[Young Journalist Sihyun Oh] Consumers’ criteria for choosing oral hygiene products are shifting from a focus on the temporary freshness or fragrance to “data-driven consumption,” with concerns about the safety of ingredients and specific clinical evidence. As awareness of chemical ingredients and alcohol-induced irritation increases, demand for precisely managing individual oral problems, such as gum disease, dental plaque, and bad breath, is also growing. As these trends converge, the mouthwash market is also expanding into the area of high-functionality specialized care.

In response to these market changes, Dong-A Pharmaceutical has launched eight types of “Advanced Zero,” which improve the formulation of its flagship mouthwash brand, Gagreen, and has begun reorganizing its product lineup. The product line is characterized by applying the principle of ethanol-free formulation across the entire lineup to reduce concerns about chemical irritation, while also securing human application test data from an external accredited institution to demonstrate its functionality. The test results showed specific indicators, including a reduction of up to 99.99% in harmful bacteria, immediate relief from bad breath, and a 64% reduction in the gingivitis index after two weeks of use, allowing the products to be differentiated by function.

This reform carries strategic significance because it goes one step beyond the existing “Free” marketing, which simply excluded certain harmful ingredients, by presenting quantified evidence of practical efficacy in disease prevention. It also dispels the prejudice that a mild feel during use means weaker efficacy; the product line was divided into two categories: a dental line focused on immediate bad breath control and a flavor line reflecting consumer preferences. In this way, an oral care product that had traditionally remained at the level of everyday household goods has been elevated into a personalized oral care solution.

The domestic oral care market has recently seen a clear trend toward “derma oral care,” which demands a level of expertise comparable to that of quasi-drugs, in line with growing interest in today's dentistry. Major manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson (Listerine), LG Household & Health Care, and Amorepacific, are also successively launching derivative products that combine specialized functions, such as gum care, whitening, and the inhibition of tartar formation, while incorporating alcohol-free formulations as a basic feature. Beyond competition in simple daily necessities, securing consumer trust by incorporating pharmaceutical and biotechnology technologies has emerged as a key factor determining market share.

The pharmaceutical industry expects that, as consumers become stricter about ingredient standards, certified clinical data and manufacturing quality control capabilities will become the criterion for determining brand competitiveness. Based on the production technology of its Icheon plant, which obtained South Korea’s first GMP certification for quasi-drugs, and its accumulated pharmaceutical R&D infrastructure, Dong-A Pharmaceutical plans to continuously strengthen its efforts to target the functional oral care market, where safety and efficacy are combined.

▶원문 기사: 단순 청량감서 ‘임상 데이터’로 승부… 구강케어 시장, 기능성 세분화 가속 (이코노미스트, 2026.9.29)

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