Selahatin

SELAHATIN, RICK OWENS' FAVORITE TOOTHPASTE BRAND, MAKES PERFUME FOR YOUR MOUTH Starting a company is pretty stupid. Starting a company after you’ve had a stroke, that's stupidity squared. Of course, reason doesn’t usually triumph in matters of the heart – and Selahatin, our luxurious line of artisanal oral care products, is a project that we are deeply passionate about. At 25, our founder Kristoffer Vural suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed for a year. Kristoffer spent an entire year in the hospital, undergoing physical therapy to regain his ability to move. In addition to a loss of mobility, Kristoffer's stroke also resulted in a stranger, more mysterious change: His sense of taste and smell heightened. As a result, brushing his teeth became nearly unbearable. Kristoffer also developed synesthesia, a condition that allows him to experience taste and smell as colors. Impassioned by his own experience, Kristoffer set out to make the mundane act of brushing one’s teeth – a routine he came to dread in the hospital – an experience to relish. For Kristoffer, the gap in the market was glaring. The oral care category is dominated by conglomerate-owned giants, none of whom stray beyond mint-flavored toothpaste and mouthwash packaged in unwieldy, plasticky bottles, decorated with frumpy green swirls and illustrated molars. Selahatin subverts everything that customers have come to expect from a toothpaste brand. Presented in aluminum tubes and glass bottles, the products have a distinctly premium feel. Instead of “fresh mint” or “alpine breeze,” Selahatin’s range of toothpastes, mouthwashes, and mouth sprays boast poetic names to describe their unexpected flavors and aromas. A few examples: “Of Course I Still Luv You,” a blend of bergamot, verbena, and pine; “Hypnotist,” anise, honey, and peppermint; and “Blue Forever,” citrus, lime, and licorice. What we're doing is essentially perfume for your mouth, touching on the inherent link between taste and smell. And what Apple did for personal computers or Tesla for electrical vehicles, we will do for this domain.