Margaret Louis / 10 September 2025 / Categories: Product and Brands, Corporate Brands, Health, Dentists

Listerine Vs Corsodyl - the facts may shock you

If you are one of the 36% of people globally using Listerine you need to read this

I have been using Listerine mouth wash for years. And then I find out this…..

Listerine is now owned by Kenvue a publicly traded, fully independent company, but its ownership is distributed among its shareholders, which include institutional investors like The Vanguard Group and BlackRock, as well as individual investors. In 2006 Johnson & Johnson bought Listerine from it’s original owners Lambert Pharmaceutical company and manufactured the product until 2023 although no longer a majority owner, as Kenvue the spin off company separated from Johnson and Johnson. Johnson and Johnson did retain a 9.5% stake before selling it off in March 2024 although this was not a transactional sale, the remaining stake in Kenvue was used to pay Johnson and Johnson debts held by J.P Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

The Listerine brand name, data from back in 2013 (the company doesn’t publish how much money Listerine actually makes) said Listerine holds 36.1% of the global mouthwash market worth back then an estimated $4.8 billion dollars.

Yes a staggering amount of money Kenvue are making for a well marketed product that's actually not that great. read on.

The reason I am writing this snoop is because I have just swapped my dentist. My NHS dentist retired, gave up practising and I decided to join a private practise. The NHS options available just weren’t very good, most practises nearby weren’t registering new patients and as I am now over 40, getting a bit older I needed someone I felt could offer more comprehensive care.

The very first thing I was told at my first examination was to stop using Listerine. Point blank. Don't buy another bottle. Throw whats left away. It doesn't work. I was categorically informed told in no uncertain terms after two weeks using Listerine the bugs become resistant to it and you may as well not use anything at all. I was wasting my money.

I couldn’t believe it. I trust the new dentist I am now paying to advise me. He came highly recommended and would have no reason to steer me away from Listerine and towards a less well known brand Corsodyl Daily.

The brand Corsodyl has a similar corporate history to Listerine, it is owned by a consumer healthcare company Haleon, which was a spin off company formed in 2022 from another pharmaceutical giant GSK, GlaxoSmithKline.

All roads lead back to BlackRock and Vangard I am afraid if you are looking to avoid these too less than ethical money people as they are principal institutional investors in both companies so no getting away from who is getting all the money in the end whichever product you choose.

The interesting thing for me is I bought into a product like Listerine for so many years that doesn’t actually work and no one in the NHS ever shared or knew this information.

The other thing I have learned in the last week is not to use my mouth wash at the same time as brushing my teeth as the benefits of one product, the toothpaste are cancelled out by another, the mouth wash.

So I am now brushing my teeth and then using my mouthwash an hour or two later.

If you are concerned about gingivitis, gum disease which eventually leads to tooth loss, Corsodyl is committed to partnering with dentists and patients to help prevent gum problems through effective daily plaque control.

Who knew?????

Listerine is not inherently "bad for you” but its alcohol-based formulas can cause a burning sensation, dry mouth, and potentially alter the oral microbiome, increasing opportunistic bacteria. Corsodyl is alcohol free and doesn’t present the same problems with daily use.

Listerine 500ml advanced defense £6.00

Corsodyl daily 500ml £4.80