Hey friend! Have you thought about making your own natural toothpaste? I know it sounds kind of “out there” but hear me out. With all the chemicals and plastic waste from regular toothpaste tubes, a natural, homemade version is a great option for your teeth, gums, and the planet!
Kiss Chemicals Goodbye
Store-bought toothpaste can contain some nasty ingredients.
- Abrasives: Cleans and polishes teeth. Ingredients like silica, calcium carbonate
- Detergents/foaming agents: Creates lather and cleans. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common foaming agent.
- Flavoring: Provides taste and freshens breath. Usually artificial flavors and sweeteners.
- Preservatives: Prevents bacterial growth. Triclosan is a common antimicrobial agent.
- Binding agents: Gives toothpaste its texture. Ingredients like carrageenan, cellulose gum.
No thanks! Making your own is a way to avoid all that. You pick natural ingredients like bentonite clay, coconut oil, and essential oils to clean and freshen your breath. Speaking of natural ingredients, have you ever considered the benefits of magnesium? Magnesium is essential for overall health, including oral health, as it helps maintain strong teeth and bones. Incorporating magnesium-rich foods or supplements can be a great addition to your natural oral care routine. Pretty cool right?
Controversy of Fluoride
Another common ingredient in store bought toothpaste is Fluoride. While fluoride does have it’s proven benefits in the dental space, how it protects your teeth is quite alarming. Imagine trying to make glass out of rocks instead of sand. Rocks will make it more fragile and leave gaps, but sand fills up every crevasse and transforms into hard durable glass. While not the perfect analogy, fluoride acts more like the rocks here. Durable yes, but not great building blocks.
Fluoride incorporates into your enamel as fluorapatite crystals which affects the natural remineralization of your teeth (1). Problem is, your teeth cannot heal on its own if enamel structure is compromised with these foreign fluorapatite crystals. This leaves teeth more susceptible to acid and decay easier. Yellow teeth anyone? ☹ Ahh and don’t even get me started with the other negative effects of fluoride. For the sake of this article, I’m sticking with the topic of teeth health.
The solution here is to go a more natural route and provide your teeth the building blocks (aka.”sand”) to promote the natural remineralization of the teeth. Just like your teeth need specific minerals to stay strong, your body can benefit from mineral boost heroes when your diet alone isn’t enough. These supplements can help ensure you get the essential nutrients needed for overall health, including maintaining strong and healthy teeth. For those still wanting a traditional toothpaste, a great substitute is to find toothpaste that contains Nano-Hydroxyapatite (2) and not fluoride.
Nano-Hydroxyapatite vs Fluoride
Nano-hydroxyapatite is a key component of tooth enamel and can help remineralize and strengthen teeth. Some potential benefits over fluoride toothpaste:
- Helps rebuild enamel through remineralization
- Effective at preventing cavities with less risk of overexposure
- Better taste compared to fluoride
- Does not contain fluoride which some people wish to avoid
Homemade Natural Toothpaste with Bentonite Clay and Calcium Carbonate
With concerns over chemicals and plastic waste from conventional toothpastes, more people are seeking natural, eco-friendly alternatives to care for their teeth and gums. Making your own toothpaste at home with simple, natural ingredients is an easy way to avoid unwanted additives while saving money.
This recipe uses bentonite clay and calcium carbonate as natural cleansers. Here’s what they bring to the party:
Bentonite Clay
- Has absorbent properties that help remove stains
- Removes plaque and toxins from teeth
- Has antibacterial effects to promote oral health
Calcium Carbonate
- Mild abrasive that helps scrub away stains gently
- Provides calcium ions to strengthen enamel
- Helps neutralize acid in the mouth
They make the perfect pair to clean your pearly whites naturally.
Whip Up a Batch in Minutes
Making your own toothpaste is super easy and customizable. A lot of these ingredients can be purchased from my favorite supplier of ethically sourced herbs, spices, and essential oils. When choosing essential oils, it’s important to consider ethically harvested essential oils. These oils are not only better for the environment but also ensure that you are using the highest quality ingredients in your homemade toothpaste. Ethically harvested oils are produced with care and respect for nature, making them a perfect fit for your natural oral care routine.
Here’s a basic recipe:
- 3 tablespoons bentonite clay
- 3 tablespoons calcium carbonate
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2-5 drops essential oil
- 1/4 cup water
Optional additions
- Chamomile powder – sooths swollen gums and is an extra umpth for those with mouth ulcers or gum infections.
- Plantain powder – contains silica and is naturally antibacterial and antiseptic.
- White Kaolin Clay – combats bad breath, prevent cavities, and contains calcium, zinc, and magnesium for healthy teeth.
- Baking soda – naturally whitens teeth and help prevent bacterial growth
Mix the dry ingredients first, then add coconut oil, essential oil, and water to form a paste. Scoop into a jar and you’ve got yourself natural toothpaste! Adjust the recipe to your liking.
Benefits That Will Wow You
Using a natural toothpaste like this can:
- Gently clean without eroding enamel
- Whiten teeth over time
- Absorb toxins for fresher breath
- Soothe sensitive gums
Plus it’s vegan, plastic-free, and so affordable! The earthy taste takes some getting used to but the eco-friendly benefits make it worthwhile.
Oil Pulling for Extra Cleaning Power
Want to take your oral care up a notch? Try adding oil pulling to your routine! Here’s the deal:
- Swish a tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes
- Spit out the oil in the trash (save your drains!) – it will be full of bacteria and toxins
- Rinse well with water
- Brush with your homemade toothpaste
Oil pulling can thoroughly clean your mouth, reduce plaque, and whiten teeth naturally. To complement your oral care routine, you might also consider incorporating detox teas into your diet. These teas can help cleanse your body from the inside out, promoting overall health and well-being. A healthy body contributes to a healthy mouth, making detox teas a great addition to your natural oral care regimen. Talk about a power combo! This Ayurvedic practice has been overshadowed by the marketing schemes of big brand companies and consumerism mindset. For better sustainability, effectiveness, and oral health, this practice deserves to be brought back into the spotlight.
Give It a Whirl
Ready to try your hand at making natural toothpaste? I hope this post got you excited about the possibilities and made it feel totally doable. Ditch the chemicals and plastic – your teeth and the planet will thank you! Let me know how your homemade toothpaste goes!
