Chew-Chew says…How do nail biting and thumb sucking prevention products like Mavala work?
The Right Brain responds:
Products like Mavala that are designed to keep you from putting stuff in your mouth are based on one simple principal: if things taste really, really, really bad you won’t WANT to put them in your mouth. To that end, these products employ Bitrex the trade name for denatonium benzoate, which is billed as the “bitterest substance on the planet.”
Even the tiniest spec of denatonium benzoate is distasteful but not toxic. That’s why it’s widely employed in nail biting, thumbsucking, and “don’t chew this” products for pets. Yes, if you get a mouthful of this stuff you’ll likely to be heaving your guts up, but it won’t kill you.
In the case of Mavala, the anti-bite agent is formulated into a nail polish-like base consisting (primarily) of Ethyl Acetate, Alcohol, PVM/MA Copolymer, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Butyl Acetate, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, and Sucrose Octaacetate. This provides a durable coating that provides a slow release of the bittering agent that can last for several days.
Have YOU ever used a product to keep you (or your kid or your dog) from biting things? Did it work? Leave a comment and share your biting commentary with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
Chew-Chew says…How do nail biting and thumb sucking prevention products like Mavala work?
The Right Brain responds:
Products like Mavala that are designed to keep you from putting stuff in your mouth are based on one simple principal: if things taste really, really, really bad you won’t WANT to put them in your mouth. To that end, these products employ Bitrex the trade name for denatonium benzoate, which is billed as the “bitterest substance on the planet.”
Even the tiniest spec of denatonium benzoate is distasteful but not toxic. That’s why it’s widely employed in nail biting, thumbsucking, and “don’t chew this” products for pets. Yes, if you get a mouthful of this stuff you’ll likely to be heaving your guts up, but it won’t kill you.
In the case of Mavala, the anti-bite agent is formulated into a nail polish-like base consisting (primarily) of Ethyl Acetate, Alcohol, PVM/MA Copolymer, Phthalic Anhydride/Trimellitic Anhydride/Glycols Copolymer, Butyl Acetate, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, and Sucrose Octaacetate. This provides a durable coating that provides a slow release of the bittering agent that can last for several days.
Have YOU ever used a product to keep you (or your kid or your dog) from biting things? Did it work? Leave a comment and share your biting commentary with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.