EU regulation against single use plastics
If you haven’t heard of the long-anticipated EU ban of single-use plastic, you have some catching up to do. It was approved in the first Q of 2019 and it states that single-use plastic items will be banned for production by 2021. And here we are…
This year we’ll have to see ecological friendly alternatives of plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, straws, cotton buds, balloon sticks, food containers, and our favorite - polystyrene cups.
This measure comes in a bundle of legislative activities aiming to fight the industrial effects of climate change. It is part of the Juncker Commission's Circular Economy Action Plan and is part of the EU Plastics Strategy. We agree that those steps are belated, to say the least, since scientists have been alarming governments for decades. However, the new standards include higher company responsibility and more precise monitoring of industrial polluters.
Starting from this year all EU states will have to achieve a target of 90% collection of plastic bottles that end up in the recycle bin, by 2029, and newly produced plastic bottles will have to contain at least 25% of recycled material by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
Nordics are whistling carefree while our mouthwash bottles are produced from 100% recycled plastic from day one. Furthermore, Nordics was one of the pioneers introducing bamboo drinking straws for the European market.
Let’s get back to the legislative novelties. The expected outcomes from this ecological measure are to lessen the CO2 emission by 3.4 million tons, to avoid an ecological footprint that would cost the equivalent of €22 billion by 2030, and to save consumers a projected €6.5 billion.
The other important side of it is the “the polluter pays” principle. This means that every company should pay an equal price for the direct and indirect pollution it makes, including CO2. Actually, this is part of the 1992 Rio Declaration, a guide with general principles for sustainability.
Part of the new policy is targeting consumer education and consumer behavior. By mandatory labeling for packaging, users will be warned of the environmental damage they would cause by disposing of products incorrectly. For example many western countries and retailers' own brands have been doing this for quite some time now, uptaking the heavy task of consumer teaching.
Nordics’ products are born from the sustainability concept. We are passionate supporters of the principle "reduce, reuse, recycle". That's why our products are saving the Planet and satisfying the most pretentious consumer needs since 2015. But as we can see from the new EU law - it's a shared mission of manufacturers and consumers.
Probiotics and their promising benefits to oral health
What are probiotics? First, let’s define that. Probiotics are essentially microorganisms such as bacteria which are beneficial for you, especially for your digestive system. While bacteria are considered an enemy to the human body, there are a lot of harmless microorganisms whose presence can be highly beneficial to various functions in our organisms. It is estimated that there are 39-300 trillion bacteria existing in the human body, and the majority is linked to health benefits such as improved digestion, healthy skin, enhanced immune system, resulting in fewer chances of some diseases and weight loss.
What are the types of probiotics? Most often, probiotics regard bacteria, but there are other types of microorganisms, such as yeasts that can be classified as probiotics. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are two of the most common and effective probiotic bacterial strains. They can be found in supplements and foods prepared by bacterial fermentation. Examples of probiotic foods are yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh, and kimchi. All bacteria contain various strains which address a different human function, so medical expert guidance is advised to ensure the safe consumption of the right probiotic for each individual.
Probiotics in oral care products
Traditionally, studies regarding the health benefits of probiotics were exclusive to the digestive system. However, the scientific breakthroughs of the last decade have revealed that probiotics can improve oral health as well.
Nordics’ Innovation
True to our promise towards innovative dental care, Nordics recently introduced a new toothpaste with the first processed probiotic dedicated to oral care, called SymReboot™ OC by Symrise. It is a COSMOS-approved ingredient, chosen for its effectiveness to promote a healthy microbiome and consequently enhance oral health. Its revolutionary benefits include:
➢ Maintaining the oral cavity's natural defenses and promotes healthy microflora.
➢ Enhancing gum health and strengthening the oral cavity barrier.
➢ Protecting against toxic microorganisms and soothes the gums.
➢ Having the capacity to be applied to a variety of oral care products, notably toothpaste, mouthwash, gum care, and lozenges.
Our brand new Nordics Kids toothpaste Strawberry Splash Probiotic contains SymReboot™ OC probiotic, Xylitol and is also fluoride-free, making it safe for our little friends. It’s suitable for kids of all ages and recommended for young kids with sensitive teeth or those who simply look for the best care possible for their oral health.
