William Colgate founded Colgate & Company in 1806 as a starch, soap, and candle factory in New York. In the 1870s, the company introduced its first toothpaste in a jar. It began selling toothpaste in tubes with its Colgate Ribbon Dental Cream in 1896. Over the decades, Colgate expanded its oral care products and global reach, becoming the largest oral care company in the world with a presence in over 200 countries. Today, Colgate offers toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes and other oral care products to promote oral health.