Toothpaste!! We all need to brush our teeth, in order to remove plaque and buildup from every day food, but have you ever thought about the ingredients you’re inadvertently ingesting in the process?

When purchasing toothpaste for my family, I always check the ingredients first. I look for a brand with natural ingredients and without the unnecessary ingredients since a certain quantity is absorbed through your skin or swallowed. I wrote an in-depth post about toothpaste covering everything you need to know about ingredients, under Healthy Living.

I’m sharing a recipe I make at home, because I love the control of knowing exactly what is going in our mouths. This homemade recipe includes ingredients that aid in removing plaque, gently buffing your teeth, whitening teeth naturally and freshening breath. 

No time or patience to make your own paste? Most store-bought pastes leave me feeling disappointed in their additives. For example, some of the ingredients I steer clear of are natural flavors (total marketing trickery), artificial flavors, xanthan gum, carrageenan and sodium fluoride. You can browse a list of these ingredients and more, as well as their function and their Environmental Working Group (EWG) score here. 

My favorite teeth cleaning products to purchase are Redmond, because they fit my stringent standards. I’m also honored that they’ve given me my own discount code to share with BigLittle Bites readers! Please keep scrolling to learn more about their teeth cleaning options and the discount code. 

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe

Note: I never add essential oils to toothpaste for children under 5 years old – essential oils are very potent. When I do use essential oils, I only use Young Living oils because I trust their Seed to Seal commitment to quality, and that their oils come from high quality plants and are the purest available. I personally cannot advise ingesting any other oils (even those from Whole Foods), so please do your research first. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c of Cold-Pressed, Unrefined Coconut Oil – natural binder to lend a creamy mouth-feel, fights candida and tooth decay,
• 2 tbsp Real Salt – gentle abrasive, full of necessary trace minerals
• 2 tbsp Baking Soda – gentle abrasive to remove plaque and help whiten naturally
• 4 tbsp food-grade calcium carbonate – remineralize your teeth naturally
• Optional- 2 tsp Activated Charcoal Powder – pulls toxins and removes stains
• Optional- 20 drops of Essential Oils of choice: cinnamon (fights inflammation), clove (antibacterial), peppermint for traditional fresh aftertaste, lemon for a more gentle aftertaste for little ones
• Optional- 1/2 tbsp of Xylitol: this natural sweetener is good at killing bacteria and remineralizing teeth

 Directions:

First, you will need a clean, glass jar to store your toothpaste in. Depending on room conditions, the coconut oil could make the toothpaste hard or soft; a jar will be easier to dig out of. When using essential oils, I like these colored glass jars to preserve my ingredients better.

In order to make a big enough batch for everyone in my family to have their own jar, I triple the ingredients. Before you begin making this toothpaste recipe, put the coconut oil in the jar with the lid on, and run it under warm water, to soften the oil. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree together.

Favorite Store-Bought Toothpaste

If you’ve been following Big Little Bites (ever, really) then you know I am a HUGE fan of Redmond’s Real Salt. In my continual hunt for a truly natural store-bought toothpaste, I came across Redmond’s Earth Paste and Earth Powder and have been a fan ever since. I love that these toothpastes come in a variety of flavors, including mint-free varieties, with or without activated charcoal, as well as powder or paste formulation. Hubs loves the minty flavors, I adore cinnamon and the kids love lemon.

Earth Paste 

Earth Paste is a totally natural version of a traditional tube of toothpaste. It’s so natural, that it’s totally safe to swallow if someone can’t spit effectively, which also means you don’t have to worry about what’s being absorbed in your mouth. Real Talk: it’s an ugly gray color, but guess what? I love that! Why? Because it means there were no chemicals involved, to make it white. Earth Paste also skipped out on foaming agents, coloring, artificial and “natural” flavors, fluoride and glycerin.