Colgate is an American brand principally used for oral hygiene products such as toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes and dental floss. Manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive, Colgate's oral hygiene products were first sold by the company in 1873, sixteen years after the death of the founder, William Colgate. The company originally sold soap.

Colgate
Logo since 2018
Product typeOral hygiene
OwnerColgate-Palmolive
CountryUnited States
Introduced1873; 151 years ago (1873)
MarketsWorldwide
Websitecolgate.com
Colgate Dental Cream (toothpaste) with Gardol c. 1950s

History

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Colgate advertised in The American Magazine in 1915.

Colgate toothpaste was sold in glass jars since 1873. Tubes, as pioneered by Kalodont, Johnson & Johnson (Zonweiss) and Sheffield, were introduced in 1896.

Colgate became popular in the 1950s, with the slogan "It Cleans Your Breath While It Cleans Your Teeth", written by copywriter Alicia Tobin.

In 2007, the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK told Colgate that it could no longer make the claim that four out of five dentists recommended Colgate. The investigation showed that the study had telephone surveyed dentists to list the toothpaste they recommended, and their competitors were recommended at similar rates. The claim was deemed deceptive.

In 2015, oral care products (principally produced under the Colgate brand) were the Colgate-Palmolive company's largest source of income, making up around US$7.5 billion, or 47% of net sales globally (with personal care products such as shampoos making up 20%, home care products such as laundry detergents 19% and pet nutrition making up the remaining 14%). It also commanded approximately 70% of the oral care market in Brazil.

In 2018, Colgate licensed Kolibree technology from Paris-based Baracoda Daily Healthtech,[1] launching the Colgate Smart Electric toothbrush.[2] They offer connected toothbrushes for children and adults under the Hum brand umbrella.[3]

Colgate previously used triclosan as the active anti-bacterial agent in Colgate Total toothpaste, since its introduction in 1997.[4] No other toothpaste brand in the USA used triclosan when Colgate Total was introduced, Colgate pioneered the use of triclosan in toothpaste.[4] The FDA ruled on September 6, 2016, that triclosan is not generally recognized as safe and effective (GRAS/GRAE).[5] Due to health and environmental concerns, triclosan was phased out, and by 2019 it is no longer used.[6]

In January 2020, Colgate registered the label for toothpaste containing hemp seed oil with the U.S. government.

In February 2020, Colgate's parent company announced an agreement to purchase Hello Products, a New Jersey company that had earlier in the month introduced toothpaste, mouthwashes, and lip balms containing cannabidiol (CBD).

Colgate Tooth Powder is still being manufactured and marketed.[7]

Reception

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According to a 2015 report by market research company Kantar Worldpanel, Colgate was the only brand in the world purchased by more than half of all households.[8] Colgate had a global market penetration of 67.7% and a global market share of 45%.[9] It maintained the highest growth rate of all brands in the survey, with 40 million new households purchasing Colgate-branded products in 2014.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Company Profile for Baracoda". www.businesswire.com. January 6, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Morrissey, Janet (October 11, 2019). "Does Your Toothbrush Have an App Yet?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "hum - smart connected toothbrushes from Colgate". hum.colgate.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "New Colgate® Total® Fresh Stripe™ Toothpaste Introduced". Colgate-Palmolive. February 2, 1999. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "FDA issues final rule on safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps". FDA. March 24, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Our Policy on Ingredient Safety". Colgate-Palmolive. August 1, 2024. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  7. ^ "Colgate Toothpowder for Strong and Healthy Teeth". www.colgate.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "Colgate bought by over half of the world households - Global site - Kantar Worldpanel". www.kantarworldpanel.com. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  9. ^ "Colgate-Palmolive Company 2015 Annual Report" (PDF). The Colgate-Palmolive Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Brand Footprint". www.brandfootprint-ranking.com. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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