By Kali Sinclair, Organic Lifestyle Magazine
If you’re shopping for an all natural toothpaste, the list of ingredients to avoid includes diethanolamine, propylene glycol, fluoride, aspartame, saccharine, sodium lauryl sulfate, Triclosan, glycerin, sorbitol, and microbeads. After careful examination of the ingredients, the discerning shopper will see the similarities between food products and other body care products. There are a lot of toothpaste companies that are merely pretending to be healthy.
Finding a toothpaste that is actually good for you, in other words, one that actually helps improve oral health, can be challenging. So why not make your own?
All you need is a formula that you can brush into the teeth and gums that helps to scrub away and kill bacteria and other microbes while it polishes the teeth lightly without acidifying the mouth with toxins that damage tissue and leach calcium from the teeth. It’s actually not so hard when you forgo the chemicals! Here are three recipes for oral health that you can use to mix and match and come up with your own regimen. You’ll save some money and extend the life of your yappers.
Simple Toothpaste Recipe
You can make homemade toothpaste, that’s not really a paste, with the following:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt, finely ground
Instructions
Just mix the ingredients. You can also add an essential oil like peppermint or cinnamon; you can easily add a drop on the brush before brushing.
Homemade Earth-Paste Recipe
If you like the earthy shampoos and soaps, then this toothpaste formula is right up your alley:
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp bentonite clay
- Distilled water
- 5 drops tea tree oil
- 5 drops liquid stevia
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 2 Tsp unrefined sea salt
Instructions
- Combine 2 tablespoons of water with the bentonite clay in a glass bowl and mix well using a non-metal spoon (the clay shouldn’t come in contact with metal)
- Add tea tree oil, stevia, and peppermint essential oils
- Add salt, mix well
- Add water to taste and texture
- Store toothpaste in a glass with a lid (the toothpaste will dry out over time if left uncovered)
Homemade Remineralizing and Whitening Toothpaste Recipe
Make your own remineralizing toothpaste with calcium, magnesium, stevia, coconut oil, and essential oils to help your teeth stay strong and your gums stay healthy.
Ingredients
- 5 parts calcium/magnesium powder (the best calcium for this can be obtained with this homemade calcium recipe)
- 2 parts baking soda
- 1 part unrefined sea salt, finely ground
- 3-5 parts coconut oil to get desired texture
- Optional ingredients: Essential oils for flavor and/or kill germs (mint, cinnamon, tea tree, peppermint, orange), and stevia (takes very little)
Instructions
- Mix calcium, salt, and baking soda in a bowl
- Add coconut oil, one part at a time until you reach the desired consistency
- Add any optional ingredients
- Store in small glass container
Hydrogen peroxide is added to many homemade toothpastes, especially those formulated for whitening. But hydrogen peroxide is one of those ingredients you are not supposed to swallow and it can irritate the gums. It is not a good idea for kids or for anyone with sensitive, damaged, or diseased gums.
We also recommend addressing gut health and the first three sources below for acute gum infections and other more serious oral health issues.
