Why Skincare Entrepreneurs Are Turning Their Attention to Oral Care

Having transformed the skincare industry through ingredient innovation, digital disruption and science-led formulations, beauty entrepreneurs are identifying similar opportunities in oral care. Skin+Me founder James Mishreki, who has now co-founded S3 Sensitivity Science, explains why the category could be ready for a new generation of challengers.

The skincare industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, driven in part by entrepreneurs who recognised opportunities that established beauty companies had overlooked. From the rise of ingredient-led brands such as The Ordinary to the growth of personalised prescription skincare through businesses such as Skin+Me, a new generation of companies has challenged traditional approaches to product development, consumer education and distribution. Their success has demonstrated how scientific credibility, targeted formulations and direct relationships with consumers can create opportunities in even the most competitive beauty categories.

Now, some of the thinking that reshaped skincare is being applied to another bathroom essential: oral care. Traditionally dominated by multinational manufacturers and supermarket distribution, the category is attracting entrepreneurs who see potential in specialist formulations, greater ingredient transparency and products designed around specific consumer concerns. As oral health becomes increasingly connected to the wider beauty and wellness conversation, the similarities between the two industries are becoming more apparent, raising questions about whether the strategies that transformed skincare could also create opportunities for a new generation of oral-care businesses.

Among those exploring this potential is James Mishreki, founder of personalised skincare brand Skin+Me, who has joined forces with former Sensodyne executives to launch S3 Sensitivity Science. The British oral-care brand has entered the market with a premium toothpaste targeting tooth sensitivity, developed around a patent-pending triple-active formulation and backed by investment from more than 20 practising dentists. For Mishreki, the move into oral care represents an opportunity to apply lessons from building a skincare business to a category he believes has remained relatively unchanged despite significant unmet consumer needs.

Finding opportunity in established markets

One of the defining characteristics of successful skincare challengers has been their ability to identify problems that consumers have come to accept as unavoidable. Rather than competing with established brands across extensive product portfolios, companies such as Skin+Me built their propositions around specific concerns, offering more targeted solutions and simplifying access to products or services that had traditionally been difficult to obtain.

Mishreki sees a similar opportunity within oral care, particularly in the treatment of tooth sensitivity, which affects a substantial proportion of adults but remains largely associated with a relatively small number of established toothpaste brands.

"Honestly, it was the same pattern I saw when I founded Skin + Me. A huge category where people are underserved and the leading products haven't really moved in years. With Skin + Me it was people who couldn't get dermatologist-grade treatment without a private consultation. In oral care it's sensitivity. Millions of people live with it, and most have just accepted it.

"What was different is that this one is a science problem first - we had to develop new technology in order to deliver superior results for people that suffer from sensitivity. That made it harder, and much more interesting."

The comparison highlights an important distinction between the two businesses. Skin+Me's innovation centred on making personalised, prescription-based skincare more accessible through a digital platform, while S3 is attempting to differentiate itself through formulation technology within an already established consumer category. Both approaches are built around identifying a specific consumer frustration, although the barriers to entry and requirements for demonstrating product effectiveness differ considerably.

S3's launch also illustrates how expertise from established corporations can be combined with the entrepreneurial approach associated with newer beauty businesses. Co-founder Mick Cox previously served as Global Head of Sensodyne, while the brand's formulation development involved former GSK chemist Majedeh Mazrai. The resulting S3 Repair Technology combines potassium nitrate, nano-hydroxyapatite and biomimetic hydroxyapatite with fluoride, designed to address sensitivity through complementary mechanisms.

Perhaps the most significant lesson oral care can take from skincare is the commercial value of ingredient education. Over the past decade, consumers have become increasingly familiar with ingredients such as retinoids, niacinamide, vitamin C and peptides, often researching their benefits and comparing formulations before making purchasing decisions. Brands that once relied on broad promises of youthful or radiant skin have increasingly been challenged to explain how their products work, creating opportunities for businesses able to communicate scientific concepts in an accessible and engaging way.

A similar development is beginning to emerge in oral care, where ingredients including hydroxyapatite and xylitol are attracting greater consumer attention. Although established dental brands have long relied on scientific research and clinical claims, the opportunity for challengers may be to make formulation science a more visible part of their brand identity, encouraging customers to understand the ingredients in their toothpaste in much the same way they examine the contents of a skincare serum.

"Skincare customers learned the names of their actives: retinoids, niacinamide, vitamin C. Oral care is starting the same journey with ingredients like hydroxyapatite. Most people still choose a toothpaste on brand and flavour, not on what's inside it. That's the gap.

"At S3 we built the formula around ingredients with independent clinical evidence behind them, and we talk about them openly. Skincare has shown that people reward brands that treat them as intelligent.

"We're also placing brand trust at the top of our agenda and in oral care that comes from the dental profession. At our founding we had over 20 UK dentists invest in S3 and are spending a lot of time building awareness with dentists so that they can understand the science they can offer to their patients."

The importance Mishreki places on dental professionals reflects another established strategy within skincare, where dermatologist recommendations and practitioner partnerships have become influential sources of credibility. Professional endorsement can help newer brands establish trust, particularly when competing with manufacturers that have decades of consumer recognition and extensive distribution networks.

Can oral care replicate skincare's premiumisation?