Oral care probiotics include living and healthy microorganisms, identical to the beneficial ones naturally existing in the oral cavity. Their presence there aims to restore a healthy balance of the microbiome and prevent the bacteria buildup, which is known to cause damage to the teeth and gums. Specifically, when the probiotics enter the oral cavity, they attach to the aggregate of the existing bacteria. Then, they stick on the surface of the teeth and penetrate the gingival sulcus, which is the meeting point of the teeth and the gums. Their role encompasses minimizing the risk of pathogens, exacerbated by high-sugar and processed foods, and preventing dental plaque formation, other dental diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, and further, severe health issues.
According to studies, the benefits of probiotics in oral health include:
1) Cavity and plaque prevention. Among the various types of bacteria in the oral cavity, there are some which are harmful. For example, Streptococcus mutans is one of them because it turns sugar into lactic acid, creating the ideal environment for plaque and tooth decay formation. A study conducted in 2016 revealed that a specific strain of a “good” bacteria called A12 can hinder the development of S. mutans and effectively prevent plaque buildup.
2) Halitosis or bad breath elimination. Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath due to the “bad” bacteria presence in the mouth and gut. It’s not considered a disease, but it is a discomfort which can reveal underlying dental infections and inflammations. Based on a study, the use of an antimicrobial mouthwash and supplements of the probiotic Streptococcus salivarius was 85% effective in reducing significantly the number of bacteria responsible for halitosis.
3) Oral disease treatment. The focus point of the first studies was the determination of the probiotics as an effective treatment in dental diseases like periodontitis and gingivitis. A specific strain from L. acidophilus successfully treated patients with various periodontal issues and this raised the interest for further research and examination of this particular bacteria type. Other probiotic strains have improved gum health by dramatically decreasing gum bleeding and inflammation.
The future of oral care probiotics
The use of probiotics in dental care products has already shown great potential in maintaining excellent oral health. Oral probiotics can restore the balance of the beneficial bacteria in the mouth, which may diminish due to poor nutrition, bad habits like smoking, stress, medication, chronic illnesses, and other factors. Dental practitioners claim that the daily use of probiotic supplements or dental products, combined with routine prophylaxis and periodontal therapy, has the capacity to enhance the microbiome in your mouth.
The increasing trend towards preventive measures is fueled by both governments, in their effort to cut down healthcare costs, and consumers, in their desire to have more control over their health. Therefore, a lot of dental companies turn to new technology and innovative techniques to incorporate probiotic toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products for all ages and address consumers’ pain points such as sensitive teeth, irritated gums, and bad breath.
Sources:
https://www.dentalproductsreport.com/view/oral-care-probiotics-supplement-overall-health-practices
https://www.healthline.com/health/oral-probiotics
https://www.healthline.com/health/oral-probiotics
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897872/
Recyclable tubes- a major step to sustainability
There was one major ecological problem related to toothpaste tubes and that was that they are just not recyclable. That is due to the fine aluminum layer inside the plastic tube that protects the flavor from escaping during the long shelf-life of the product. The two types of materials are inseparable agglutinated to one another that dooms the annual use of 400M toothpaste tubes to lay in the landfills.
That’s not all. The most common plastic materials in the oral care industry are extracted from fossils which are finite resources and the manufacturing process is, as we all know, very polluting. Petroleum quantities are diminishing with only 1/4th of the current consumption actually being provided through extraction. Growing consumer concerns and governmental legislation about plastic and waste are the tipping points that have to make companies reorganize their production.
Being the innovators in the sector, Nordics turned the standard way of manufacturing toothpaste inside out. At the end of 2020, the company introduced its first toothpaste tube made entirely from bioplastic (polymerized sugar cane). Bio-plastics are using renewable plant-based resources like potatoes, vegetable fats, and oils, corn starch, cellulose from trees and straw.
Nordics uses 100% sugar cane for the production its toothpaste tubes. Sugar cane polyethylene has the same properties as petrochemical polyethylene which means that the preservation of the toothpaste flavor, moisture, density, and effects are securely shielded.
Another very important benefit of bio-based polymers is that they make a really low CO2 footprint. The reasons for this are 1) they prevent petrol extraction from the Earth, 2) sugar cane naturally sucks out large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere. That is how the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, a product, or a person drastically decreases when using a daily product in bio-plastic packaging. The Brazilian chemicals group Braskem claims that using its method of producing polyethylene from sugar cane ethanol captures (removes from the environment) 2.15 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of Green Polyethylene produced. If the old bioplastic tubes are recycled, and consumers close the production circle, we are actually reversing the effect of Global warming due to greenhouse gases.
