The biochemistry of ‘Be you’ toothpaste
Through an enzymatic reaction, the ‘Be you’ toothpaste of the Swiss brand, Curaprox, delivers gentle whitening and an increased antibacterial effect. As such, this toothpaste simply enhances what our mouth already does. Here, we explain how the product works.

When many people think of toothpastes, they think, “What can be better than a little menthol and a little fluoride?”. This is where the biochemistry of ‘Be you’ toothpaste comes in.

Once this toothpaste reacts with oxygen, an enzymatic reaction begins. That’s because the glucose oxidase enzyme and the dextrose contained in ‘Be you’ toothpaste react with each other and the oxygen in the air. As a result, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gluconic acid are produced, causing two further effects.

Gentle whitening
The first is a gentle whitening effect. This works as the hydrogen peroxide deposits one of its two oxygen particles into the tooth enamel, resulting in a physical reaction – when light reflects off the enamel, it appears whiter. Then all that remains of the hydrogen peroxide is water. This whitening effect is designed to be very gentle. As such, ‘Be you’ toothpaste can be used daily or as often as desired.

Combat bacteria
The second effect of ‘Be you’ toothpaste relates to gluconic acid, which is a fruit acid otherwise known as E-574. This is used as a harmless natural food additive and acidifier that inhibits the growth of microorganisms.

In the mouth, gluconic acid provides an additional antibacterial effect, which is further enhanced by hydrogen peroxide reacting with thiocyanate contained in ‘Be you’ toothpaste, and another important component of saliva – the enzyme, lactoperoxidase. This results in the production of hypo-thiocyanate, which has a strong antibacterial effect. Although saliva naturally exhibits antibacterial properties, this is significantly improved by hypo-thiocyanate.

As it provides such a potent antibacterial effect, does ‘Be you’ toothpaste need fluoride? Science says yes, as fluoride is very effective at combatting acid-producing bacteria and helping to remineralise the enamel. For these reasons, ‘Be you’ toothpaste also contains fluoride.

Enhancing nature
Essentially, ‘Be you’ toothpaste is an enhancer. Hydrogen peroxide can be generated, as its components are naturally present in the mouth and saliva. ‘Be you’ toothpaste simply supports this process.

Hypo-thiocyanate is also naturally produced in the mouth. While this affords the oral environment a certain degree of protection, changing diets have put teeth at risk of acidic damage that people never would have been exposed to millennia ago. Therefore, ‘Be you’ toothpaste provides support in the generation of hypo-thiocyanate as well.

Thanks to its xylitol content, ‘Be you’ toothpaste also reduces the formation of biofilm and provides an anticariogenic effect, whilst significantly promoting the flow of saliva.

Ever since the launch of ‘Be you’ toothpaste, many people have realised something very important: toothbrushing can be a real pleasure and toothpastes can taste fantastic. ‘Be you’ toothpaste’s brightly-coloured packaging and exotic flavours prove this, so you can look forward to brushing your teeth every morning, noon and night.

Best to brush your teeth every day
It is important to remember that the oxygen stored within the tooth enamel dissolves with time. Therefore, it is vital to clean your teeth and gums daily with ‘Be you’ toothpaste. It takes a little while before enough oxygen is stored within the enamel, as ‘Be you’ toothpaste releases its enzymatic whitening effect in gentle doses.

To achieve the best results, your tooth enamel must be intact. It also helps to avoid rinsing your mouth and eating or drinking immediately after brushing your teeth, which will enable the enzymatic reaction to take effect undisturbed.

‘Be you’ toothpaste is available in six flavours that each produce some hydrogen peroxide during brushing, resulting in gentle whitening and an increased antibacterial effect.

Profile ‘Be you’

• Gentle Everyday Whitening
• Glucose oxidase for an enzymatic whitening effect
• Physical blue filter
• Hydroxyapatite, xylitol and panthenol
• Herbal extracts from coneflower, devil’s claw and Indian water navel
• Six sophisticated flavours
• Long-lasting feeling of freshness
• 950ppm sodium monofluorophosphate
• RDA approx. 50
• Vegan
• Free from SLS, triclosan and microplastics
• Made in Switzerland