About LISTERINE® antiseptic

3 Essential Oils

Learn how this unique fixed combination is designed to deeply penetrate plaque biofilm and kill the bacteria that can lead to gingivitis.

LISTERINE^® Antiseptic cleans where brushing can’t.

With the help of its unique formulation¹⁰ that includes the 3 Essential Oils (eucalyptol, menthol, thymol) LISTERINE^® Antiseptic penetrates plaque biofilm killing bacteria in virtually 100% of the mouth.^2,10-12 Unique to LISTERINE^® brand Antiseptic, this fixed combination of the 3 Essential Oils formula is not offered by any other oral health care brand. 

To help patients kill the bacteria that can lead to plaque and gingivitis, recommend a LISTERINE^® Brand rinse with the 3 Essential Oils formula, like LISTERINE® Total Care, for a complete oral care routine.

LISTERINE® Antiseptic 30-second exposure

For maximum efficacy, the dosing of LISTERINE® Antiseptic rinses is 20mL for 30 seconds, twice a day. Why is only 30 seconds of rinsing necessary? 

In just 30 seconds of a full strength rinse, the technology behind LISTERINE® Antiseptic damages the cell surface of bacteria, interferes with growth, and increases the amount of time it takes for the bacteria to regrow^{11, 12, 15-18} as well as yields greater bacterial kill, and greater plaque reduction.¹⁹

_{*Study design: in this lab model, saliva-derived biofilms were grown on saliva-coated glass slides biofilms were cultured for 65 hours prior to mouthrinse exposure. Biofilms were stained to enable quantification of the live/dead cells.}