Homemade Whitening Toothpaste

Brushing your teeth is one of those mundane tasks that you complete on auto pilot every day, twice a day (hopefully). But have you ever stopped to think about what you are putting in your mouth? You should. Most commercially made toothpastes contain many chemicals that are hazardous to our health.

Some common toothpaste ingredients:

Fluoride: hardens teeth, making them brittle. Accumulates in bones over time and may cause cancer. But it's in our water, you say? It shouldn't be! See why: http://www.mbschachter.com/dangers_of_fluoride_and_fluorida.htm

Triclosan: antibacterial agent found in many health/body products. Stores in body fat and is suspected of causing cancer.

Surfactants: foaming agents that cause swelling in the gums and recurrence of canker sores. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an extremely common surfactant in body products.

Artificial Sugars: lowers pH of the dental plaque, causing more damage to teeth. Particularly avoid Aspartame, which has been linked to many diseases.

Glycerin: covers teeth with a sticky substance, preventing them from remineralizing naturally.

For sources, see bottom of article

Organic Coconut Oil: antibacterial, helps stop tooth decay

Baking Soda: removes plaque, freshens breath, whitens teeth

Xylitol: sweetens taste, prevents bacteria from sticking to teeth, and keeps a neutral pH in the mouth. Find it in health food stores or online

(*You can also use stevia to sweeten, but you won't get the benefits of xylitol)

Before commercially made toothpastes were available, people would use baking soda and salt to brush their teeth. Some would simply dry brush, which involves brushing teeth without toothpaste using a dry toothbrush. It is the act of brushing, rather than the chemicals in the toothpaste, that does most of the cleaning anyway. That is why we should brush for two minutes!

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1-2 teaspoons Xylitol

1. Mix 1 T Baking Soda and 3 T Coconut Oil in a bowl.

2. Mix in Xylitol 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it is sweet enough for your taste.

3. Add a little water, or Hydrogen Peroxide as I did, to get a more toothpaste-like consistency.

4. You can also add 10-20 drops of a 100% pure essential oil to give your toothpaste some flavor. Make sure it is safe to use (some are meant for aromatherapy only)

• Since baking soda can be a bit abrasive on teeth, use this toothpaste for every other brushing or a few times a week.
• This toothpaste will not foam up like commercially made ones do. It does not have the harmful surfactant (such as sodium lauryl sulfate) that creates the foam.
• You do not need to brush harder.
• It will not leave you with minty fresh breath, but it will clean your teeth. Consider a tongue scraper to remove excess bacteria, which will help freshen your breath.

Happy Brushing!