The corporate ownership structure is distinct from the brand itself: Hawley & Hazel operates the Darlie brand, while Colgate-Palmolive has served as a major partner since acquiring its stake in 1985 14.

Origins in Shanghai

Darlie’s history traces back to Hawley & Hazel, an oral care company whose toothpaste business originated in Shanghai during the 1930s. Historical records indicate that Hawley & Hazel created Darkie Toothpaste in Shanghai in 1933 15.

The original brand was marketed under the name Darkie, with a visual identity based on the appearance of American entertainer Al Jolson, particularly his exaggerated smile and bright teeth. Packaging featured a smiling man in a top hat and formal clothing 11. This concept was connected to the popularity of blackface minstrel entertainment in the United States at the time. What became a highly successful Asian consumer brand therefore carried imagery later recognised as a racist stereotype internationally 16.

Expansion across Asia

The toothpaste subsequently became a prominent brand in Asian markets. Hawley & Hazel developed its business across territories including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China. By the late 20th century, Darkie had established strong market positions in several Southeast and East Asian markets, with contemporary reporting in 1989 indicating market shares ranging from approximately 20% to 70% in key regions 2.

A pivotal development occurred in 1985, when Colgate-Palmolive acquired a 50% interest in Hawley & Hazel for approximately US$50 million 15. For Colgate-Palmolive, the investment provided an established position in Asian oral care markets. However, it also brought international scrutiny to the controversy surrounding Darkie’s branding.

The original name and blackface imagery attracted criticism from civil rights organisations, shareholders and other groups in the United States. Colgate subsequently acknowledged that the branding was offensive and began working with Hawley & Hazel to implement changes 16.

In 1989, the English name was changed from Darkie to Darlie. Concurrently, the packaging was redesigned; the original blackface character was replaced by a racially ambiguous smiling man wearing a top hat and formal clothing. Contemporary reports described the redesign as an attempt to remove overtly offensive racial imagery while retaining visual elements familiar to consumers 16.

This transition transformed the brand from Darkie to Darlie whilst maintaining considerable continuity in packaging and consumer recognition. Initially, this was primarily an English-language rebranding; the Chinese name remained unchanged for considerably longer.

For many years, Darlie’s Chinese name was 黑人牙膏 (Hēirén yágāo), literally meaning “Black Person Toothpaste”. Although the English name had changed to Darlie in 1989, critics continued to note that the Chinese-language identity retained a connection to the brand’s original racial imagery 17.

In 2020, following renewed international discussion regarding racial inequality and the Black Lives Matter movement, Colgate-Palmolive announced it would work with Hawley & Hazel to review and further evolve the Darlie brand, including its name. Reports at the time indicated that both companies were reviewing “all aspects” of the brand 1013.

The next major transformation occurred in 2022. Hawley & Hazel announced that the Chinese name 黑人牙膏 would be replaced by 好來 (Hǎolái), beginning around March 2022. The new Chinese name was intended to align the brand more closely with Hawley & Hazel and distance it from the problematic historical connotations of the previous name 12.

Simultaneously, Darlie introduced a broader brand refresh described as “A Brand New Look for a Bright Future”. The updated identity emphasised comprehensive oral care, technology, product development and confident smiles. The company deliberately retained recognisable elements such as the Darlie English name, the gentleman icon and familiar colour schemes, whilst modernising the overall visual identity 22.

The brand’s evolution can be summarised as:

Darkie → Darlie → Darlie / 好來

This reflects a gradual move away from the original racialised identity whilst preserving consumer recognition built over decades.

Although toothpaste remains Darlie’s best-known product, the brand has expanded into a broader oral care portfolio. Current product ranges available in markets such as Singapore and Malaysia include several major categories.

Toothpaste

Darlie offers toothpaste formulated for various consumer needs, including:

• Fresh breath
• Plaque control
• Gum and teeth protection
• Whitening
• Enamel protection
• Anti-bacterial care
• Children’s oral care
• Sensitive and gentle oral care

Regional websites list ranges such as Darlie Double Action, Darlie Gum & Teeth Protect, Darlie All Shiny White and Darlie Bunny Kids 323.

Toothbrushes

The brand sells multiple toothbrush designs, including conventional and specialised brushes. Current offerings include products marketed around comfort, cleaning performance and specific brushing needs 4.

Mouthwash and other oral care products

Darlie has expanded beyond toothpaste and toothbrushes into products such as mouthwash and mouth sprays, as well as travel kits and other oral hygiene accessories 4.

Children’s products

The children’s range includes products under Bunny Kids and Jolly Junior, featuring fruit-flavoured toothpaste and dental kits designed to make brushing more appealing to younger consumers 4.

Darlie Double Action

Double Action is one of Darlie’s traditional toothpaste ranges. Regional versions emphasise fresh breath, plaque reduction, cavity prevention and tooth strengthening. Certain Double Action products use natural mint essence and are marketed around long-lasting freshness 521. The range has expanded into variants such as Enamel Protect and Multicare, positioning Double Action as more than simply a breath-freshening toothpaste 6.

Darlie All Shiny White

All Shiny White focuses primarily on whitening. The brand describes the range as using surface-stain-dissolving technology intended to remove extrinsic stains whilst being gentle on enamel. Variants available in regional markets include charcoal, enzyme, lime mint, purple, Sakura and baking soda formulations 23.

Darlie Gum & Teeth Protect

This range targets gum and tooth health and uses an Advanced Zinc Citrate Formula, according to regional product information 9.

