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Tom's of Maine is a maker of natural personal care products, such as toothpaste, soap and deodorant. Their products are made without artificial ingredients and without animal testing. While many of their products are vegan, some contain propolis which is sourced from bees.[1]
History
Tom's of Maine was founded by Tom and Kate Chappell in 1970 with just US $5000. The company is based in Kennebunk, Maine, in the United States. The company now has approximately 150 employees and 90 oral and body care products sold at more than 40,000 retail outlets worldwide. They sell soap, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, mouthwash, and similar products. Their fluoride toothpastes are the only natural alternatives to earn the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance.
As of 2005, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate has been added to some of the products including toothpaste.
Acquisition
In 2006, a controlling 84% stake in Tom's of Maine was purchased by Colgate-Palmolive for US $100M. The Chappells kept a 16% share in the company. The terms of the purchase stipulate that Tom's of Maine's policies will be retained.
Now (2008) a tube of "natural" spearmint toothpaste lists ingredients including xylitol, hydrated silica, zinc citrate trihydrate, and sodium lauryl sulfate, with the three least present ingredients being sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), spearmint leaf oil, and peppermint oil.
Tom's of Maine has developed a certain notoriety within this academic discipline following an article written by prominent psychologist Ian Parker, an influential individual within the Discourse Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University. The paper has the primary purpose of being an introduction to Foucauldian Discourse Analysis, and does this by examining the discourse used on the packaging of the 'Silly Strawberry' children's toothpaste produced by Tom's of Maine. Parker concludes that the packaging 'buttresses' the institutions of the nuclear family and the the self. In a perhaps more sinister finding, the use of a therapeutic discourse is found - a discourse to which certain academics (e.g. Frank Furedi) are extremely wary.[clarification needed]
References
- ^ Tom's of Maine - About Our Products
Further reading
- Parker, I. (1999). "Tracing therapeutic discourse in material culture". British Journal of Medical Psychology 72: 577–587.
External links
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