- Mouthwash tablets, powders and concentrates.
In this video,
I'm going to explain precisely what they are
and essentially give you a buyer's guide to them.
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So mouthwash tablets, powders or concentrates
are essentially an alternative to the regular mouthwash
that you and I may be familiar with.
Mouthwash is usually provided as a liquid.
And in the case of mouthwash tablets,
these are normally a compressed powder
that becomes a liquid
upon being chewed or mixed with water.
As the name implies,
these are typically a tablet shape,
usually small round circles,
similar to the likes of general medication
like ibuprofen and aspirin for example.
You also then have powders,
which unlike the toothpaste tablet,
hasn't been compressed into a solid lump,
it remains in that lighter powder form.
You then have concentrate, which is a stronger mouthwash,
and you dilute it with water to make it a usable product.
All of these products are designed to achieve
the same results as regular mouthwash
to give us that refreshed feeling after use,
to cleanse the mouth.
The big differences here
are that mouthwash tablets, powders and concentrates
are essentially designed to be more convenient
and more environmentally friendly.
Now as I've already given three different names
for this type of products,
you may also see them referred to as
mouthwash tabs, zero waste mouthwash,
eco-friendly mouthwash, and many more.
There are different names that different companies
and retailers may use for it,
but more often than not,
they essentially mean the same product.
So this doesn't necessarily replace regular mouthwash,
is designed to be an alternative to
however, there is a very strong argument
that in the long term,
these mouthwash tablets could replace
the liquid form of mouthwash because of the benefits
that they ultimately bring.
So there are a couple of ways in which these products
are better for the environment.
The first is through the need for less raw materials
for physical packaging.
Because they do not contain liquid or water,
the volume of the product is less
and the packaging requirements are not as great,
thus less packaging required overall.
The second and perhaps largest impact
is the implication of shipping these
smaller and lighter products.
Whilst this is by no means a scientific answer,
some basic calculations show,
just how much of a positive impact
mouthwash tablets can have.
Take a one litre bottle of Listerine mouthwash.
This weighs approximately one kilo or 1,000 grammes,
and will last approximately 20 days,
if you follow the manufacturer's directions.
Compare this to a bottle of mouthwash tabs
from Lush cosmetics that weighs in at 45 grammes
and in fact, give 40 days of use not 20.
Each bottle of mouthwash tablets
is a staggering 955 grammes lighter.
When you consider the additional size and weights
of the Listerine bottle
and the millions that are sold each year,
you don't really need to be a genius
to work out that using a liquid mouthwash,
it takes up a lot more space in lorries,
and it requires a lot more fuel
and natural resources to transport all of these.
It also takes up more space on shop shelves
in our shopping bags, etc.
That one kilo bottle of Listerine mouthwash
is equivalent to 22 packs of mouthwash tablets.
22 packs of mouthwash tablets
could last a staggering 880 days or 2.4 years.
Let's assume you stuck with the Listerine mouthwash,
for the same 880 days,
you would need 44 bottles of Listerine,
that's 44 kilos in weight,
43 kilos heavier than the tablets.
Now, if you click the link in the description,
you'll be taken through to an article
that accompanies this video.
And within that, I've put some basic calculations
that shows how we could potentially take
up to 16,000 lorries off UK roads each year,
if we all switch to mouthwash tablets.
Multiply this by the many countries around the world,
and this could have a massive impact
on the amount of CO2 that is output
and the amount of resources that we need to use
to transport these products.
So what are the benefits of mouthwash tablets then?
Well, one of the benefits is the convenience.
These small tablets are much easier
to carry around and utilise
than a large bottle of mouthwash.
You can use these tablets more easily
as and when you please,
and some of them can even be swallowed
unlike regular mouthwash.
There is of course
the environmentally friendly element to this,
as I've already touched upon,
the need for less resources
in actually producing and packaging and transporting
these types of products.
You also have some zero waste options.
Now, whilst not all manufacturers
of mouthwash tablets, powders or concentrates
would consider themselves zero waste.
You have a number of brands that are really working hard
to reduce the amount of plastics and materials used
and to make these environmentally friendly
or even more sustainable than they are already.
And they're also actually quite cost effective
and in many instances they're more cost effective
than the liquid alternative
that we are more commonly used to.
So what are the negatives then?
Well, the primary one at the moment,
and certainly at the time of recording
has to be availability.
