Dr Cüneyt YARDIMCI
I believe Listerine is far away best mouthwash ever…
No doubt !!!
I have regretted every time when I bought one of the other very well-known brands with a feeling of being deceived by the campaigns or the price advantage; find myself murmuring “I have understood that nobody was you” just like the lyrics of a famous song…
Well…
Have you ever thought in which areas and for which purposes Listerine has been consumed since 1880s???
Listerine was first marketed as an antiseptic to be used for surgeons’ hand cleaning…
Though being quite popular in a short time and having quite good penetration in this particular niche area, there was a need to extend the market….
Here it is:
To be used for all purposes of skin care and prevention of infections in all kinds of wounds, including scratches, insect bites, and burns etc…
However, it was not only our skin that needs to be purified from microbes; and Listerine entered to the field of surface cleaning with a diluted formulation compared to original product…
Then, short after a new idea has raised…
Why shouldn’t it be recommended for “sweaty feet and calluses”?
At the time gonorrhea was a serious health problem; and a new opportunity has raised immediately…
The marketers of Listerine got their hands on this unmet need (!), and secured themselves in female genital hygiene as well…
In fact, it was only towards the end of 1920s when Listerine began to be known as “germ-killing mouthwash” …
In the 1930s, a more refreshing taste was offered to smokers with Listerine Cigarettes…
In the mean time, it didn’t take long to discover a sharp and burning aroma would go best to the shaving cream and lotion…
Listerine Shaving Cream and After Shave were not forgotten for sure…
In fact, Listerine applied to the scalp once a week, could be good for the prevention of dandruff….
Why wouldn’t it be????
So why shouldn’t it also prevent colds and even pneumonia ???
It was 1976,
Seeing that the claims about the benefits of the product were claimed far beyond its purpose, the authority said “enough and stop” …
And according to the court decision, Listerine was obliged to share a statement of “Listerine will not be useful in preventing colds or sore throats or reduce the severity of these conditions” before the upcoming 10 million dollar advertising expenditure …
Here are the intermediate milestones of the famous rinse water before it has enthroned in our mouths….
