With the natural craze taking over our beauty cabinets, it was only a matter of time before it spanned into the oral care category. We're super excited about Grin joining the site, so we sat down with Marketing Executive Olivia Sherrell to get the lowdown on a natural smile.
How did Grin come about?
Grin came about in 2013 following the growing demand for natural, chemical-free products. There were plenty of New Zealand made natural skin and beauty products in the market but not much choice in terms of toothpaste. We discovered that many toothpastes contained unnecessary chemicals such as Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) which was especially concerning as this chemical is used for foaming in detergents and soaps. Unable to find an effective, alternative that ticked all the boxes we worked with a New Zealand laboratory to produce a toothpaste that is 100% natural and effective.
Consumers care now more than ever about what’s in their beauty products, are you finding this now extends to the oral hygiene sector too? If so, why do you think this is?
Absolutely. For a while now we have been looking at what we have been putting on our skin and what we have been eating which has prompted a lot of us to start asking about what we are using on our teeth and in our mouths.
Fluoride is the most common ingredient in commercial toothpastes – why does Grin’s range choose to leave this out?
There is an increasing number of customers who prefer not to ingest fluoride for various reasons. Although we are not against fluoride, at Grin prefer to offer an alternative solution to fluoride toothpaste without compromising on oral health.
Since launching in 2015, has Grin observed any changes in consumer awareness and uptake of natural oral care?
It’s been hugely encouraging for us to have seen fantastic growth for Grin, especially over the past six months. We attended the Go Green Expo in Auckland for the first time this year and our stand was so busy that we could hardly keep up with demand, we sold out on both days of the event! Our online orders have also increased hugely through word of mouth which suggests consumer awareness is definitely on the rise. Not only are we noticing great increases here locally but also in overseas markets, we have one customer in Dubai who loves our products so much that he just placed an order for 20 tubes of Grin to keep him stocked for a while!
There is a common belief that natural products mean compromising on results. What is Grin’s stance on this?
Developing a toothpaste that was both natural and effective was really important to us. For this reason, we carried out in vitro (laboratory) testing with Massey University to test the active ingredients in Grin 100% Natural Toothpaste. The results obtained from this study showed that Grin™ Cool Mint toothpaste has a strong ability to suppress the growth of aerobic bacteria (S. mutans, S. sanguinis, R. dentocariosa, S. salivarius, S. oralis and Staph. Epidermidis) when incubated at 37°C over a 48-hour period. In addition to this one of the things that we are really proud of is that Grin is the only natural toothpaste that you can find in dental clinics nationwide.
Charcoal is HUGE right now! Talk us through Grin’s Charcoal Infused Toothbrush…
Charcoal really is huge right now, our charcoal-infused toothbrush has been flying out the door! The toothbrush handle is made from sustainable bamboo that is 100% biodegradable while the bristles are made from PBT that has been infused with Binchotan charcoal. The reason behind the charcoal -infused bristles is to offer the benefits of charcoal without the mess of using a charcoal powder. What’s so great about charcoal? Charcoal binds to tannins, the compounds found in coffee, tea, tobacco, dark berries, wine, sauces, spices, and other foods that stain teeth, helping to restore the natural whiteness of teeth. It has the added benefit of balancing the pH of the mouth which discourages plaque and the growth of bacteria. Our charcoal-infused toothbrush is great for you and for the environment!
In short, why should consumers be switching or at least considering a move towards natural toothpaste?
Many commercial toothpastes recommend that you do not swallow your toothpaste – have you ever wondered why that is? Even if you aren’t swallowing your toothpaste your mouth is incredibly permeable and absorptive, so much so, that some medicines are taken under the tongue for fast uptake by the bloodstream. It’s like a gateway for all nutrients (or toxins!) to enter all systems and organs in our body.
We all know that our lifestyle choices influence our smile. What tips can Grin share for getting the best results out of whitening toothpaste (i.e. tips on what to avoid)?
Brush your teeth twice a day with Grin 100% natural whitening toothpaste
Avoid foods that stain enamel such as tomato sauces, coloured sweets and dark berries
Avoid drinks that stain enamel such as red wine, tea, coffee and soda
Or use a straw when drinking coloured drinks (we love the reusable kind!)
Swish your mouth with water immediately after consuming stain-causing food or drink and then brush your teeth an hour or so later (wait for an hour so that brushing does not damage the softened tooth enamel)
Avoid smoking
What’s in the pipeline for Grin – any plans to expand outside of NZ?
We have a couple of new products in the pipeline that we are hoping to launch to market this year and we’re also expanding into international markets such as Australia and China. We have just returned from the Health and Beauty Expo in Shanghai which has been very worthwhile for us – watch this space!