Bio-plastic doesn’t necessarily mean that it is compostable or biodegradable. See the differences in the 3 general categories below:
- Bio-based/renewable and non-biodegradable plastic
- Bio-based/renewable and biodegradable plastic - Nordics toothpaste packaging falls under that category
- Fossil-based and biodegradable plastic
Bioplastic usage in toothpaste packaging is a very important step for a massive decrease in plastic waste ending up in landfills and oceans. Nordics are proud to have finally introduced the opportunity for creating a closed consumer cycle to the wider public. Ideally, when recycled, the material invested in the production of one packaging will relatively stay the same.
How to make your kids want to brush
Babies' first teeth usually erupt at around six months of age. From this point on, brushing the teeth becomes important. From the first milk tooth, they must be well cared for because this forms the basis for the children’s teeth being healthy and strong later on. However, making this palatable to children so that it does not become a hurdle every day can be quite tedious, as all mothers know. It often ends in drama when parents want to teach their kids thorough oral hygiene. But this doesn't have to be the case because there are valuable tips on how parents can teach their children to enjoy brushing their teeth, and thus make their own lifes easier.
Brushing tips — how to make your kids LOVE to brush their teeth
It makes a lot of sense to introduce a joint family tooth brushing after meals and to be the role model. This has a great motivating effect on kids. Parents now have the task of showing them that, just like washing and bathing the body, is part of hygiene. This works best when everyone brushes their teeth together and the parents explain to the child how to brush their teeth with a tasty toothpaste properly. Until school age, however, children need a “success check” and parents may need to brush again. But brushing teeth together makes it a habit or routine, so it doesn't end in screams every time it's “Will you please go brush your teeth?”. If parents make brushing teeth a regular ritual, they can prevent children from developing an aversion to it. Eventually, it will become completely natural for them.
The word “self” usually has a magical effect on children. Kids should therefore be allowed to choose their toothbrush, cup and natural toothpaste. Of course, the child likes a beautiful, colorful, self-selected toothbrush much better and so brushing teeth is twice as much fun. It is important to buy a special children's toothbrush because it has a small brush head as well as soft, rounded bristles. The same goes for the toothpaste. How about a natural toothpaste that is also tasty, but harmless at the same time? Adults usually favor a mint flavor, but this does not meet the taste of most children, more than that - it’s forbidden for children under 6 y.o.a.
Children have favorite songs. Why shouldn't they listen to them while brushing their teeth? The child will be thrilled to be able to brush to the rhythm of a lively song. In the best case, the song is two to three minutes long — once it's over, the child can rinse his or her mouth. Children are always ready for funny ideas. Sometimes it is hard to believe the effect such actions can have.
Gamify teeth brushing with a tasty toothpaste
Depending on age, different games can help. Using a flavored toothpaste paired with rhymes distract younger dental hygiene refusers, for example:
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, at least two times a day.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning,
Fighting tooth decay.
Floss, floss, floss your teeth, every single day.
Gently, gently, gently, gently,
Whisking plaque away.
Rinse, rinse, rinse your teeth every single day.
Swishing, swishing, swishing, swishing,
Fighting tooth decay.
Or: give the teeth animal names (“Now we'll brush the mouse's teeth in front, and the bear's tooth is sticking out in the back”). To do this, turn on the favorite song or run an alarm clock so that brushing really takes two to three minutes.
With older children, parents could also have a contest: Who can clean the longest without spitting out? And if the family starts the caries battle together after meals, that is of course particularly motivating. Such activities will be helpful for the family cohesion also.
Nordics is dedicated to improving the oral health of big and small and will regularly bring free advice on how to make brushing teeth more fun for kids and turn it into a joyful affair. Stay tooned in our blog and social media.
What’s the origin, ethics and principles behind our products?
Nordics inspires change. In every way. Change in companies’ and consumers’ mentality, in the substances we take and give back to Nature, and change in the physical world around us. Our goal is to keep the Earth and humanity safe — without missing out on the best of quality ingredients. That’s why we wanted to tell you the story about Nordics’ ethical standards, and the origin and principle behind our products.
