relief from a severe sunburn, Gurley created Omnibalm more than 15 years ago after discovering the capabilities of tea tree oil. 

Balm Innovations, a client of Innovate Arkansas, was formed in 2004 when Carson, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock student studying for her MBA, partnered with Gurley to participate in the 2004 Governor's Award for Entrepreneurial Development business plan competition.

Balm Innovations is one of 17 UAMS BioVentures startups licensed to take UAMS' inventions from the laboratory to the marketplace.