While studying at Michigan State University, Austin Loper struggled to find gum or mints that would freshen his breath in between classes. He wanted the mouthfeel and freshness that mouthwash provided without having to carry around a clunky, leaky bottle—definitely not ideal for busy campus days.
Loper went to his mother, Karen, a packaging engineer, with his problem. Combining his product development experience with her expertise, the mother-son duo collaborated to form Go Mouthwash, an on-the-go option for all-day freshness. And the product not only works well for college students, but busy travelers and hotel guests as well.
“Travelers can ignite the confidence they need to start their day or set their minds at ease with an on-the-go freshness experience that’s perfect for travel,” said Austin Loper. “Go Mouthwash packets are TSA compliant, making them ideal for everything from carry-on luggage to slipping into your gym bag when you have a big day ahead.”
Utilizing its relationship with TerraCycle, Go Mouthwash’s packaging is also fully recyclable, making it easy for consumers to stay sustainable on the road.
Additionally, individual mouthwash packets are free of gluten, artificial dyes, colors and harsh ingredients that can stain. Go Mouthwash is also 99.6% alcohol-free and never tested on animals.
The company launched with the mouthwash solution and recently expanded into a full amenity suite of individual packets, including mouthwash, body lotion, 2-in-1 shampoo/ conditioner and body wash, making it simple for travelers to stay fresh on the road.
“For hotel leaders, giving your guests an enhanced experience means providing everything from heated towels to toiletries in order to stand out in a hyper-competitive market,” Karen Loper said. “Until now, providing mouthwash meant using a bulk mouthwash dispenser/disposable cups or clunky small bottles of bright blue mouthwash. In the post-pandemic era, some with sanitary concerns put a damper on an elevated experience. Bulk containers don’t convey luxury. That’s what studies are showing. Guests don’t want to give up their single-use amenities.”
According to the team, Go Mouthwash is in independent luxury hotels and other properties, including a Four Seasons and a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel, with plans to expand to new locations looking to cultivate the in-room experience for their guests.
“Post-pandemic guests are eager to travel but have serious hygiene concerns; we combat these concerns by saying goodbye to dispensers and offering the perfectly dosed single-use tamper-proof amenities,” Austin Loper said. “Then, sustainability is the other big topic right now in the amenity space. How can we make our guests’ experience feel personalized yet not negatively impact the environment? We constantly hear from hotel owners about how their guests often leave close to half of the product still in the bottle upon leaving the hotel. Our packets are perfectly dosed and don’t leave excess product in them, on top of being able to be recycled through TerraCycle.”
Go Mouthwash is finalizing agreements with some of the larger distributors of hospitality operating supplies and equipment (OS&E), which, according to the company, will allow purchasing managers more access to stock the products at better prices and allow their guests to breathe fresh.
The company is also working on additional flavors (including one for children) and is continuing to focus on sustainability with more than 100,000 Go Mouthwash packets set to be donated this year.
