Make Own Toothpaste
I haven’t purchased toothpaste in
years, and yes – I brush my teeth! How is this possible? I make it myself!
When I transitioned to a Zero Waste lifestyle over
two years ago, toothpaste was the first product I stopped buying and started
making. The ingredients are simple and easy to find at almost any store: baking
soda, organic coconut oil, and organic essential oils. It takes no more than
two minutes to combine these three ingredients, and the toothpaste leaves my
mouth feeling so incredibly fresh — way fresher than storebought toothpaste.
In fact, when I used my friend’s store bought toothpaste a week ago, I couldn’t
believe the difference!
But let’s take a step back … why did I make the
switch from “conventional” packaged toothpaste to one that I make myself?
The Packaging:
For starters, I live a Zero Waste lifestyle and toothpaste tubes are totally wasteful. They are
typically sold with not just the tube, but a box as well. While the box is
recyclable, the tube is very difficult or impossible to recycle and will most
likely end up in a landfill. The benefit of making my own toothpaste is that I
can put it in a glass jar that I can wash and reuse infinitely. No plastic tubes,
no trash, no landfill.
The Ingredients:
I like to have control of what I am putting on and in my body.
There has been a lot of controversy around the ingredients that are in
conventional toothpaste. Two that I will focus on are triclosan
and sodium
lauryl sulfate, but conventional toothpaste also contains fluoride, propylene
glycol, and sodium hydroxide, all of which are controversial because they are linked to cancer and a long list of other ailments.
Triclosan:
A chemical added to
many products to reduce bacterial contamination which is also used in
toothpaste to prevent gingivitis, according to the FDA and toothpaste
manufacturers. In addition, it has been said to be potentially carcinogenic and
have negative effects on the endocrine system in animals. It is banned in
certain applications in Europe and in 2011, some of Colgate’s soap products
were reformulated without the chemical, but not their toothpaste. The
ecotoxicology of the ingredient is still under heavy scrutiny and EWGrates it to have
a moderate/high health hazard. That’s all I needed to hear to make the decision
to stay clear of it for good.
Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): A surfactant (a
foaming agent that lowers the tension between two liquids or a liquid and a
solid) used in toothpaste to evenly disperse the ingredients and help with
effective rinsing and removal of mouth debris. It also promotes foaming.
Many studies on SLS show that it is contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a byproduct
of the manufacturing process, which is also a possible carcinogen. SLS is also
said to aggravate gums. No, thank you.
If something has a supposed risk, I will avoid it until I have
concrete evidence that it is safe. This is why I choose to make my own
toothpaste with just three ingredients that I trust and buy package free:
baking soda, organic coconut oil, and organic essential oils.
The Savings:
Toothpaste can cost anywhere between $1-$8 for a 6oz tube
depending on the brand you are buying and where you are purchasing it from. In
my experience (purchasing ingredients in NYC), I have spent at most $.60 for
6oz of toothpaste. All aside, the cost savings alone are worth it!With so much
to gain and not much to lose, making your own toothpaste makes sense! It’s
cheaper to make, tastes better, feels better in your mouth, and is better for
you. See for yourself, to learn how to make my zero waste toothpaste by checking
out this video.
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