This post: why your kids need xylitol gum + candy.
My kids eat candy every single day.
Before bed, in fact.
And I want them to.
No, I haven’t lost my mind.
Today I’m going to share about amazing little candies- the Zellies mints.
I want to give you a peek at an thriving family-owned company that is taking oral health to a whole new level.
Their secret ingredient? Xylitol.
If you’ve ever wondered how to
- improve your kids dental care, and
- see fewer cavities in children
I think you’ll be interested in finding out more about Zellie’s + their line of healthy xylitol candies.
If you haven’t already read my post, Surprising Xylitol Benefits, check that out HERE.
What are “Zellies”?
Two years ago, issues with cavities in my kids’ mouths sent me searching for resources to improve our family’s oral health.
Our homeopath referred me to a website, Zellies.com, and told me that she had heard the dentist who owned the company, Dr. Ellie Phillips, lecture at a seminar in New York.
I was intrigued, so I checked out the site and ordered Ellie Phillip’s book, Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye.
After reading the book and learning more about the amazing oral xylitol benefits, I knew I’d found something I wanted to tell other women about.
Zellie’s is a family-owned company that creates and sells candies that are actually good for your teeth.
No joke!
Zellie’s gum and mints are crafted from carefully selected, non-GMO xylitol, and the health benefits for your mouth are pretty amazing.
A few xylitol products you’ll find at Zellie’s:
- gum with xylitol
- organic xylitol
- xylitol mints
- mouth care system
Today, both Dr. Ellie Phillips and her daughter, Chrissie, are sharing a peek into their lives as moms, natural living gals, and business owners of Zellies.com.
A big thank you to these ladies for taking the time to participate in this interview!
Zellies.com is a family-owned producer of gums, mints and candies sweetened with 100% all-natural xylitol.
Dr. Phillips, can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind your xylitol gum + other products?
{Dr. Ellie Phillips} As a young dentist, graduating from London University in the late 1960s, I determined to find a better way to care for teeth. I wanted people to avoid cavities, fillings and awful dental problems that so many endure.
The British have notoriously bad teeth, and my father had all his extracted when he was only 35 years old. My Mother was advised to have her teeth removed, when I suddenly discovered how to reverse cavities and disease with a simple home regimen. My Mom is now 94 and continues to protect her teeth with Zellie’s 100% xylitol mints!
What got you started on the path to your own family business?
{Dr. Ellie Phillips} Zellie’s products were created to fill a need in America. As a pediatric dentist working with special needs children in 1980, I was searching for xylitol candies – a product that has been popular in Europe and Asia for decades.
Zellie’s mints, gum, and candies are sweetened with a special health sugar called xylitol.
Dentists in the U.S. were almost completely unaware of the power of xylitol and couldn’t believe a delicious gum with xylitol could stop cavities and improve oral health!
Zellie’s evolved into a small business in 2005 –shipping on-line orders and supplying a few health stores in Rochester, N.Y.
Who encouraged you to give ZELLIE’S a try?
{Dr. Ellie Phillips} In 2007 we were invited to supply a few jars of Zellie’s xylitol mints to two Wegmans grocery stores – for a new area of their store – called the “Nature’s Marketplace”.
Our great partnership with Wegmans has helped us to grow rapidly and introduce four flavors of xylitol mints and gum and smaller tins of mints and blister packed gum.
When people regain their mouth health their feedback is awesome and encouraging to hear. People want to be empowered and learn how to protect their mouth health using this delicious product.
A number of people encouraged me to write a book, and my passion helped me complete it. The U.S. Surgeon General endorsed Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, and it was published in 2010.
As you learn the science of bacteria, you understand why brushing, flossing and dental visits cannot stop cavities.
Sadly for most people, dental problems continue through life, even affecting general health in their later years.
What has kept you going along the way?
{Dr. Ellie Phillips} Fortunately friends and family kept me going on my journey. As a dentist I was not familiar with the consumer product business and there is a lot to learn. Initially friends introduced me to talented and helpful designers, graphic artists and branding attorneys.
Best of all, I was introduced to the owner of a candy company who remembered an old European recipe for xylitol chewing gum!
Initially sales were on online and we shipped, packaged and warehoused the products in a small location in Rochester, NY. My kids were excited to help after school and make boxes, fold cards, and wait for UPS to pick up packages at the end of the afternoon.
My children have always been great educators and marketers for Zellie’s products.
We have Zellie’s in the car, in our purses and all around the house. Friends quickly become introduced to Zellie’s and “the dentist” who offers candies that protect teeth – perfect if you are too tired to brush, out camping, when you travel, or for a kids’ sleepover!
As my children grew, so did my business! Eventually sales were strong enough to support a move – taking our order fulfillment into a distribution center – where shipping managers packed, stocked and delivered Zellie’s xylitol candies to stores and online orders.
Several of my children attended the University of Texas, and all five of them eventually settled in and around Austin, TX. This was why I decided to select a fulfillment hub in Austin.
What sets ZELLIE’S apart from others in your niche?
{Dr. Ellie Phillips} In other countries xylitol is common and large companies manufacture xylitol candies. We are a small company, and our products are made in small batches using the very best ingredients.
Our products are vegan, soy free, non-GMO and have no artificial ingredients, sweeteners or colors.
Our family has a passion for healthy eating, and we are the taste-testers and decision makers for all our recipes.
A few years ago we created a healthy Zellie’s “Polar Bear” for my grandchildren who did not like to brush their teeth. Zellie Bears can be used as a reward for brushing teeth, eaten after brushing and before bed at night.
It’s great to be a dentist and “Grandma Zellie”! As a family we feel connected in a personal way and enjoy watching Zellie’s grow. Everyone in the family continues to play a part in our ongoing success – from my 94 year old mother who promotes Zellie’s to residents in her Senior Living Center, and my grandchildren who love Zellie’s and talk about them to teachers and friends at preschool.
As a real family business we are set far apart from any of our competitors and other candy companies.
Oral health is a vital component of general health, and I believe we must educate families about the gift of healthy teeth and how Zellie’s can protect children from cavities.
Children with healthy teeth at 4 years old are more likely to have healthy teeth for life and escape the need for plastic sealants, strong fluoride, ongoing X-rays, and other dental work.
Please share a few fun (or little known) facts about yourself!
{Dr. Ellie Phillips}
1 I read a few chapters of the Bible as my help and refuge every morning and night. My other reading is almost always about science, dental decay and bacteria!
2 I love to learn and talk about teeth with the public, on the phone and at dental meetings. My dream is to encourage a new kind of dentistry to grow – when dentists are excited that you need no treatment and you are excited to enjoy a lifetime with perfect gums and teeth.
3 Some of my happiest times are with my children, grandchildren, their extended families, and my Mother. What a joy to see multiple generations interacting and enjoying one another.
4 I run about 3 miles most days and even lift a few weights. Exercise feels good and helps me de-stress during busy times.
5- My top 3 most favorite foods are: smoked salmon, fancy cheeses and roast lamb (and of course, I chew lots of xylitol gum).
If you’re new to Zellie’s, I’d love for you give their xylitol gum, mints + other oral health products a try!
TODAY is the perfect time to save some money; Zellie’s is currently offering a generous, limited time promo:
Save 20% off your ENTIRE ORDER… no code required.
Savings will automatically show up at checkout.
Shop ZELLIES.com.
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