Our ethical standards
Nordics was born from the idea of creating sustainable and amazing products for daily oral care. Ever since, our ethical standards have been leading our business. Upholding strong principles, not only in our direct business, but throughout our entire value chain, is fundamental to how Nordics operates.
Every person at Nordics has the core mindset to take care of people’s health while also taking care of our Planet. This makes our products more efficient and strengthens our reputation as a sustainable oral care brand.
We believe that the way a company does business is as important as the quality of its products. Our ethical standards Respect, Courage, Transparency, and Fairness serve as our compass for our daily acts.
Respect
Our business influences many people’s lives and our Planet. We show respect for every drop of water invested in the production of our stock, every ounce of raw material, and every millimeter of packaging. The respect in our business starts from the privilege of using Mother Nature’s gifts and goes to each moment of dedication of our employees and partners.
Courage
Nordics’ bravery to be different made us a rising star among dental care. We rose above the ocean of conventional toothpastes and stood up for our environment. Courage means risk-taking for a cause. We took the risk of largely investing in R&D, selling at a price point above average, because of the natural substances we use, and also looking different. Nordics broke the status quo of unorthodox ways in a conservative and stiff market as oral.
Transparency
Because above all, being honest and trustworthy is the key to build a sustainable brand. Nordics is COSMOS Organic certified, and also vegan and cruelty-free. We go through these processes to give our consumers better transparency on our products to build a stronger connection.
Fairness
We believe in treating everyone equally and tolerate and accept diversity. You can see this all around our social media and marketing communication. We also guarantee fairness in every part of our supply chain, meaning that everyone gets the fair value he deserves - our vendors, partners, and clients.
The origin of Nordics products
All ingredients used in our products go through a strict process of quality supervision. We only use certified ingredients from boutique suppliers to maintain high standards and quality in our products. This of course leads to a higher cost for the ingredients we use but also helps to reduce our carbon footprint.
We don’t make compromises in quality and sustainability — and we mean it. If we can’t find a substance that stands to our standards, that means we simply don’t produce the product in mind. The extracts we use in our products are certified biological and raw materials. Furthermore, they are also vegan and cruelty-free.
Quality standard — COSMOS Organic
The COSMOS Standard is managed by the non-profit, international and independent association - the Brussels-based COSMOS Standard AISBL. COSMOS offers two signatures for cosmetic products, such as beauty and skin care products, or in our case oral hygiene products. COSMOS ORGANIC or COSMOS NATURAL always appears directly under the logo of the relevant certifier or association, so that the consumer recognizes that it is a well-known and trusted association or certifier. Furthermore, the label indicates the percentage of organic ingredients in the product. This is the percentage organic of the total product, but since some products contain a lot of water and mineral ingredients that cannot be organic, the percentage organic minus these two ingredient categories is also indicated.
Nordics bio toothpastes are COSMOS Organic certified, and as such are committed to only use high-quality raw materials for our products. That means that at least 95% of the physically processed agro-ingredients have to be organic.
It has always been our mission to use Nordics to improve people's lives. That includes taking good care of the place we all call home. We don't have the answer to every question, but we are committed to making choices that benefit our customers, employees, and the environment — from the materials we use, to the manufacturer we work with, to the steps we take to bring our products to you.
Meet Surfrider Foundation - partners of Nordics - selfless warriors for a noble cause
Nordics is a professional dental care brand, but its ethos stretches also to sustainability and customer satisfaction. That’s why supporting great causes is an important part of our identity. Naturally, we chose an amazing partner to support - the Surfrider Foundation. Read on to find out how together we actually clean the oceans.
Introducing – Surf Rider Foundation
Established by surfers in 1990 in Biarritz, France, the Surf Rider Foundation Europe has always been caring about the ocean. There are more than 2,000 volunteers and 43 local branches in Europe right now – which shows there are many dedicated environmentalists here who focus on preserving and cleaning our oceans, seas, and rivers.
Mentioned in magazines like National Geographic, the Surf Rider Foundation is leading in environmental protection and conservation.
Worldwide there are over 182,000 active volunteers and 176 chapters and student clubs that help to keep the oceans and coasts clean. By supporting the Surf Rider Foundation we’re not only supporting clean oceans, but also climate change and its impacts.
What are the common deeds of Nordics & Surf Rider Foundation?
