Eco-Friendly Toothpaste
This toothpaste is super-simple to make, and my teeth have never felt cleaner or looked shinier—they’re almost glossy! It’s incredible. This toothpaste will probably taste saltier than what you’re using now, but it doesn’t come in a plastic tube and also doesn’t have any strange, potentially harmful ingredients. Definitely worth a try in my book.
INGREDIENTS
⅔ cup baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1–2 teaspoons peppermint extract, or 10–15 drops peppermint
essential oil
water
Mix all the ingredients together in a small glass jar, adding the peppermint oil/extract a little at a time to taste, then add water until you get a thin paste. To use, either wet your toothbrush and use the bristles to scoop some paste
out of the jar, or use a small spoon to apply a pea-sized amount to your brush.
When I started using this recipe I was worried that the baking soda would be too abrasive and wear away my tooth enamel or ruin my gold tooth or something, but then I did some sleuthing and discovered, that baking soda is lower on scale called the “Relative Dentin Abrasiveness Scale” than every single other toothpaste out there. The scale runs from 0 to 200, with baking soda clocking in at a measly 7, while the closest commercial toothpaste comes in at 35.4 Also notable is that this is probably the first time Googling something actually made me feel less worried, instead of more.
I must admit that it did take me a while to get used to the saltiness of this recipe, but I couldn’t get over how great my teeth felt, and now I find that using normal toothpaste tastes oddly sweet—like I’m brushing my teeth with frosting. If you’re also having a tough time getting past the salty taste you can always omit the salt altogether, or change out the peppermint oil/extract for
orange, cinnamon, or whatever rocks your world.
If you’re not up for DIY toothpaste, another option is to consider switching your regular toothpaste to a natural brand free of horrific junk like sodium lauryl sulfate, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. You’ll still get the benefits of natural tooth cleaners, and when you’re done with the tube you can recycle it.
Erzsebet Frey (Eli Frey) is an ecologist and online entrepreneur with a Master of Science in Ecology from the University of Belgrade. Originally from Serbia, she has lived in Sri Lanka since 2017. Eli has worked internationally in countries like Oman, Brazil, Germany, and Sri Lanka. In 2018, she expanded into SEO and blogging, completing courses from UC Davis and Edinburgh. Eli has founded multiple websites focused on biology, ecology, environmental science, sustainable and simple living, and outdoor activities. She enjoys creating nature and simple living videos on YouTube and participates in speleology, diving, and hiking.