What? Whitening? That toothpaste looks BLACK!
Yes, it’s black. Yes, it also WHITENS your teeth!
After a while, all the coffee/tea/kombucha, etc that we drink will start to slightly stain our teeth. Personally, I rather enjoy those beverages, and don’t feel like they have a negative enough effect on my health to cut them out of my diet. However, I prefer to not have to pay the price of a not-so-bright smile.
Unfortunately the majority of commercial toothpastes (especially the whitening variety) are filled with a plethora of undesirable ingredients.
- Sodium Laurel Sulfate- can cause irritation of the eyes and skin, organ toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicology, and biochemical or cellular changes and more.
- GMO Soy Lethicin
- Xylitol made from GMO corn
- Fluoride- Can have a negative effect on bones, brain, reproductive system, and even your IQ! Fluoride is also a hormone disruptor which can cause acne, and hosts of other hormonal issues.
- Glycerin- (Found even in most “healthy” toothpastes) Coats your teeth, and prevents them from remineralizing.
So if the toothpaste at the store has all this yucky stuff in it, what are we supposed to do??
Enter- Homemade Whitening Toothpaste!
So, I have been using homemade clay based toothpaste for quite a while now, and I’m here to say- it’s awesome!
I found a nice recipe on the internet, and used it happily until I happened to get another toothpaste recipe from my friend Lauren. Her recipe had all the same ingredients as the one I had been using, but the proportions were significantly different, and resulted in a WAY better texture and taste.
Since then, I have added a couple of ingredients, and wanted to share my take on Lauren’s awesome whitening toothpaste recipe here.
You will need:
- 2 Tablespoons of Bentonite Clay
- 1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt
- *10 drops of Peppermint essential oil
- 1 Tablespoon of softened or melted Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil
- 1 dropper full of Organic Liquid Stevia
- 2 capsules of Activated Charcoal or a half teaspoon of bulk Activated Charcoal
- 1/4 teaspoon of Organic Ground Cloves
- 2 Tablespoons of Filtered Water
*Optional mineral drops for additional mineral benefits
*I do not use essential oils internally, but I feel ok about using a bit in this whitening toothpaste since I don’t actually swallow it.
**To make this toothpaste toddler friendly, (they like to swallow the toothpaste) you can substitute the peppermint oil with dried ground mint, or just eliminate it totally. If you leave out the peppermint oil, the toothpaste will be predominantly clove tasting. Pretty yummy too!
Directions:
Open charcoal capsules, and combine with all other ingredients in a glass container. PLEASE DO NOT USE PLASTIC OR METAL! This toothpaste will pull the toxins out of the metal or plastic, and will not be suitable to use anymore.
Mix together with a wood, silicone, or rubber spoon, and store in a cool dark place. I store mine in a bathroom drawer.
Dab your toothbrush in the paste until you get your preferred amount of toothpaste on the brush.
If you have never used this type of toothpaste, it will take a few brushing sessions to get used to the taste. It has a lovely mint/clove taste, but it isn’t nearly as sweet as most store bought toothpastes. There is also a little salty element that is a bit different tasting at first.
After using this for a while, I unexpectedly stayed over at a relative’s house, and had to use regular toothpaste, and was quite disgusted by the sickeningly sweet quality of it. Ugh!
Homemade Whitening Toothpaste
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp bentonite clay
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp softened or melted coconut oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 1 dropper full of liquid stevia
- 2 capsules activated charcoal
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Optional mineral drops
Instructions
- Open charcoal capsules.
- Combine with all other ingredients in a glass container.
- Mix with a rubber or wooden spoon.
- Store in a cool dark place.