If you’re currently living in Korea, pause for a moment and go check the toothpaste you’re using.
If the name “2080” is printed on the front, you should read this post carefully.
Some 2080 toothpaste products have been found to contain triclosan, a chemical that should not be present in toothpaste and is classified as a potential carcinogen.
2080 is one of Korea’s most widely used toothpaste brands.
That widespread use is exactly why this issue has sparked such serious concern.
In this post, I’ll break down:
- which 2080 toothpaste products are affected,
- what triclosan is and why it’s a concern,
- and what you should do right now if you own one of them.
Six 2080 Toothpaste Products Found to Contain Triclosan
On January 7, 2026, Aekyung Industrial, the company that sells 2080 toothpaste, announced that six imported toothpaste products were found to contain trace amounts of triclosan, a preservative ingredient.
The company stated that all affected products would be fully recalled.
The affected products were manufactured in China by Domy and imported and sold in Korea by Aekyung.
Affected products
- 베이직 (Basic) – 150g / 50g / 4g
- 데일리케어 (Daily Care) – 90g / 50g / 20g
- 스마트케어플러스 (Smart Care Plus) – 190g
- 클래식케어 (Classic Care) – 170g
- 트리플이펙트 알파후레쉬 (Triple Effect Alpha Fresh) – 120g
- 트리플이펙트 알파스트롱 (Triple Effect Alpha Strong) – 120g
While looking into the 2080 toothpaste lineup, I noticed that some products have very similar names—for example, Smart Care and Smart Care Plus.
One of these products is affected, while the other is not.
For that reason, it’s too early to assume your toothpaste is affected based on the front label alone.
To avoid unnecessary confusion, there is one more thing you should check: the back label of the toothpaste.
Because most toothpaste labels in Korea are written only in Korean, I recommend comparing your toothpaste directly with the table below.
| Korean label | English meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 명칭 | Product name | One of the six listed products |
| 제조업자 | Manufacturer | Domy |
| 중량 | Weight | Matches the listed weight |
| 제조국 | Manufacturing country | MADE IN CHINA |
The most important things to confirm are:
- “Domy” listed as the manufacturer
- “MADE IN CHINA” listed as the country of manufacture
If both Domy and Made in China appear, your toothpaste is part of the recall.
What Is Triclosan?
Triclosan is a preservative chemical with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
It has been used in disinfectants and pesticides.
However, multiple studies have shown that triclosan can:
- disrupt thyroid and sex hormones,
- interfere with the endocrine system,
- and increase the risk of hormone-related cancers, such as breast and testicular cancer.
Experts also warn that triclosan can be absorbed through the oral mucosa and accumulate in the body over time.
Because of these risks, the EU, Canada, and China limit triclosan content in toothpaste to 0.3% by weight.
South Korea restricted its use in toothpaste starting in 2016.
The six recalled products were found to contain up to 0.15% triclosan by weight.
While this may sound small, toothpaste is used multiple times every day, making the exposure impossible to ignore.
What makes this issue more serious is that products manufactured from April 2023 onward contained triclosan and were sold in Korea for over two years without the issue coming to light.
This has led to growing criticism of Korea’s food and drug authority.
In 2025, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety tested 30 toothpaste products sold in Korea, including 2080, and reported that triclosan was not detected in any of them.
On January 11, the ministry announced it is now directly collecting and testing the affected toothpaste.
It will inspect manufacturing and import processes, and investigate how triclosan was introduced.
If legal violations are confirmed, Aekyung may face administrative penalties.
What to Do If You Have One of These Toothpastes
Aekyung has decided to recall all six affected products.
You are eligible for a full refund regardless of:
- manufacturing date
- purchase date or store
- whether you’ve used the toothpaste
- whether you bought it yourself
- whether you still have the receipt
There are two ways to request a refund:
- Call customer service
- Submit an online form
I strongly recommend using the online form.
Phone support often involves long wait times, and communication can be difficult if you’re not fluent in Korean. Unfortunately, foreign-language support is limited.
You can request a refund by submitting the official online form below.
👉 Online refund form (official link – Naver Form):
https://form.naver.com/response/9nDftXBmn6ynEHwvjtLd_g
The form is only available in Korean, so using your browser’s built-in translation can help.
What to Do After Submitting the Online Form
- Pack the toothpaste in a box
- Write “애경산업 반품” (Return to Aekyung Industrial) on the box
- If handwriting is difficult, you can print and tape the label
- Hand the package to the courier or leave it outside your door
- A Lotte Courier driver will visit your address within 1–2 days
- Contactless pickup is common in Korea, so leaving it outside is fine
- Wait for your refund
- Refunds take about 7 days after the product arrives at Aekyung’s logistics center
- If additional verification is needed, you may be contacted, so keep an eye on your phone
If you’ve been using one of these toothpaste products while living in Korea, it’s understandable to feel unsettled by this news.
Daily necessities like toothpaste are items we use and trust without much thought, which is why incidents like this raise valid concerns.
Hopefully, stronger oversight and better quality control will help prevent similar cases in the future.
I’ll continue to share content that may be helpful for your life and safety in Korea.
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