Sometimes, you feel the need to get back to Mother Nature. If you feel that longing yourself, why not treat your breath to the same experience? Ricola Breath Mints declare themselves to be nature’s perfect mint. In three flavors, Peppermint, Spearmint, and LemonMint (Ricola’s best-selling mint flavor), Ricola Breath Mints come in an easy-to-dispense .88-ounce box. The mints use naturally chewy gum arabic and a natural herb mix for flavorings. But the ingredient list also includes aspartame, which immediately negates the “all natural” taglines as far as I’m concerned. Not that I stray from aspartame as a general rule, but it’s certainly not the best for human health from what I’ve heard.

I first opened the LemonMint, to see what all the fuss was about. After all, don’t most breath mints claim to be sugar-free, refreshing, and long lasting? These chewy mints from Ricola have a gummy quality to them that is similar to a thick licorice. They are shaped like a tiny gumdrop and feel smooth inside the mouth, but are not easy to chew. The overall taste of these mints was definitely healthy, but not outstanding. Another downfall is I felt like I had to eat three or four mints to get the freshness I’d normally expect one breath mint to bring. The spearmint flavor packed a lot more punch than the lemon, as did the peppermint, which won out in the flavor department.

My favorite feature was the unique click-top box. I don’t know how they did it, but the cardboard box audibly “clicks” into place when you close the top. This is a great feature for a person who hates it when breath mints spill out in their pocket or inside their purse. The box is very much pocket-sized and is convenient to take with you when you’re on the go. All in all, I’d say Ricola Breath Mints’ strongest asset is packaging. If you’re looking for a more natural alternative to your standard breath freshener, this may be just what you need.

Tags: Ricola, breath mints, herb candies, chewy mints, sweets