natural flavors, naturally friendly

strawberry, blueberry, watermelon, mint, spearmint, peppermint– oh my. if you ask your mouth, it’ll tell you that flavor isn’t just an important consideration when plunking down for a nice meal – bright, clean flavors make toothpastes and mouthwashes more enjoyable to use, too. the more you enjoy the taste of your oral care products, the more you’ll rush to brush. and ultimately, brushing frequently and for long enough is what good oral care is all about. Dental professionals recommend brushing for a full 2 minutes (30 seconds per quandrant).

but where exactly do these toothpaste flavors come from? does it involve the employment of magical elves or oral-care obsessed sous-chefs? is there someone in a back room trying frantically to mash dragonfruit or açai into a tube?! while some things are still a trade secret here at hello, let’s take a quick look at why flavor is something to savor (if there’s a chance to rhyme, we’re going to take it, always), starting with understanding the difference between artificial and natural flavoring, shall we?

natural v. artificial flavors

the fda (CAN WE CAPITALIZE FDA?) gets into pretty granular detail about how it classifies natural and artificial flavors. to save you from wading through a lot of fancy-shmancy wording, here are the basics: natural flavors come from natural sources (think apples, mint, etc.) while in general artificial flavors are entirely man-made and created out of synthetic materials. in fact, artificial flavors can come from a whole range of sources including petroleum. although natural flavors are derived by mama nature, we don’t want to imply that they go directly from the vine to your brush. that said, most natural flavors found in toothpastes and mouthwashes are made from extracts and essential oils, and undergo some processing or purification in a lab setting. let’s face it, no one wants to brush with soil.

both natural and artificial flavorings are compounded by flavorists (we’re not kidding, that’s a real job). when all is said and done, the chemical composition of natural and artificial flavors can be similar – the primary differences stem from the origins of the ingredients.

here are hello®, we don’t believe in using artificial flavors. we ensure our flavors are naturally-derived, vegan, gluten free, and smile-worthy.