A fluoride-free toothpaste built by a former hedge-fund analyst that became the No. 1 toothpaste on Amazon by treating oral care like skincare.
Boka makes fluoride-free toothpaste built around nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA), the mineral that forms tooth enamel, instead of fluoride. Its flagship Ela Mint toothpaste retails from about $11.62 and is joined by whitening powders, mouthwash and toothbrushes. The brand borrows skincare conventions - niacinamide, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and probiotics - and names flavors like Coco Ginger and Cherry Blossom with perfume-style top and bottom notes. It targets health-conscious consumers avoiding fluoride for allergy, pregnancy or preference reasons, while still addressing sensitivity and remineralization. Its positioning is that oral care is preventive health, treating the mouth as the gateway to whole-body wellness.
Boka was founded in 2015 by James Hagen, a former hedge-fund analyst who had helped convert his parents' catalog dental-supply business to e-commerce. Looking for a lower-stress, purpose-driven venture, he became convinced that oral care was the most overlooked area of preventive health. He launched Boka with a fluoride-free nano-hydroxyapatite formula and only about five employees, reaching roughly 55% gross margins early on. The brand went viral on TikTok four times in 2022 with no marketing spend, each time driving about a 135% sales spike, and became the No. 1 toothpaste on Amazon. It was acquired by the brand platform Heyday (now Essor Group) in 2022 and expanded into 800 Ulta Beauty stores, then Target in March 2025 and Walmart. Revenue jumped from under $10M in 2022 to over $50M in 2024 and a $100M+ run rate by mid-2026, with 549% wholesale growth in 2025. Today Boka holds 4.6 stars from more than 950,000 Amazon ratings and projects over 120% year-over-year growth.
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