How Perfora is rewriting the rules of oral care with style, science, and innovation

Perfora is revolutionising the oral care industry by blending cutting-edge science with sleek design and engaging communication. Founded by Jatan Bawa and Tushar Khurana, the brand aims to transform daily dental routines into enjoyable experiences for modern Indian consumers. Unlike traditional oral care brands that rely on fear-based marketing, Perfora focuses on transparency, education, and creating products that are both functional and fun. From oscillating toothbrushes to innovative mouthwashes and carefully crafted toothpaste formulations, the brand is reshaping perceptions around oral hygiene.

Cosmopolitan India speaks to the duo about their inspiration behind breaking away from conventional dental care, the balance between efficacy and aesthetics, content strategy, product innovation challenges, and the evolving intersection of oral care with beauty and wellness.

Cosmopolitan India: Perfora is redefining oral care with stylish, science-backed products. What inspired you to break away from traditional dental care and create a brand that resonates with modern consumers?

Jatan Bawa and Tushar Khurana: We were very clear about building a brand for young and modern Indian consumers—those who are evolved and conscious of the products they consume. When we looked at the existing products in the oral care category, we noticed that most contained harmful ingredients, had inferior designs, and lacked communication that resonated with today’s young and modern consumers. That’s what inspired us to create a brand that young and modern consumers can relate to while also having fun using our products every single day. Oral care is something we use every day of our lives, and we wanted to turn this daily chore into an exciting and enjoyable experience.

CI: From oscillating toothbrushes to innovative mouthwashes, the idea behind the brand seems to be to blend functionality with fun. How do you balance serious oral health benefits with a playful, aesthetic appeal?

JB and TK: At Perfora, product R&D is at the heart of everything we do—we never compromise on the science behind our products. While ensuring they are highly effective, we also refuse to market them in a traditional, boring way. Instead of relying on fear-based marketing, we focus on how our products seamlessly enhance everyday life. Whether you're heading to an interview, a date, or a dinner, our products help you feel your best.

From day one, we set out to make our packaging reflect the fun and playful side of our brand. We wanted to stand out by blending science-backed information with an engaging, refreshing approach. Every product’s packaging highlights its benefits in a way that’s lighthearted and relatable—because oral care should be both effective and enjoyable.

CI: Perfora’s content is very different from traditional oral care brands. How do you think about content and engagement?

JB and TK: Content is a key pillar of our brand marketing and awareness strategy. When creating content, we ask ourselves: Will this resonate with the viewer? Will it offer a clear takeaway? But that takeaway shouldn’t feel forced or overly serious—it should naturally fit into everyday life, making it an effortless "aha" moment.

Take coffee and red wine, for example—both are known to stain teeth. Instead of pushing a hard sell, we focus on the real question: How can someone keep their teeth looking bright without expensive, time-consuming dentist visits? A lot of our content revolves around relatable, everyday scenarios and real-life use cases. When people see it, they should instantly connect with it.

As for engagement, we don’t chase views or likes—we prioritise shares and saves. Because to us, truly impactful content isn’t just seen; it’s shared and remembered. 

CI: What has been the most challenging yet rewarding product innovation so far?

JB and TK: Has to be our toothpaste. It’s a difficult product to perfect because we need to get multiple factors just right—texture, consistency, foaming, flavour, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. At the same time, we have to ensure efficacy and deliver on what we promise. A user should not only understand why they should choose our product but also experience tangible benefits from it.

It took us a long time to perfect everything, but we’ve managed to crack it now with products like our Activated Charcoal Toothpaste, Dream White Toothpaste, Lemon Mint Toothpaste, and Super Fresh Toothpaste, among others. While there’s still a long way to go in truly mastering this category, we’ve made significant progress and are seeing promising results in the toothpaste segment.

CI: How do you educate consumers about the science behind your products while keeping the messaging fun and engaging?

JB and TK: Educating consumers is often an expensive and time-consuming process, but our approach is rooted in transparency. We believe in asking the right questions—if a certain toothpaste contains a questionable ingredient, why is it there? Why do larger brands include it, and why don’t we? What’s the reason behind that choice, and what are the potential implications of that ingredient in your toothpaste or mouthwash?
 
Similarly, when we talk about the right way to brush, we don’t do it in a clinical or lecture-style manner. Instead of featuring someone dressed as a dentist demonstrating brushing techniques, we’d rather create a relatable scenario—two friends casually discussing the best way to brush, the challenges they face, and how a Perfora product helps solve those challenges. 

Our goal is to seamlessly weave science into everyday conversations—whether it’s about ingredients or the technology behind our products. By making these discussions relatable, we naturally spark consumer interest. When something feels relevant to their lives, they become more curious and engaged, wanting to learn more.

CI: Do you see oral care integrating more with beauty and wellness routines in the future?

JB and TK: Personal care is becoming more holistic, and we’re already beginning to see oral care become a part of beauty and wellness routines. However, this transition won’t happen overnight—it’s a gradual shift that could take 3 to 5 years.

People are starting to view oral care as an essential part of overall health rather than something limited to just teeth and gums. While this mindset is evolving, scaling this change will take time. 

I believe oral care will first transition into the beauty space before fully integrating into wellness. The wellness aspect, in particular, may take another 5 to 7 years to gain widespread adoption. However, the trends are clear—oral beauty and wellness are the future of oral care.

CI: If you had to predict the next big trend in oral care, what would it be, and how is Perfora preparing for it?

JB and TK: The next big trend in oral care, as we see it, will be increasing consumer involvement. Historically, oral care has been a low-involvement category for decades, but the shift is happening. To make oral care more engaging, brands need to rethink content and product innovation—creating experiences that people want to consume and connect with. The goal is to get consumers to take oral care more seriously, not just as a routine but as an experience they look forward to.

What exactly will this trend look like? It’s hard to pinpoint. It will involve a lot of trial and error, with brands in India and globally experimenting to make oral care more exciting. The conversation will likely move beyond just the price or functional benefits of toothpaste, toothbrushes, or mouthwash. Instead, it will focus on the user experience—how does the product make them feel? Are they excited to use it?

As for Perfora, we’re focused on making this shift happen. We’ve been experimenting with ways to bring excitement into this category, and while we’ve seen some promising results, there’s still a long way to go. We’re committed to making oral care more engaging and are working towards shaping this trend.

CI: What strategies have you used to make it exciting and relevant for younger consumers?

JB and TK: Everything we’ve done so far has been aimed at making the oral care category more exciting for modern Indian consumers. We’ve focused on reimagining various aspects—packaging, product design, flavour profiles, and even the content on the packaging. We’ve also challenged the way oral care content has been presented to people for decades, ensuring it feels fresh and engaging rather than one-sided or fear-based.

Our goal has always been to make oral care more conversational and relatable. Beyond that, we’ve introduced layers of personalisation, innovative product launches, and more—all of which have helped us move forward in our journey.

All images: From the brand

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