Anders Andreen: “The next generation of beauty brands will compete less on who has the most advanced product and more on who can create daily rituals that people genuinely want to adopt.”
Personally, oral care brand Lucent’s co-founder Anders Andreen (pictured right above with his co-founders) didn’t even know that a tongue scraper existed a few years ago. Now, he says, he can hardly live without it.
– Essentially, it’s a cleaning device for your tongue. Not only does it improve your breath, it really enhances the flavours on your tongue and in your mouth.
– It’s also a TikTok trend; we see that more and more young content creators are showing it, and it seems to be something people like. It’s been around for a while, but it’s often made of plastic and feels very cheap. What we’ve tried to do here is to use medical-grade stainless steel and an ergonomic design that makes it not only comfortable to use, but also sustainable, with a lifetime guarantee. We want to make a product that will follow people through life.
It will last. Literally.
– Unlike a plastic tongue scraper, it will definitely last. Similar to a spoon or a fork, for cleaning, people can put it into their dishwasher if they want.
You’ve been around for a few years with the brand as an industry disruptor. What is it like to shake up a very traditional industry?
– I think that’s the most exciting part of what we’re doing. It is a very traditional space. Even though oral health is so close to the category of beauty, it’s far more traditional and a bit more medical in its approach. Therefore, our whole existence is to drive a new way of doing daily routines, not to do the things people must do, but the things that they actually want to do. Because it’s a nice feeling, and it gives that daily ritual that they want to do twice a day to enhance their health and beauty. So that’s essentially coming down to our ‘why.’ We want to challenge this old-fashioned industry.
– Almost everyone in the world brushes their teeth, either with a manual or an electric toothbrush. What we want to educate and inspire people about is to actually make the daily oral health rituals a little bit more extensive, to really take care of the mouth. The benefits are, of course, a brighter smile, but that’s the cosmetic part of it. It also enhances breath and taste, but oral health goes much further than that. We know that poor oral health is associated with a number of diseases and health conditions elsewhere in the body. So there really are both beauty and health aspects connected to this.
And given the increased focus on health in beauty, it’s perfect timing, right?
– Well, I believe so. And this is such an obvious space that we believe that we have a lot to do. We also see that the attention to oral health is increasing dramatically. Therefore, we like to be present in beauty retailers or pharmacies that really focus on this health and beauty space.
But in physical retail, the shelf space is obviously limited. And you’re now introducing a slightly new category, which can also be challenging.
– The shelf space is always a tough one, because you’re fighting against the old-fashioned dragons who have been there for ages. But at the same time, a lot of the retailers are progressive. They want to have the latest newness for their target group, visitors, and consumers. So, we try to be where progressive retailers act. And fortunately, there are quite a few.
And also in the US.
– Yes. We’ve been successful in the US. We recently launched at Best Buy, Nordstrom, and Target. These are the retailers we’ve put on top of our list, so we’re very happy about that, and their collective reach is tremendous, of course.
Do you consider yourself an oral tech brand, or where do you get the best traction?
– Yes. If we want to label it, oral tech or beauty tech, for that matter, because we like to include the fact that it is a beauty brand that focuses on oral health. That way, we position ourselves, and every day, we work as a brand that really screams beauty and health. All in all, we’re a beauty brand focusing on oral health.
Who’s your most common end consumer? The tech guy or girl, the health-oriented one, or others?
– It would be more of the health guy or girl who follows trends, who sees the new routines and rituals that you use every day. They have the most interest in these new ways of enhancing the routines. And no matter if it’s a toothbrush that they find smoother or nicer than their previous toothbrush, or if it’s a new tool they haven’t heard about before, they’re more curious, Andreen shares. He continues:
– Sometimes, it’s a tech guy as well, but to be perfectly honest, a tech guy looks more at the specifications and the actual tech. Whereas we have that as a ground layer that needs to be at least as competitive as our friends in the category. But we also want to show how products actually can look and feel and be a nice experience rather than only talking about specifications.
And given all your tech focus, it can be quite surprising that such an analogue product gets so much sales.
– Our Tongue Scraper is obviously not even low-tech. It’s no-tech. It’s really just a beautiful product, developed to enhance something that most people didn’t know they needed. And I think it’s one of those things, educational or inspirational, that when they see that it works, it’s a must-have. So yes, sometimes you just have to simplify in order to enhance. I think that’s important.
What other beauty entrepreneurs can learn from this is perhaps to keep an open mind. And perhaps you have an even more open mind now when you’ve seen this success.
– Yes. You’re completely right. And you don’t always have to chase the most advanced solutions. Just making it simpler and a better experience is the key to success.
Or perhaps look at where your kids are on TikTok.
– You’re right! They are the best source of inspiration in that sense.
Dyson just presented CameraJet, its first-ever electric toothbrush, which includes a mouthwash jet to remove plaque between teeth.
– Yes. I think the fact that Dyson is now entering electric toothbrushes is fantastic for the category. They’re one of the companies that have really shown how technology, design and user experience can transform very traditional everyday products. The toothbrush looks like an engineering masterpiece and will be exciting to follow.
– So rather than seeing them entering oral care as a threat, I see it as validation. It tells us that oral care is becoming a much more interesting category, moving closer to beauty, design, and consumer technology. And that’s exactly the development we’ve believed in from the beginning.
What else is on your mind connected to the industry?
– That it sometimes confuses innovation with complexity. More technology, more ingredients, and more features don’t automatically create a better product.
– Consumers don’t really want more technology. They want better experiences and better routines. Sometimes the biggest opportunity is simply to take an existing behaviour and make it easier, more enjoyable or more desirable.
– That’s why I believe the next generation of beauty brands will compete less on who has the most advanced product and more on who can create daily rituals that people genuinely want to adopt.