If you haven’t seen the SALVE recipe yet for homemade toothpaste, you can find it here.
Why homemade toothpaste?
You may be wondering, with so may options for toothpaste on the market, what’s the point of making my own? Well there are three major reasons.
- Most toothpastes on the market are loaded with harmful chemicals and fillers that are cheap, arguably harmful to your health, and contain unnatural ingredients which have been linked to an array of health problems. And because you are presumably brushing your teeth at least two times a day, you are ingesting these toxins twice a day everyday which can be harmful to your overall health.Natural is the way to go. While you can find natural toothpastes on the market today often they are more expensive and come in a smaller tube than your average toothpaste which brings me to the second reason you should be making your own toothpaste.
- It is more cost effective. Plus natural toothpaste uses products that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Homemade toothpaste can be customized to your liking. You can use our recipe as a base, add ingredients and take out ingredients.
So why did we choose these ingredients?
We put a lot of thought into our choice of ingredients and used products that have all been shown to be helpful for oral care, so let’s break it down:
First: Coconut oil
Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties, which can kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath and lead to tooth decay. Also the oil will leave your teeth feeling nice and polished with a protective layer from coffee tea and any other teeth staining food and drinks. [1]
Second: Baking Soda
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) much like coconut oil has so many natural uses and is handy to keep around the house because you can pretty much always find a use for it. But it also has many benefits when it comes to the health of your teeth. As you may know baking soda is an effective tooth whitener, you can even use it alone, by dissolving it in warm water and brushing. It also is effective in the fight against plaque which can lead to tooth decay. [2]
Third: Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil has so many natural benefits and it is also one of the best essential oils for oral health. It has antiseptic properties, can protect against tooth decay and gum health and been shown to inhibit the growth of cavities. It has also widely been used to fight bad breath, and who doesn’t love that fresh mint feeling after your brush?
Fourth: Neem OIl
Let me start this section by stating that neem oil is a very powerful medicinal oil. Neem oil when used properly is a great way to prevent plaque, gingivitis and gum disease. Not only that but one study showed that a neem based mouth rinse was just as effective as your traditional mouthwash in its antigingivitis and antiplaque properties but it also had fewer side effects than traditional mouthwash! [3] Neem oil should also NOT be ingested. You can get neem oil online from SALVE [all natural and organic skin care].
Fifth: Xylitol (optional)
Some people may need to add a little sweetness to their toothpaste, and for that reason we added the optional sweetener xylitol to our recipe. Xylitol is a natural sweetener, but it has been shown to repair damaged enamel, and is effective in the fight against cavities by reducing cavity causing bacteria.[4]
While we used these ingredients for our version of natural toothpaste there are also many other natural ingredients that have benefits for your oral health that you can use to make this recipe your own.
References:
1. “Result Filters.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24328700>.
2. “Rahbar Dentistry: Dental Matters That Really Matter.” Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth with Baking Soda. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://rahbardentistry.blogspot.com/2011/09/benefits-of-brushing-your-teeth-with.html>.
3. Chatterjee, Anirban et al. “To Evaluate the Antigingivitis and Antipalque Effect of an Azadirachta Indica (neem) Mouthrinse on Plaque Induced Gingivitis: A
Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology 15.4 (2011): 398–401. PMC. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
4. Pierini, Carolyn. “Xylitol: A Sweet Alternative.” Unique Sweetener Supports Oral Health (n.d.): n. pag. Www.iprogressivemed.com. The Institute for Progressive Medicine. Web. <www.iprogressivemed.com/misc/xylitol_a_sweet_alternative.pdf>.
Written by Nicolle Chase
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