What has happened to this breath freshener? I remember it as tiny, gray flakes that tasted like soap and came in a small envelope. I haven’t seen it in years. Is it still available anywhere? And, specifically, somewhere in Southern California?
I know that there’s a shop in Old Town San Diego that carries it. If you don’t want to drive there, I can get some here and send it your way. Drop me an email if you’re interested.
I think Sen-sen is revolting. My mom tells me it was invariably used to cover up cigarette breath. Why a mint wouldn’t have worked, I don’t know.
I need to quote Music Man lyrics here:
Now I know that all you folks are the right kind of parents.
I’m gonna be perfectly frank.
Would you like to know what kind of conversation goes on while they’re loafin’ around that hall?
They’ll be tryin’ out Bevo,
Tryin’ out Cubans,
Tryin’ out tailor-mades like cigarette fiends,
And braggin’ all about how they’re gonna cover up a tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen.
I think it’s still available around Montana if you look a bit. I, too, haven’t tasted it in years. Mmm… licorice. Intensely strong breath-scenting licorice.
Thanks, Bristlesage; I don’t see your e-mail address here, but here’s mine:
montgomerydou55@hotmail.com
And tell me the price so I can send you a check or money order. 
Doug Montgomery/dougie_monty
dougie_monty, mail sent. Derleth, do I need to send some to the wilds of Montana, too?
I think you can find SenSen at Watsons in Old Town Orange.
It’s August 5, 2004. Has anyone found Sen-Sen yet?
From the Vermont Country Store: Tiny Sen-Sen Bits Packed with Licorice Flavor “These tiny candy bits are loaded with strong, pure licorice flavor. An unbeatable breath freshener, Sen-Sen is a great pick-me-up for those who prefer powerful taste to sweetness. Foil packets are convenient for purse or pocket. Twelve 0.1 oz. packets per box.” $10.95
I see it all the time. Its not that hard to find. Maybe not on the west coast.
They also used it, of course, to cover alcohol on the breath. At least, they did so in a historical novel I read that was set in the time of Prohibition.
These folks sell a sen-sen/licorice candy that didn’t sound too bad.
Tried it once on a dare. That was once too many.
How awful does your breath have to stink in order to need that to cover it up?
I sell Sen-Sen. Customers’ comments are surprisingly uniform: “Sen-Sen! I haven’t seen that in forty years!” It’s even pretty hard for me to get as a retailer; I know only one distributor that offers it. In the last two or three years, though, I have found several other tiny licorice extract lozenges–some flavored, some sweetened, some just pure licorice extract. Most are from Italy or Spain. I put warning signs on the displays: “Very Severe!”
This thread is a bit of a coincidence. Last Saturday, I happened to see a display of Sen-Sen next to the cash register of a local drugstore while I was purchasing something else for my daughter, and bought a package for sentimental reasons. But alas, it fell far short of my recollections:[ul]
[li]It came in a paper packet, not a cardboard sleeve with a tiny hole one was supposed to shake the flakes through;[/li][li]It was shiny black, not dull, powdery grey;[/li][li]It tasted like licorice, not soap. The aforementioned Ottlet actually liked it, which was sort of disappointing.[/li][/ul]Ah, well, yet another youthful memory trashed.