Tom's of Maine's Activated Charcoal Toothpaste shakes up oral care
Tom’s of Maine is looking to shake up the oral care category with its latest innovation — Activated Charcoal Toothpaste. Made with sustainably sourced, plant-based charcoal, the product aims to gently whiten teeth and freshen breath with its peppermint flavor.
Brand executives said the new toothpaste represented a logical next step given the popularity of charcoal in the past year across the beauty and personal care space. Tom's of Maine officials said that before including charcoal in a product in its portfolio, they needed to first prove that it — along with other included ingredients — served a purpose and was safe.
“It took years to formulate our new Activated Charcoal Toothpaste because, while there are many charcoal ingredients on the market, we needed to find ones that met the requirements of our stewardship model, the rigorous standards we set for natural, sustainable and responsible that drives all of our decisions,” said Lindsey Seavey, oral care brand Manager at Tom’s of Maine. “And developing a charcoal toothpaste really put this practice to the test in every aspect — it has to be safe on enamel, offer effective whitening and we have to source the charcoal sustainably along with all the other ingredients.”
In addition to freshening breath, the toothpaste also fights cavities, is safe for the enamel and fights tartar buildup and is available in fluoride and fluoride-free options.
“Charcoal in oral care is a relatively new frontier so this meant extensive research because we weren’t going to release this until we were absolutely sure it delivered the promised benefits and was safe for everyday use,” Seavey added.
To spread the word about its new product, Tom’s of Maine will be kicking off a social media campaign that will encourage users to feel confident in choosing its products. In addition, it also will highlight how gentle its ingredients and products are.
Although there is a chance the brand might add charcoal to other personal care items, within the next year, Tom’s of Maine will be experimenting with different technologies and bring even more items to shelves, officials said.
Tom’s of Maine Activated Charcoal Toothpaste is not tested on animals, does not contains SLS, artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives and comes packaged in fully recyclable packaging through its TerraCycle collection program.
The toothpaste will be sold on the shelves of retailers who currently carry the brand's products, where it retails for $5.99.
Brand executives said the new toothpaste represented a logical next step given the popularity of charcoal in the past year across the beauty and personal care space. Tom's of Maine officials said that before including charcoal in a product in its portfolio, they needed to first prove that it — along with other included ingredients — served a purpose and was safe.
“It took years to formulate our new Activated Charcoal Toothpaste because, while there are many charcoal ingredients on the market, we needed to find ones that met the requirements of our stewardship model, the rigorous standards we set for natural, sustainable and responsible that drives all of our decisions,” said Lindsey Seavey, oral care brand Manager at Tom’s of Maine. “And developing a charcoal toothpaste really put this practice to the test in every aspect — it has to be safe on enamel, offer effective whitening and we have to source the charcoal sustainably along with all the other ingredients.”
In addition to freshening breath, the toothpaste also fights cavities, is safe for the enamel and fights tartar buildup and is available in fluoride and fluoride-free options.
“Charcoal in oral care is a relatively new frontier so this meant extensive research because we weren’t going to release this until we were absolutely sure it delivered the promised benefits and was safe for everyday use,” Seavey added.
To spread the word about its new product, Tom’s of Maine will be kicking off a social media campaign that will encourage users to feel confident in choosing its products. In addition, it also will highlight how gentle its ingredients and products are.
Although there is a chance the brand might add charcoal to other personal care items, within the next year, Tom’s of Maine will be experimenting with different technologies and bring even more items to shelves, officials said.
Tom’s of Maine Activated Charcoal Toothpaste is not tested on animals, does not contains SLS, artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives and comes packaged in fully recyclable packaging through its TerraCycle collection program.
The toothpaste will be sold on the shelves of retailers who currently carry the brand's products, where it retails for $5.99.