Essential Oxygen

Hydrogen peroxide has been used in oral care for more than a century. But here’s what most people don’t know: not all hydrogen peroxide is the same.

The chemistry is straightforward. When hydrogen peroxide contacts bacteria in your mouth, it breaks down into water and oxygen. That release of oxygen creates the familiar bubbling effect, lifts debris, reaches areas brushing can’t, and helps freshen the mouth, support healthy-looking gums, and reduce surface stains over time.

The problem isn’t hydrogen peroxide itself. It’s the version most of us grew up with. Brown bottle hydrogen peroxide is stabilized with chemical additives to extend its shelf life. Those stabilizers are what you want to keep out of your mouth, not the peroxide.

That distinction is exactly why Kate Linforth started Essential Oxygen. Food-grade, additive-free hydrogen peroxide does the same work this ingredient has been doing for over a hundred years, without the chemical baggage that comes with the drugstore version.

Sometimes the oldest ingredients are worth keeping, it’s just a matter of getting the formula right.