The History of Listerine

Listerine was created by a St. Louis doctor named Joseph Lawrence in 1879. Lawrence created his formula using ingredients that he purchased from Jordan Wheat Lambert, a local pharmacist. Lambert then licensed Lawrence’s formula, but its purpose wasn’t immediately clear. Still, he believed it would be useful to doctors, so he had the ingredients printed on the label. Listerine is widely considered the first product to prominently display an ingredient list on its packaging. By 1895, Lambert had begun marketing his formula to dentists as an oral antiseptic. The name Listerine was chosen as a tribute to Sir Joseph Lister, the first surgeon to perform an operation in a sterilized chamber. Listerine was sold in glass bottles until 1994, when plastic packaging was introduced. The formula has remained largely unchanged since its creation and features several essential oils as the active ingredients, including eucalyptol, menthol, and thymol. The brand now carries several specialized products in addition to the original formula; for example, an alcohol-free version was introduced in 2011. Today, Listerine is one of the most well-known brands in the world and is recommended by the ADA (American Dental Association).