The Surf Rider Foundation is a group of action takers who protect the health and sustainability of our planet’s most precious resource – the ocean. Besides defending our oceans from challenges threatening the vitality of the ecosystem, the NGO also acts on issues that threaten our beaches and natural shorelines.
Reducing the impact of plastics in the marine ecosystem is one of the most important tasks the Surf Rider Foundation has to face daily.
Surf Rider Europe works with individual citizens, public sectors, and also private sectors on education and awareness, political advocacy, and scientific and legal expertise.
Nordics is a global sponsor of SRF since 2017. We contribute to their noble cause is by donating 0,5 percent of our annual revenue to the organization. Each donated euro equals 5 sq.m. of cleaned beaches. That's how Nordics has provided 15 000 sq.m. of clean beaches until now.
The importance of clean oceans
Climate change and demographic pressure on coastal areas are impacting our daily lives.
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic wastelands in the ocean. This is a huge problem, especially because there are countless benefits to our planet of clean oceans. Half of the world’s oxygen is produced by the ocean, and it also absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere. With plastic in the ocean, the ecosystem is disrupted.
For a more detailed view of how much plastic pollution influences the ocean, we can highly recommend the documentary “A Plastic Ocean”. It shows the dramatic damage plastic causes to the marine wildlife, just because billions of plastic ends in the ocean – one more reason why we should protect the oceans at all cost.
How is Nordics supporting this?
Plastic is used in every industry by now – and that’s a problem. In 2020, more than 300 million tons of plastic waste have been produced. Around 79 percent of it was accumulated in landfills or the environment. And the largest market of plastics is packaging materials. Which is another reason why it’s essential to focus on alternatives for packaging products.
Traditional toothpaste, for example, is packaged in classic plastic tubes that cannot be recycled.
So, let's make a quick reminder of our specialties. We use 100% recyclable tubes of bioplastic for our toothpastes, our mouthwash bottles are made of 100% recycled plastic, our toothbrushes are made of bamboo. That's how we are drastically decreasing the amount of plastic that pollutes beaches and oceans.
Furthermore, we focus on not using any harmful ingredients for our products, not only inside the formula but also during the process of production. Our toothpastes are without sugar, free from preservatives, and without harsh chemical compounds. We at Nordics do not only reshape traditional dental products but also think about future generations and how we can have a positive impact on them.
Nordics is not just reducing the use of plastic waste in the oral care industry. We are an official sponsor of the NGO and donate a percentage of every purchase to the Surf Rider Foundation cause. So, with every purchase of one of our Nordics products, you contribute directly to plastic-free oceans and landfills.
Oral care can be environmental-friendly, too, without missing out on high quality. We avoid using harmful ingredients and created organic, vegan-certified, and cruelty-free products to support good oral hygiene.
Choosing Nordics is not just buying a product but supporting a vision and a mission.
Consumer behavior in pandemics
Our lives as we know them have undoubtedly changed, and we all know that the COVID-19 pandemics has brought serious changes to the economy. Not only that, but it has also changed consumer behavior:
The way people buy, what they buy, and the mindset in which they buy have changed forever. These changes have now been confirmed by several studies, which also show that the pandemic is likely to permanently alter consumer behavior and bring about lasting structural changes in the consumer goods industry and retail sector.
This means that the way companies present their products and communicate with their customers will also have to change. What specifically has changed on the consumer side as a result of the crisis?
Closeness, trust & more solidarity
Closeness and trust form the breeding ground for more mindful, social consumption and enjoyment behavior even after the crisis. The new solidarity that developed during the pandemic will shape trade and consumption in the future. This is also because a new level of solidarity emerged during the crisis, a new, self-confident "we" culture.
People helped each other, went shopping for at-risk groups, sewed mouth masks at home, and companies temporarily produced disinfectants instead of alcoholic beverages or perfumes. The pandemic makes it unmistakably clear that people cannot fight the virus and its consequences alone, but only as part of a group, as part of a society. In the future, consumer culture will focus less on goods, and more on resonant relationships.
Digitalization makes consumption more human
Technological innovations, automation, artificial intelligence and digital tools have shown their strengths in the crisis situation. They have not distanced people from one another; on the contrary, they help to be close to one another even at a distance - and also to organize consumption. Supply chains have been optimized in a very short time, Click & Collect saves time when shopping, and bicycle couriers will continue to provide local and fast last-mile delivery. Many will not want to miss the convenience of ordering food and groceries online and having them delivered, even after the crisis.
