While other beauty categories like cosmetics saw a decline during the pandemic, oral care products saw an increase due to a heightened interest in elevated hygiene and self-care, partly due to the fact that people have been staring at their own teeth on daily Zoom meetings.
In the past, oral care was deemed boring. While a necessity for maintaining good oral hygiene, it was never viewed as anything more than that—until the last two years where oral care saw a revamp with cool and savvy products that focused on wellness and self-care. Here are the biggest oral care trends that are leading the rise in the oral care category.
Teeth Whitening
One of the most desirable characteristics of good oral hygiene is a set of pearly whites. Bright white teeth that are free from stains can help project confidence when you flash a dazzling smile, and it’s no wonder why teeth whitening products and services are among the most popular when it comes to oral care.
There are a few ways to go about the teeth whitening process though—for one, you could focus on stain removal and daily upkeep by polishing off surface stains caused by the consumption of wine, coffee, or tea.
One of the ingredients that can be used to remove surface stains can be charcoal, where Charcoal PN 94 and Covarine Charcoal P-WN 9794 can be added to the formula. Charcoal is able to detox and polish away stubborn stains and plaque for a brighter smile.
Just like how purple shampoo neutralizes brassiness and yellowness in the hair, the same concept can be applied to oral care. Toothpaste or mouthwash featuring purple pigments are able to balance out the yellow in teeth to help it look whiter. Sensient’s Unicert Violet K7025-J is able to perform this function perfectly. It’s a direct anionic dye with high purity grade that has improved water solubility, making it ideal for formulating in personal care products.
Skincare-inspired
Just like there are serums, masks, day/night creams for skin, oral care has taken a leaf out of the skincare book by introducing products with functions that we are so used to using on our faces. Products like ampoule tooth creams that contain malic acid helps to whiten teeth while simultaneously nixing bad breath, or teeth mask that dissolve to safely brighten teeth, and day and night toothpaste that are enriched with different ingredients—mint and lemon to freshen the breath in the day, and lavender and chamomile to soothe at night— for different times of the day. There are also products that hone in on gum care, strengthening it and preventing inflammation to restore and renew the gums.
Innovative textures
Rethink the way you view toothpaste and mouthwash with interesting textures like foam, powders, and gels. Shedding its skin as a boring product, toothpaste now don a new persona with fun colours and shimmer, while still maintaining its primary goal of oral hygiene.
Unicert dyes are a range of water soluble dyes that can lend mouthwash a colorful appearance, all while getting a transparent finish. Pair this with Covasorb DS or Sensisorb Biomim, color protectors which prevent the color from fading in water bases with no impact on the shade or fragrance in the formulation.
Additionally, Covasorb Dispersions can help create the stripes on toothpaste without the color bleeding. For a dash of shimmer, the Covapearl range, as well as Covapearl Star and Mini Star lines can give toothpaste a high lustre, pearly or metallic effect. Not forgetting its primary function, Covafresh and Covafresh IV gives a longer-lasting minty freshness which is stronger than menthol, so your breath stays fresh for much longer.
Going Green
The younger generation of consumers are strong advocates of organic, plant-based and vegan beauty—which naturally extends to oral care as well. Green beauty for oral care can come in the form of toothpaste bites which are easy to travel with, toothpaste bars or even toothpaste sticks that resemble sunscreen sticks. All of them are waterless products, which means it uses less water during its production process, making it more sustainable and less resource-intensive.
These “green toothpaste” can also contain natural ingredients like turmeric (an excellent anti-inflammatory ingredient), sea salt (which kills off bacteria and plaque), cocoa (a natural alternative to fluoride) and propolis (which has anti-bacterial and anti-septic properties).
Natpure Sol Crystal which made with natural ingredients, is an efficient solubilizer that works best for low-alcohol or alcohol-free products. It also has good compatibility with most preservatives and formula, and creates a stable and transparent solution.
These are just some examples of the innovations that surround the oral care category, which is fast becoming a tentpole in the beauty industry.
Contact us our experts at Sensient Beauty and find out how we can help you create the next big oral care product.