The transformation of skincare has also been accompanied by significant changes in consumer spending. Products once regarded as everyday essentials have increasingly moved into premium beauty, with customers willing to invest in sophisticated formulations, specialist ingredients and brands that offer a combination of scientific credibility and an elevated product experience. The growth of prestige skincare has demonstrated that price expectations can change considerably when consumers perceive a product as delivering meaningful benefits.

Oral care has historically been more resistant to this shift, with toothpaste generally purchased as a routine household necessity and price remaining an important consideration. However, the increasing visibility of premium oral-care brands suggests that the category may be developing beyond its traditional supermarket positioning. For entrepreneurs familiar with the economics of prestige skincare, this presents an opportunity to introduce higher-value products that combine functional benefits with sophisticated branding and a more considered consumer experience.

"Trading up only sticks when the product does something noticeably better. People pay more for skincare because they can see the results. In sensitivity oral care the equivalent is relief. If your teeth hurt less, you don't go back.

"So a premium brand needs three things: a real functional difference, the evidence to back it up, and a brand people are proud to have on the bathroom shelf. Price follows proof."

S3's pricing reflects this positioning, with its toothpaste retailing at £19.99, or £14.99 through a subscription. The brand is attempting to justify that premium through its formulation and reported product performance, alongside a visual identity more closely associated with contemporary beauty and wellness brands than conventional oral care.

According to the company's independent laboratory testing conducted at the University of Reading, S3's formulation occluded 100% of dentine tubules in the tested samples, compared with 84% for a market-leading sensitivity toothpaste. The brand also reports that 90% of participants in a separate consumer study experienced an improvement in sensitivity compared with their previous product.

What oral care can learn from skincare's challenger brands

The rise of digitally native skincare brands has changed how beauty companies build relationships with consumers. Direct-to-consumer platforms, subscription services and digital consultations have enabled businesses to develop targeted propositions while gathering detailed insights into purchasing behaviour and individual needs. These models have also allowed smaller companies to compete with established manufacturers without relying entirely on conventional retail distribution.

Oral care presents an interesting opportunity for similar approaches. Toothpaste is a regularly replenished product, making the category naturally suited to subscription models, while specialist oral-health concerns could support more personalised purchasing journeys. At the same time, a concentrated competitive landscape creates an opening for businesses that can establish a clear point of differentiation and communicate directly with consumers.

Mishreki believes the lessons from skincare are particularly relevant to emerging oral-care businesses.

"Oral care is still dominated by a handful of global players and the supermarket shelf, which is where skincare was ten years ago.

"The lessons I'd take from skincare:

• Lead with the science, and explain it simply.

• Build credibility with professionals first. Dermatologists gave Skin + Me its credibility, and dentists play that role for S3.

• Own the customer relationship, so you learn faster than the incumbents can."

Established oral-care manufacturers benefit from extensive retail distribution, brand recognition and substantial research budgets, but direct consumer engagement can offer smaller businesses an opportunity to respond more quickly to emerging concerns and purchasing preferences. In skincare, this ability to understand specific customer needs has contributed to the growth of targeted product ranges and personalised services, providing a potential model for entrepreneurs entering other areas of personal care. Nevertheless, the challenges facing oral-care startups differ from those encountered by many beauty businesses. Products intended to prevent decay, address sensitivity or support gum health must operate within a more clinically demanding environment, where formulation performance and compliance are central to consumer trust. The success of a digitally native model will therefore depend on its ability to combine commercial innovation with credible product development and effective professional communication.

The growing interest in oral care also reflects a wider convergence between beauty, personal care and wellness, as consumers increasingly consider the relationship between their daily routines and their broader health. The success of sophisticated skincare has encouraged greater attention to preventative care, while the growing popularity of specialist beauty supplements, scalp treatments and other targeted categories has demonstrated how products previously considered functional can become part of a more comprehensive self-care routine.

Oral care has traditionally occupied a somewhat separate position within this market, despite its close relationship with personal appearance and general health. However, greater awareness of oral health, together with the expansion of premium dental products, could encourage consumers to approach the category with the same level of consideration they apply to skincare.

"The mouth is part of the body, and the evidence linking oral health to wider health keeps growing. I think toothpaste moves from a grocery item to part of a daily health and beauty routine, sitting next to your skincare rather than your washing-up liquid.

"Expect more targeted formulations for specific concerns (sensitivity, enamel, gum health), more oral care in beauty and pharmacy retail, and new brands recommended by dental professionals. The routine will look a lot like skincare: fewer, better products, each chosen for a reason."

This vision of oral care as part of a broader beauty and wellness routine could have implications for product development, distribution and consumer behaviour. Beauty retailers may increasingly see opportunities to introduce premium oral-care ranges alongside skincare, while specialist brands could benefit from customers who already understand the value of targeted formulations and professional recommendations. The opportunity is particularly relevant as the boundaries between traditional beauty categories continue to shift. Consumers accustomed to examining the science behind their skincare may become more receptive to oral-care brands offering detailed ingredient information and specific functional benefits. For entrepreneurs with experience navigating the increasingly sophisticated skincare market, that creates a potentially attractive commercial proposition. Newsletter Block This newsletter signup form needs a storage option. Edit the block and enter a storage location via the Storage tab.

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