Naturally, people are spending more time with their digital devices during the crisis, whether smartphones, laptops or tablets, but also smartwatches. They use more streaming services, play games and communicate more with their smart speakers. People are spending much more time on social media, country specifically to varying degrees but on average social media usage has increased by about 45% globally as a result of the crisis. To stay relevant and satisfy consumer expectations, Nordics has largely focused on social media to keep a close connection with its fans. We’re stressing on useful insights about oral health, ecological consciousness and product reviews, so everybody’s well informed from a credible source.
How pandemics change consumer behavior permanently
The pandemic is expected to permanently change consumer behavior. It will also have a lasting structural impact on the consumer goods and retail industries. These are the findings of management consultants Accenture in a recent survey the company conducted among more than 3,000 consumers in 15 countries on five continents. The Accenture survey was conducted between April 2 and April 6. At the time, many countries had already called for people to stay home.
The study concludes that consumer buying priorities were changing rapidly. For example, respondents said they were buying more personal care and cleaning products, as well as canned and fresh foods, than they were two weeks earlier. At the same time, they would buy fewer fashion and beauty items as well as consumer electronics. Data shows that 45% are making more sustainable choices when shopping and are likely to continue to do so, so it’s essential for companies to start rethinking and create more sustainable solutions or alternatives for their products.
Nordics’ all about sustainability. However, we don’t compromise the hygiene standards especially at those difficult times: our toothpastes have a seal at the front, so the procust stays sterile until its first opening. Nordics mouthwash has a safety cap that must be pressed and twisted to open, and in addition is covered with a plastic sleeve. Our toothbrushes are safely sealed in vacuum bags and put in a cardboard box. That’s way we ensure that the quality that is produced in our labs is delivered on the shelves.
Availability is more important than brand loyalty
Product availability was the most important thing to consumers at the onset of the pandemic. Empty shelves and temporary stock shortages greatly affected brand loyalty. Many consumers tried a different brand or shopped at a different retailer during the crisis. People tend to buy more at the same time and build stocks, not only for food but also for oral hygiene products.
A McKinsey study found that more than 75% of consumers tried new brands, shopping locations or shopping methods during the pandemic. Value, availability and quality or organic products were the main factors for consumers to try a different brand.
This trend is not new: even before the crisis, studies noted the development that consumers are much less loyal to brands these days and are increasingly trying out new products. This trend is particularly evident among the younger generations, because they love to try new things. The crisis has only reinforced this development and the positive experiences consumers have had during this time will continue to negatively influence their loyalty to brands.
What will consumer behavior look like after the pandemic?
We can see that the crisis has brought some changes in the behavior of consumers, in all aspects of buying behavior, emotional attitude, daily challenges and basic needs of consumers:
- People spend substantially more time online: social networks, platforms, apps, web
- Consumers prefer digital communications and interactions: whether with people or machines
- Consumers will shop online more, happily in groups: social shopping
- Customers are becoming less trustful to brands: brand loyalty is waning
- Consumers values in change: people are shopping more consciously and thinking about what is essential and what is frivolous. They value sustainability, regionality and quality.
Consuming for the sake of consuming will therefore fade into the background in the future. The pandemic freed consumption to some extent from its compensatory component: The function of the act of buying as a kind of act of frustration, which one practices primarily to feel less lonely or to reward oneself, is increasingly becoming a discontinued model. At Nordics, we will continue to keep on cutting-edge and meet future consumer demands with sustainable, organic products.
Future trends in the oral care sector
Еven though the oral care market of consumer goods is one of the most conservative ones, there’s evidence of its progression. In fact, as a rule of thumb, industries that don’t adapt to technological development or new trends, are doomed to perish.
GIVE WAY TO INNOVATION
The first thing worth mentioning is that more “out-of-the-box” products are making their way to top positions on the retailer’s shelves. This wasn’t always the case. In fact, you could only find a non-fluoride toothpaste, or a mint-free one, in strictly specialized stores. In our opinion, this wasn’t solely led by the consumer trends but also by the manufacturer’s unwillingness for niche investment. That was the situation for several decades.
