SINCE LAST YEAR, Colgate has been using color theory to fix yellow stained-teeth through its Colgate Optic White Purple Toothpaste. On Sept. 15, they released the Colgate Optic White Purple Serum for a more intense teeth whitening remedy.

Yellow and purple are opposites on the color wheel; when merged, it appears white. For oral beauty, this means purple color-corrects yellow tones to appear white (a company statement emphasizes that it has temporary efficacy and varying results). Purple brighteners work by depositing a sheer violet tint on the tooth surface, effectively cancelling out yellowish hues through an optical illusion.

Carlo Isla, marketing director for oral care at Colgate-Palmolive Philippines told BusinessWorld during the launch in Whitespace, “Both will deliver,” speaking of the new serum and the toothpaste. “It’s a little bit leave-on, so you leave it for two minutes, and you can rinse it out.” He also said that the serum delivers by being of a different texture (it is more viscous), and of a deeper, more intense shade of purple. “The serum and the toothpaste work better together, though,” he added.

“The principal action of this really relies on the type of purple we use,” he said about the efficacy of the products. “What we are proud of, of our serum as well as our toothpaste, is that the shade of purple is specifically engineered to cover types of yellow stains.”

“Stains will be different for everyone,” he added.

What was noticed during the launch was that the toothpaste was marketed not as an oral health tool, but as a beauty product: the product’s face is Korean star IU. “What we realized globally, and this is a global trend, that there is a space, and there’s a need for, I guess, a layering of benefits,” said Mr. Isla.

While the toothpaste works as it should in cleaning in protecting teeth, the beauty component is a prominent add-on (the serum’s bottle warns that it is not to be used as a toothpaste alone). “It takes time for yellowing to change, but this can give you an instant correction — as you would do with other beauty and cosmetic products as well.”

Colgate Optic White Purple Toothpaste and Serum are available nationwide in leading groceries and beauty stores at P49 per tube SRP (37g). — J.L. Garcia

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