Darlie Bunny Kids

The children’s range is designed around younger users and includes different flavours and dental kits. Darlie describes these products as using food-grade ingredients and being designed to make children’s brushing experience more enjoyable 4.

One of Darlie’s most recognisable assets is its smiling gentleman mascot. The modern character is generally depicted wearing formal clothing and a top hat. Although the character originated from the problematic visual identity of Darkie, the modern version has been redesigned to be less explicitly tied to a specific racial identity.

Darlie’s current branding places greater emphasis on:

• Smiling
• Confidence
• Freshness
• Clean teeth
• Modern oral science
• Everyday oral health
• Family oral care

The company’s current brand initiative describes its mission as safeguarding oral health and confident smiles through quality professional oral care products and services 1.

Darlie has historically been particularly strong in Asian markets, rather than being a globally distributed brand in the same manner as Colgate. A 2020 report citing Euromonitor data indicated Darlie held approximately:

• 17% of China’s toothpaste market
• 21% of Singapore’s toothpaste market
• 28% of Malaysia’s toothpaste market
• 45% of Taiwan’s toothpaste market

These figures demonstrate the brand’s historical importance in its core Asian markets, although they should not be interpreted as current market shares 10.

Singapore and Malaysia remain particularly important to Darlie. The brand maintains dedicated operations in the region, including Hawley & Hazel Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, which supports broader regional activities 720.

Darlie has a long-established presence in Singapore and is one of the most recognisable toothpaste brands in the country’s mass-market oral care sector. Its local portfolio is relatively broad, covering:

Toothpaste → Toothbrushes → Mouthwash → Kids’ oral care → Travel kits → Oral health education

Regional websites present Darlie as a comprehensive oral care brand rather than solely a toothpaste manufacturer 23. Marketing and customer service activities for the region are supported through Hawley & Hazel’s regional offices 720.

Darlie’s products are produced through the Hawley & Hazel group and its associated manufacturing operations. The company emphasises quality management and manufacturing standards. Corporate information lists certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22716 and Good Manufacturing Practice-related certifications obtained at various points in its history 8.

The brand positions itself as a modern oral health business focused on formulation, product technology and quality control, rather than merely a traditional toothpaste company.

Darlie’s history is intrinsically linked to the controversy surrounding its original branding. This evolution comprises three distinct stages:

Stage 1: Original Darkie identity

The toothpaste used a name and character derived from blackface and minstrel imagery. Historical analysis identifies the original packaging as being based on blackface performer Al Jolson 1115.

Stage 2: 1989 Darlie transition

After Colgate-Palmolive became a 50% partner in Hawley & Hazel, the English name was changed from Darkie to Darlie and the packaging was redesigned to remove overtly racist imagery 16.

Stage 3: 2022 好來 transition

The Chinese name was eventually changed from 黑人牙膏 to 好來, representing a further attempt to distance the brand from its historical racial terminology 1213.

Darlie’s rebranding was therefore not a single event but a multi-decade process involving changes to the English name, mascot, packaging and eventually the Chinese name.

Today, Darlie presents itself as a modern Asian oral care brand. Its current brand initiative emphasises “All-inclusive confident smiles for all” and focuses on developing products for diverse oral health needs 1.

Newer product development focuses on technology and ingredients designed to address different aspects of oral and dental health 22. This represents a significant shift from the brand’s historical identity: modern Darlie is built around oral health, personal confidence and product specialisation, rather than the character-driven marketing of its early decades.

Darlie is a notable example of an Asian consumer brand whose history spans almost a century and whose identity has changed substantially in response to evolving social attitudes. From its beginnings as Darkie Toothpaste in 1930s Shanghai, it became a major toothpaste brand across Asia. Its partnership with Colgate-Palmolive in 1985 brought the brand into an international corporate environment and triggered intense scrutiny of its name and imagery. The subsequent 1989 Darkie-to-Darlie rebranding was followed decades later by the 2022 adoption of 好來, marking another major step away from its historical identity 18.

Today, Darlie is best understood as a regional oral care brand under Hawley & Hazel, with a portfolio extending well beyond traditional toothpaste. Its strongest identity remains in East and Southeast Asia, particularly markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and China 19.

1. BRAND INITIATIVE | DARLIE MALAYSIA | UBAT GIGI, BERUS GIGI & TIPS PENJAGAAN MULUT
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3. Toothpaste Types – Fluoride Toothpaste For Dental Care | Darlie® MY
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7. Contact Us | Darlie Malaysia | Toothpastes, Toothbrushes & Oral Care Tips
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10. Colgate’s ‘Black Person Toothpaste’—A Market Leader In China—Is Under Review Amid Race Debate
11. The origins of Colgate’s Darlie ‘Black Person Toothpaste’ explained | Goldthread
12. Darlie Toothpaste to finally rebrand Chinese name – Little Museum Of Foreign Brand Advertising In The R.O.C. 民國中外廣告微博物館
13. Colgate reviewing Chinese toothpaste brand Darlie amid debate on racial inequality
14. DARLIE Trademark of Hawley & Hazel (BVI) Co. Ltd. – Registration Number 6010754 – Serial Number 88026922 :: Justia Trademarks
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16. Sejarah logo Darlie dan perkaitan antara Darlie dengan Colgate | Iluminasi
17. 新闻周刊：“黑人牙膏”被指种族歧视_尚文频道_新浪网
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22. 品牌焕新 | 好来牙膏中国官网 | 牙刷、牙膏、口腔清洁及护理
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