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Written by Joanna Hoang   
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Thursday, 03 March 2011

Homemade Toothpaste
Have you ever noticed how many chemicals are in your toothpaste? Before big toothpaste manufacturing existed, people used baking soda and salt to cleanse their teeth or even just pure water. Today there are many chemicals added to enhance taste and to make your mouth feel “fresh” and minty, or to make them whiter (allegedly…)! Fluoride compounds are often added because they are supposed to be good for your teeth—but are they really? According to recent studies, the fluoride compounds may be doing your teeth more harm than good.1 Additionally glycerin based toothpaste coats your teeth preventing your teeth from remineralizing which is bad for your teeth and causes decay.2 This guide provides you with all you need to make your oral hygiene healthier for you and the environment!

BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Less packaging and production of synthetic chemicals. By making your own toothpaste/tooth powder you are saving the energy it would have cost to manufacture commercial toothpaste and to ship it to local stores. It is also a lot more natural and healthy for your teeth!

BENEFITS FOR YOUR HEALTH: As already mentioned, the chemicals added to commercial toothpaste may not in fact be good for your teeth. An acquaintance of mine recently informed me that she switched away from commercial toothpaste and has instead been brushing her teeth with natural soaps. She told me that although the taste is not great, her teeth feel much cleaner. This may not sound true but it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Natural soap without the added synthetic chemicals ARE gentle and they clean your teeth. If you are daring you can try out some of the recipes listed in this guide!

Costs: Low

Time and Effort: Low

Make your own Tooth Powder
Ingredients:
  • - ¼ cup baking soda
  • - 1 tsp salt
  • - Optional: flavor of your choice, for example peppermint or coconut oil3
Directions:
  1. Mix the baking soda, salt, and flavor (optional) together in a small container.
  2. To use your tooth powder, simply wet your toothbrush under running water then dab it into the powder and brush your teeth!4

    * If you do not add any flavor the taste may take some getting used to *

Baking Soda Tooth Paste 5


Make your own Traditional-type Toothpaste: If you are not ready to use powder to brush your teeth, try making this nice toothpaste! It creates foam much like the toothpaste you would purchase in a store.6

Ingredients:
  • - ¼ cup baking soda
  • - ½ tsp water
  • - ¼ tsp Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap—either one of their scented soaps or the unscented soap if you prefer to go au-natural or want to add your own flavor!
Directions:
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small container and mix them up to form a paste.
  2. To use, just put about a pea size dollop on your toothbrush and brush as usual.
  3. The paste will thicken over time, so add more drops of water to your mixture every once in a while to make it easier to use.
  4. Middle of the Road: If the taste is an issue for you, try mixing this paste with your preferred commercially produced toothpaste and slowly wean yourself off of that paste. Or you can continue to use the mix and still reduce production energy costs and transportation costs!7
Mouthwash8

Mint Mouthwash Ingredients:
  • - 1 cup water
  • - ¼ carbonated water
  • - 1 tsp aloe vera gel
  • - 10 drops of peppermint or spearmint oil
Directions:
  1. Boil the water and add the carbonated water and aloe vera gel.
  2. Cool the mixture and add the peppermint or spearmint oil. Shake well.
  3. Store in an air tight bottle.
Lemon Mouthwash Ingredients:
  • - 1 cup water
  • - ½ cup carbonated water
  • - 1 tsp aloe vera gel
  • - 10 drops lemon essential oil
Directions:
  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bottle and shake well.
  2. Store in an air tight bottle.
Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash Ingredients:
  • - 1 cup warm water
  • - ½ tsp Myrrh tincture
  • - 5-8 drops tea tree oil
  • - 5-8 drops mint oil
Directions:
  1. Mix all the ingredients in a container.
  2. Use as you would` conventionally bought mouth wash.
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1 http://www.health-science.com/fluoride_toxicity.html
2 http://www.smartahealth.com/remineralization.html
3 http://www.ehow.com/how_2222514_brush-teeth-toothpaste.html
4 http://girlonbikewrites.blogspot.com/2010/02/toothpaste-alternatives-homemade-teeth.html
5 Id.
6 Id.
7 Id.
8 http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/teeth/mouth-wash.html




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Last Updated ( Friday, 01 July 2011 )

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