These are certainly not available
in every pharmacy, in every supermarket.
You generally have to go online to find them.
Some supermarkets do stock them,
but they simply don't have the range
like they do other mouthwash products.
So hopefully that will improve with time.
But at the time recording availability is harder,
you generally to go online to particular retailers
to find these types of products.
There's also at the time of recording
a limit in the terms of the variety,
you don't tend to get so many brands
making these at the moment
and there isn't the same variety in terms of the flavours.
So there's often like a mint flavour,
but you don't necessarily get the range of flavours
like you do in regular liquid mouthwash.
And at the moment, there are no specialist options.
So some people do use specialist types of mouth washes
for particular conditions.
Might be if you've got gum disease,
if you've got dry mouth,
there are mouthwashes or oral rinses
that are medically designed to help with those conditions.
At the time of recording
I've yet to see a mouthwash tablet
that is designed to achieve the same results
as those liquid alternatives.
So many people ask,
are they better than a regular oral rinse or mouth wash?
So as we've touched upon in the benefits,
there are a few reasons why these could be
a better option for you,
notably the convenience and environmental impact
they actually have.
But because you've also got some of these products,
which can be chewed and swallowed,
that can actually be a better option for many people,
because you don't have to be considered
of having a sink or somewhere to spit out the mouthwash
like you would with a regular oral rinse.
So it's really down to your personal preferences,
your lifestyle and circumstances
as to whether it's a better option for you.
It's an alternative for most people,
with the satisfaction of it likely being
a more environmentally and convenient option
for the vast majority.
When do you use them?
Well, just like a regular mouthwash,
they're not designed to be used
straight after brushing your teeth,
they're best used at different times of the day,
maybe mid morning after lunch mid-afternoon.
At times when you wouldn't normally brush your teeth
where you don't need to brush your teeth,
but you want that refreshing sensation to your mouth.
Maybe it's get rid of a bad taste that you might have
maybe to get rid of some of the flavours
from a particular meal you've eaten or something drunk.
So how do you use them?
Well, how you use them depends on the particular product.
But as I said, there are three different ways
that you can use these products at the time of recording.
So you have to chew, rinse and swallow,
this is the most convenient option.
So this type of tablet allows you to place in your mouth,
chew it so it mixes with the saliva,
you then rinse it around your mouth
and then you swallow it.
So a very convenient option there.
You then have the chew, rinse and spit approach.
And this is probably the most common one.
So these products allow you to place the powder or tablet
into the mouth, chew it,
and then mix it with the saliva
or a small amount of tap water.
You then rinse it around them mouth
like you would a regular oral rinse,
and then you spit it out,
you don't swallow this one.
And then the last one is the mix, rinse and spit.
And this is the least convenient.
And this applies more to the concentrates,
but there are some toothpaste tablets
that operate in this way too.
And this type of powder or tablet is designed to be placed
in a small amount of water,
given time to dissolve or to be mixed
and then placed in the mouth,
rinsed around the mouth and then spat out.
So in terms of ingredients,
it does vary from one brand to another.
Many of these products are designed
to be environmentally conscious or sustainable,
not in all instances,
but the vast majority are moving down that route
because they come perhaps
from a more environmentally friendly perspective
in terms of the way they've been created.
So the number of ingredients will vary from
one manufacturer to another.
Do your research if you have particular issues
around particular ingredients,
but many are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The better brands will actually make very clear
what the ingredients are
and whether they are suitable
for things like vegans, for example.
So in terms of costs, are they worth it?
Yes, I certainly do believe they are.
Unlike many products that command a premium
for being more environmentally friendly or sustainable,
as I see it, mouthwash tablets don't command that premium.
Using the previously mentioned Listerine and Lush products
as an example again,
a one litre bottle of mouthwash is around £3.50
whilst a tub of tablets costs around £6.50.
However, the bottle lasts 20 days,
whereas the tablet lasts 40.
Two of the bottles will total seven pounds,
but you only need one tub of tablets,
which are 50P cheaper.
Now I could use other examples to demonstrate that point,
but there is a little bit of a price saving to be had
in most instances with the mouthwash tablets.
So that summarises my explanation
of mouthwash tablets, powders, and concentrates.
I hope you've learned about this product
and what it can offer for you.
If you have any comments or questions,
please feel free to leave them below.
There is a full, detailed written article
that accompanies this video link in the description.
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but until next time, thanks for watching.
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