At 25, [Kristoffer] Vural suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed for a year. [...] In addition to a loss of mobility, Vural’s stroke also resulted in a stranger, more mysterious change: His sense of taste and smell heightened. As a result, brushing his teeth became nearly unbearable. “[Toothpaste] tasted too synthetic, too chemical, too strong,” he explains.

Vural also developed synesthesia, a condition that allows him to experience taste and smell as colors. “I remember when it started, I was just like, ‘Oh, this tastes too blue, it should taste more red.’ And people were looking at me like I was crazy.”

Read more in Selahatin, Rick Owens' Favorite Toothpaste Brand, Makes Perfume For Your Mouth at High Snobiety.