However, things are starting to change. The growth projection of the global oral care market is of a CAGR of 6.32% for the period 2020 - 2025, reported by Research and Markets. That growth is impacted mainly by big brand’s innovative products. Of course, heavy promotional actions have always been typical for this sector, and they will continue being a growth driver.
In value, the oral care market is estimated to reach USD 53.3 billion by 2025 staying at USD 45.8 billion in 2020, according to Markets and Markets. The sector is so traditional that even the COVID19 pandemic couldn’t jolt it.
Brands should help clients pick up trends like clean formulas, alternative anti-caries or whitening ingredients, natural flavors, innovative packaging, or formats of products (ex. zero-waste toothpaste tablets or dental floss). Trendy products with poor distribution or compromise in quality (not quite bio, not quite zero-waste) put a barrier between market and consumer development. In short, lack of customer awareness about R&D and innovations prevent the growth rate.
Toothpaste is KING
Toothpaste is actually one of the consumer goods with the highest penetration (about 80% on average). This is determined by the globally spread dental decay due to food quality, hereditary factors, poor eating habits, and more. Brushing with toothpaste is still the No.1 way to take care of our oral health. A rise in popularity for herbal oral products is driving the global toothpaste market, along with premiumization, and offerings of specialized solutions (Research and Markets).
The “BIG 4”
Conservative as it is, the oral care sector has a group of leaders that’s been here for a while. You can easily spot exactly who they are if you’re strolling down the isles in the supermarkets of the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Yes, you got it right. Those are Colgate, Elmex (Colgate-Palmolive), Oral-B (Procter & Gamble), Signal, Pepsodent (Unilever PLC) Aquafresh, Sensodyne, and Parodontax (GlaxoSmithKline PLC). The “Big 4” is here to stay and we don’t expect significant shifts soon.
However, all hope is not lost, especially for smaller regional players that make specialized products. A winning strategy is to address specific dental problems like gum disease, hyper-sensitivity, periodontitis, or halitosis. That’s how tinier brands became established in their local markets and can expand abroad.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Remember, the oral care market is marked by brutal price wars that could be led for years by the “Big 4”. So if you’re a toddler in the sector or still considering your entry plan your best chances are of presenting a product of superb quality dealing with specific dental issues and that has a taste that would be adored.
Are you ready for the EU regulation against single use plastic?
If you haven’t heard of the long-anticipated EU ban of single-use plastic, you have some catching up to do. It was approved in the first Q of 2019 and it states that single-use plastic items will be banned for production by 2021. And here we are…
This year we’ll have to see ecological friendly alternatives of plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, straws, cotton buds, balloon sticks, food containers, and our favorite - polystyrene cups.
This measure comes in a bundle of legislative activities aiming to fight the industrial effects of climate change. It is part of the Juncker Commission's Circular Economy Action Plan and is part of the EU Plastics Strategy. We agree that those steps are belated, to say the least, since scientists have been alarming governments for decades. However, the new standards include higher company responsibility and more precise monitoring of industrial polluters. Starting from this year all EU states will have to achieve a target of 90% collection of plastic bottles that end up in the recycle bin, by 2029, and newly produced plastic bottles will have to contain at least 25% of recycled material by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
Nordics are whistling carefree while our mouthwash plastic bottles are produced from 100% recycled plastic from day one. Furthermore, Nordics was one of the pioneers introducing bamboo drinking straws for the European market.
Let’s get back to the legislative novelties. The expected outcomes from this ecological measure are to lessen the CO2 emission by 3.4 million tons, to avoid an ecological footprint that would cost the equivalent of €22 billion by 2030, and to save consumers a projected €6.5 billion.
The other important side of it is the “the polluter pays” principle. This means that every company should pay an equal price for the direct and indirect pollution it makes, including CO2. Actually, this is part of the 1992 Rio Declaration, a guide with general principles for sustainability.
Part of the new policy is targeting consumer education and consumer behavior. By mandatory labeling for packaging, users will be warned of the environmental damage they would cause by disposing of products incorrectly. Many Western countries and retailers' own brands have been doing this for quite some time now, uptaking the heavy task of consumer teaching.
Nordics’ products are born from the sustainability concept. We are passionate supporters of the principle "reduce, reuse, recycle". That's why our products are saving the Planet and satisfying the most pretentious consumer needs since 2015. But as we can see from the new EU law - it's a shared mission of manufacturers and consumers.
