Natural, Plant-Based Formulas Drive Oral Care Product Sales

Image consciousness is driving sales within the European oral care market. Brands continue to take inspiration from other beauty and personal care categories to create innovative and engaging products. Although global brands and private label brands dominate, new launches from small independent brands are gaining ground among European consumers seeking natural plant-based and sustainable alternatives.

The European oral care market is in good shape and currently estimated to be worth $12.3 billion in 2021, up 4.8% from 2020, according to the latest GlobalData research. Further growth of 3.9% is anticipated for 2022, reflecting consumers’ concern over taking care of their oral health. This is most evident in the largest oral care markets: Germany ($2.3 billion), France ($1.4 billion) and the UK ($1.4 billion). In 2022, Germany is expected to grow by 5.0%, France by 2.8% and the UK by 3.0%, according to estimates from GlobalData.

European consumers are generally most receptive to products made by global multinational brands, followed by private label products and then those made by small independent brands, noted Lia Neophytou, senior analyst, GlobalData.

“The consumer perception that established multinationals are trustworthy producers of effective formulations may be driving this preference,” she observed.


Crossover Trends

Charcoal is moving into mainstream toothpastes with iterations from most leading brands, including Colgate. It is an example of how oral care brand owners look to other beauty markets to engage with consumers already familiar with ingredients—charcoal is a popular ingredient used in face cleansers and masks. Skin care terminology, such as “detox whitening,” is also creeping into oral care nomenclature. For example, Unilever’s Love Beauty and Planet Detox Whitening toothpaste is a natural formulation based on activated charcoal to help lift stains and impart shine to teeth.

Another crossover trend with skin care is the inclusion of prebiotics in toothpastes, led by French skin microbiome experts, Gallinée. Its new toothpaste and supplement is formulated to support the existing mouth bacteria ecosystem while gently and efficiently cleansing and caring for the teeth and mouth. Unlike traditional formulations, which Gallinée Founder Marie Drago claims provide an overly sanitized approach to oral care, its products use ingredients not usually found in oral care products, including prebiotics, probiotics, vitamin D3 and B8. On the company website, Drago describes the products as “a category all by itself.”

The two Gallinée products are designed to be used together: a “mouth and microbiome” tablet supplement that dissolves in the mouth, followed by a prebiotic toothpaste formulated with superfine polishing clays and powders to help cleanse teeth and reduce plaque buildup.


Natural Formulations

The growing number of natural and plant-based formulations is evident in GlobalData’s Q3 2021 Consumer Survey Results – Europe.

“In fact, 84% of European consumers find the ‘natural’ claim appealing in personal care products, while 71% find the ‘plant-based’ claim appealing,” said Neophytou.

She cited One Drop Only Naturals, an Austrian toothpaste brand formulated with organic mint and organic aloe vera.

“Aloe vera is an established ingredient in the beauty and grooming space which will assist its expansion into the oral hygiene sector among consumers already familiar with its benefits,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Colgate tapped into natural ingredients for two of its toothpaste variants on the European market. For example, Colgate Hemp Seed Oil toothpaste is available in Romania. The inclusion of hemp by such a large brand could help expansion into the oral hygiene sector. Colgate Energizing Vitamin Cocktail Toothpaste launched in Russia and include fresh fruit extracts including lemon peel oil.

“This launch stands to benefit from the surging consumer interest in citrus fruits for their immunity-boosting credentials,” observed Neophytou.

Another Colgate brand, Hello, recently entered the UK. Hello includes toothpastes, toothpaste tablets and mouthwash with a vegan, leaping bunny certified formulation, no artificial sweeteners, flavors, colorants or sulfates.

“I was spotting ingredients in other oral care products like saccharin, which also appear in diet sodas and have been banned in hand soap,” recalled Hello Founder Craig Dubitsky. “Hello is all about using natural ingredients that are friendly to our bodies and teeth.”

Hello Activated Charcoal Mouthwash contains activated charcoal made from sustainable bamboo and features xylitol, coconut oil and tea tree oil.


Toothpaste Tablet Trends

Several smaller independent oral care brands include toothpaste tablets within their lineups, reflecting the trend for solid, water-free formats, according to industry observers. Tablets appeal to consumers who want to reduce the amount of packaging waste their products generate, as well as those looking for a convenient product to use when out and about.

“As this solid format offers both sustainability and convenience credentials, consumers may buy into it as it is well-suited to the travel/holiday occasion,” states Neophytou, although she warns that the practice of chewing a toothpaste tablet before brushing is a new behavior that consumers might be reluctant to try initially.

Smyle is a Netherlands-based brand founded by three friends whose mission is to avoid the 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes that end up in our oceans and landfills. The website states: “Due to the different layers of plastic in a tube, sometimes surrounding a thin layer of aluminium, recycling is technically and economically (virtually) impossible. The toothpaste industry wants to gradually switch to recyclable tubes in the coming years, but that doesn’t stop the CO2 emissions from the production of plastic tubes and the remaining 1.5 billion tubes that get lost in our environment.”

Smyle Toothpaste Tabs are made from natural ingredients, are free from microplastics, allergens and gluten and are also vegan and cruelty free. They do foam, due to the natural coco oil extract, and can be used with both electric and manual toothbrushes; they are packaged in glass storage bottles that can be refilled from cardboard/paper packs.

Other toothbrush tab launches include Hello toothpaste tablets formulated with natural peppermint, tea tree oil and coconut oil; t-brush chewable vegan toothpaste tablets come in four variants: spearmint, orange, charcoal and strawberry, and feature 100% compostable packaging.

European consumers are becoming savvier about the ingredients used in oral care products and whether packaging can be disposed of safely and sustainably. These factors will drive future category sales.

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Imogen Matthews
Headington, Oxford UK
+44 1865 764918
www.imogenmatthews.co.uk
 
Imogen Matthews is a respected consultant, journalist and researcher who commentates on trends in the beauty industry. She regularly contributes to many of the world’s foremost beauty trade titles, has served on the Board of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW UK) and won the prestigious Cosmetic Executive (UK) Achiever Award. Founded by Imogen in 1993, The Premium Market Report remains the only in-depth report to examine trends in the premium cosmetics, skincare and fragrance industry.