Okay, I have a bone to pick with the makers of Smint mints. The unique packaging of these mints has, at very key moments, prevented me from accessing that much needed freshness. Because you can’t see the inside of the container without destroying it (which I’ve never had the urge to do), one can only assume that each individual mint must pass through some complex maze to escape the container and be released into the hand of some willing consumer. A special Tic Tac–sized box asks that the owner press down on the container’s top to release a mint from the bottom corner. The design is clever indeed, but not always effective. If the mints get lodged just above the magic trap, you’ll find yourself hurriedly shaking the entire box of mints in public while strangers give you looks of shame for buying such a loud, dysfunctional container of breath mints.

Smint mints are fine, in and of themselves. And the natural whitening power of White Fresh Mint by Smint is very appealing. They are said to have Papaine, a natural enzyme that works to whiten the teeth. Whether it is effective or not in mint form, who doesn’t want whiter teeth? The prospect of such is well worth looking past the box’s faults. Flip the package to the back side, and you’ll see something else to make you smile. A red symbol featuring a smiling tooth under an umbrella reads “Tooth Friendly Tested.??? This means that the product has been independently tested and was proven safe for use on your pearly whites. It’s true what your great grandma always said through her slipping dentures: “You only get one pair.??? Do something nice for your teeth—even if it’s eating candy that whitens them—and you’ll feel as happy as that little smiling red tooth looks. Another fun bonus regarding these mints is their triangular shape. Each one is imprinted with a giant “S??? that makes the mints resemble Superman’s chest. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that this mint will blow you away with its power. It is actually on the milder side of the spectrum, so you’ll enjoy these if you frequent Tic Tacs.

The Ragold Spearmint line of breath freshening candy is a tasty addition to the many varieties of existing breath mints on the market. These all-natural candies take the form of little white tablets that could be mistaken for large pills if you didn’t know any better. Nevertheless, these breath mint candies are highly refreshing and give your mouth a tingly feeling that alerts you about its breath freshening qualities. Unlike other brands of mints, the Ragold Spearmint pieces are a solid white mint that carries all the same qualities of the more popular brand mints with the kick of an extra minty flavor.

The handy little tin box that the Ragold Spearmint candies come in add to its already appealing allure. The landscape pictured on the front of the tin is a natural scenery of green trees surrounding a white sailboat in the middle of a clear pond. Before even opening the tin, you can be certain that the picture is indicative of refreshing feeling that awaits you on the inside. Once you take the mint out of the box and place it on your tongue, you immediately feel a cool sense of refreshment. Once the mint is partially dissolved in your mouth, you can easily crunch it up and chew it to give you an extra burst of minty freshness. With more than 40 individual mints in each tin, you can be sure to enjoy these throughout the entire week as needed.

The Ragold Confectionary Company is an offshoot from the parent German company and has been marketing mints and other candy products in the United States for the last three decades. You might recognize their Velamints mint products as being one of their most popular and recognizable products and was a leading pioneer in the sugar-free breath mint industry. The parent company began in the late 1880s in Germany, but they have distributing and manufacturing locations throughout the United States with their main headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In addition to the refreshing nature and convenient packaging of the Ragold Spearmint candies, the ingredients contained in the mints are accommodating for everybody. In addition to being all natural, the mints are also free of gluten and artificial sweeteners. Their motto – “To your health – in good taste??? – is printed on the bottom of then tin and they seem to strive to meet that goal in each mint. As a matter of fact, when looking over the list of ingredients, you will only find three things contained in each mint – sorbitol, natural flavors, and magnesium stearate. Others will appreciate the fact that the Ragold Spearmint brand of breath mints is also kosher to accommodate religious and health requirements.

Breathsavers are a fun and refreshing way to freshen your breath anytime. With the many different choices on the market, you might not know which one is the best for providing a great taste with a fresh breath. The Hershey’s brand of Breathsavers is one of the better ones available for consumers. You can even be assured by its ability to satisfy because it has the name Hershey behind it, which is one of the most successful candy producing companies in North America. While Breathsavers are not chocolate, the Hershey’s company has been able to transfer their knowledge of chocolate candy products to the breath mint arena with a great deal of success.

The Vanilla Mint Breathsavers have a refreshing minty taste that lets you know it’s working on making your breath fresh while still having a candy-like vanilla taste. You know that it is working because if you let the Breathsaver sit on the tip of your tongue, you will feel a slight tingle from the middle of the minty center. Take a deep breath and you will undoubtedly feel the coolness that the vanilla mint creates within your mouth. This long-lasting candy also seems to have a clearing effect on your sinuses, making it a great treat during the cold winter months. For an even greater experience of the minty freshness, chew on your Vanilla Mint Breathsaver when it is about halfway dissolved to let out the Neutrazin contained within the little piece of candy.

Hershey’s Breathsavers are not only a great tasting candy that freshens your breath, but it’s also not bad for you. For one thing, they are sugar-free so everybody can be sure to enjoy them without guilt. They come in an attractive and eye-catching foil wrapping with 12 in a pack, making them easy and convenient to carry around with you all day either in you purse or your front pocket. Vanilla Mint is one of their popular flavors, but there are several others flavors to satisfy anybody’s tastes. Their first flavor was Peppermint when the line was introduced by the Life Savers Company in 1978. Since then, the Breathsavers line of candies was acquired by the Hershey Company in 2000 and more flavors were quickly introduced. You can choose from flavors like Wintergreen, Citrus Mist, Peppermint, and Spearmint. Hershey’s has also released a special pack of Breathsavers that are longer-lasting, up to three hours. For those special packs, you can choose between Peppermint and Spearmint flavors.

Several years back it was, “Take a Tic Tac!???  Now, it’s the 2-calorie mint!  A story goes that in 1478, Italian explorer Antonio Minteroni first discovered tiny mints being enjoyed by people in Indonesia.  He brought this idea back to Italy, which inspired tiny Tic Tacs.  These delightful and miniscule mints have been around for over 600 years!  (www.tictacUSA.com)

Just kidding!  Tic Tacs first started in 1969 with the original Freshmint flavor.  From then on, Tic Tacs have added many refreshing, sweet, and bold flavors, such as spearmint, orange, cinnamon, and many more.  Though many flavors have been added and others eliminated, the packaging has remained pretty constant.  These one-of-a-kind mints have always been packaged in a signature mini case that rattles in your pockets, alerting everyone of your presence, and of course, Tic Tacs!  One of the older and always loveable flavors is my favorite: SPEARMINT! 

Spearmint has always been one of my favorites because it has a very herbal taste, and it reminds me of grandma’s warm, spearmint tea on those cold winter mornings.  These tiny treats are packed with an intense punch of refreshment that’s bound to awaken your entire mouth.  Their spearminty freshness lasts rather long, but with such an intense flavor, it’s sure to leave you asking for more and before you know it, you’ll be poppin’ them in your mouth faster than you can say, “Take a Tic Tac!???  But of course, there’s more!  In addition to their powerful flavor, they’re less than a mere two calories each!  That’s right, all that flavor and all that freshness is packed into less than two calories of cool.  So lets review: what’s my favorite mint that packs the most punch and takes the tiniest toll on my diet?  Why, Tic Tacs Spearmint, of course!