Sales of oral hygiene products have grown 14 per cent over the past five years, whilst mouthwash has increased at a refreshing 44 per cent in that time; according to market research company Mintel.
Senior beauty analyst, Vivienne Rudd explained that “the market for mouthwash benefits from being easy and quick-to-use with instant results. By and large adults look to mouthwashes to kill germs and bacteria and eliminate or reduce bad breath.”
The oral hygiene market for 2010 stands at £833m (€946m), with mouthwash sales valued at £158m, an increase of £48m from 2005.
The bulk of mouthwash sales (84 per cent) are made up of non-medicated washes, valued at £132 million, while the remainder is made up of the medicated variety (£26 million).
More essential in daily routine
And Rudd believes that it is because manufacturers have begun to adapt the role that mouthwash plays in the daily oral hygiene routine.
“Manufacturers are looking to make mouthwashes a more essential part of the oral hygiene routine by developing sophisticated formulae with benefits including whitening and tartar control,” she said.
Toothpaste remains the largest segment of the market raking in £353m in 2010, followed by toothbrushes (£237m), mouthwash, denture products (£42m) and dental accessories (£43m), according to the report.
Electric toothbrushes making a buzz
And the other big mover, according to Mintel, is sales of electric toothbrushes having increased 25 per cent since 2005, now accounting for 38 per cent of toothbrush value sales.
The £90m that this category accounts for contributed to the five per cent growth of toothbrushes over the last five years, as sales of manual toothbrushes actually dropped four per cent over the same period.
“Electric brushes are gradually stealing share from the manual variety. While use of toothpaste is nearing 100 per cent in the UK, growth opportunities remain for toothbrushes as some consumers continue to hold on to brushes longer than they should,” explains Rudd.
“Powered brushes are well placed to cater to those UK consumers whose most common oral health concern is stained and yellowing teeth. Powered brushes are often positioned as offering superior cleaning power, which is advantageous given that uptake of professional whitening treatments is relatively low.”