Brighton Woman Won an Award for Her Toothpaste Business

Local businesswoman, Marisa Battrick, had recently got an award for her homemade, innovative toothpaste business: the “truthpaste”.

Marisa was given the Enterprise Award by the Prince’s Trust for her product of natural mineral toothpaste labeled as “Truthpaste”, which originally began in her kitchen 6 years ago.

The Story Behind “Truthpaste”

Marisa attempted to make her toothpaste when she began developing a toothache, but then a visit to the dentist didn’t seem to stop the pain.

She explored alternative ways to ease the pain and has created her toothpaste using essential oils and some other herbal supplements. The recipe does not include foaming agents, dyes, whitening agents, or preservatives which could create problems for those with sensitive teeth.

Marisa said, “It all started from having tooth pain. I went to the dentist’s clinic for a filling, however, when I came home and the anesthesia wore off, I was still in pain. I switched to the internet desperate to get some remedy and to look for natural treatments, I accidentally came across details about making home-made toothpaste.”

She added, “I went into my cupboard and found coconut oil, tea tree, clove oil, and neem oil, and that is full of antimicrobial properties.”

“I only combined everything, and it stopped my toothache. I headed out to get a peppermint oil to make the toothpaste more palatable, then I began mixing with all kinds of remedies.”

Her toothpaste business had become a reality when Marisa was referred to the Prince’s Trust. After this, she took a short course in Enterprise, did her business plan, managed to find a business mentor, and got a small start-up financing and truthpaste was introduced in the market.

Truthpaste made the first-ever sale on New Year’s Day of 2016. The client is now a frequent wholesale customer, committed to Marisa ‘s brand of unique, natural toothpaste.

Since she made her first online sales and from the sales at Waste Not in Brighton’s Open Market, Truthpaste has taken off.

The launch of the Blue Planet 2 program also attracted more customers to Marisa ‘s product because the toothpaste is ecologically friendly and stored in a reusable glass container. Her sales skyrocketed almost instantly, and she made an appearance on the BBC, in The Guardian, in some newspapers and journals.

Marisa left her job last summer to concentrate on her toothpaste business full-time. She was able to recruit an employee as well as distribute her product to nearly 100 stores nationwide and also abroad to Belgium, Spain, Iceland, and Australia.

Prince’s Trust London and South East NatWest Enterprise award

Now she has managed to win the Prince’s Trust London and the South East NatWest Enterprise award, having taken the formula she developed in her kitchen and converting it into a business venture.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Marisa said, “The Prince’s Trust and my advisor have been so supportive in establishing my business, and I am astounded that my concept from experiencing a toothache has turned into a profitable business.

“Truthpaste is heading from strength to strength, which is fascinating.”

Marisa’s toothpaste shines from the rest because of its ethical and ecological approach. Truthpaste is sold in a recyclable glass container and is made entirely of natural products. It does not contain any colorants, foaming solutions, bleaching agents, or additives like many other toothpaste products carry. For that kind of reason, truthpaste is the best option for anyone with sensitive teeth seeking a natural, environmentally sound, and cruelty-free solution.

Sharniya Ferdinand, NatWest Business Inclusion Manager, said: “Congratulations to Marisa for getting the Enterprise award. She has shown us how a brilliant idea can be transformed into a sustainable business.