What are the forbidden substances in Nordics toothpastes and why we want to be FREE of them?
We know that if you’re reading this article you're not the mainstream shopper looking for a bargain in the drugstore. Well, it’s hard to step out of the shopping stereotypic behavior. The markets around the world are flooded with goods striving to deliver low prices and better margins that often come along with compromised quality.
We, at Nordics, aim to create better opportunities for everybody to reach and buy high quality, clean label oral care products. That’s why we just said “No” to some of the most used cosmetic ingredients and took the long, but far more satisfying road of clean labels.
But what exactly is a "clean label"? This means that you won’t find “parabens, SLS, PEGs, synthetic flavors & colorants, preservatives, sugar or soy”, written anywhere on our packaging. The reason we don’t fancy those substances is simple: they have controversial effects on the human body. Even though they do wonderfully for producing a cheap, foamy, strong-flavored toothpaste with a long expiry period, we couldn’t be tempted into going that direction. Our values are superior, and we believe that well-being, safety and sustainability are better than simple good looks?
Parabens. These types of preservatives have been used for decades around the world. However, some 15 years ago, it was up against convictions that they might cause breast cancer. This was followed by a controversial discussion and at the end, parabens were marked as “generally safe". Then, and in fact, now, parabens are widely spread around the cosmetic industry, as “The World Counts” estimates. That's the key moment. Nowadays parabens are all over your cosmetic box and bathroom shelves and they begin to accumulate. Research shows that parabens have a direct relation to skin irritation, allergies, and dermatitis in children. Furthermore, there is data that preservatives hide health risks, and as scientists (Schnuch et al.) noted in 2011, “Preservatives are still important contact allergens. The introduction of new preservatives should consider the specific characteristics of occupational and of nonoccupational (cosmetic, household) exposure, and preventive measures should aim equally at both areas”.
That is why we conserve our products with natural preservatives that are harmless to our body and nature and ensure long shelf life.
SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This additive is used as a surfactant to create big and fluffy foam in cosmetic products. As we all know, foam washes away impurities, and also SLS is believed to have a mild antibacterial effect.
So far so good.
Looking at the other side, in vitro tests show that SLS slows gum healing. SLS is also an irritant that could be unpleasant for more sensitive people. In spite of this, our research shows that a fair share of users just cannot think of toothpaste without thick rich foam. That’s why Nordics portfolio offers both toothpastes containing SLS and ones using a bio-based foaming agent (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate)
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic substance that is used in various industries, including cosmetics. Speaking about oral care, its function is to smoothen and soften the base of the toothpaste. Even though propylene glycol makes the toothpaste strip on your brush look shiny, its relation to allergies and contact dermatitis is well-documented. Also, the propylene glycol (PG) that is used in oral care products is toxic, as are other ingredients on our “forbidden” list. Even though its toxicity is low and propylene glycol is “Generally recognized as safe” by the United States Food and Drug Administration, it’s not something we want on our labels or in our customer’s mouths.
Synthetic flavors and colors are designed to recreate natural tastes and smells since extracting essential oils is expensive, time-consuming, and laborious. You would guess that the lower price plays the main role in manufacturers' decision-making. That’s far from surprising since using a purely natural scent is exclusive and even boutique practice. To continue the moral discussion, there is scientific evidence that synthetic food colorants are connected to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, the toxic effect of synthetic food colorants is visible in the deviations of a number of health indicators, such as blood cell quantity, hemoglobin levels, bilirubin and total protein.
Well, Nordics standards cannot allow such a thing at any cost. Our appealing tastes and crispy freshness come from 100% natural flavors.
Sugar. The words “sugar” and “oral health” lay at the two opposite ends of one semantic line, but "sweet" and “oral health” go together just fine. We’ve used the perfect sweetener that not only pleases the palates but also protects the enamel from decay. Our favorite natural ingredient that has the sweetness of sugar – xylitol. It’s truly a gift from mother nature’s raspberries, oranges, corncobs, and mostly in birch tree barks.
Oral care is a huge market and you can swim in a variety of different mint tastes or color stripes. Nordics is devoted to making a well-being impact that goes beyond human-being. The essence of rejecting popular cosmetics substances and carefully selecting the ones we cherish, is a challenging and nerve-wracking process, indeed. The result, in the end, is what’s paying off and that is a healthier smile for a healthier Planet.