I finally did it. I finally made my own toothpaste. I’ve been nervous to make it for years, read posts about it regularly but just couldn’t get the courage to try it. Two weeks ago I finally got up the nerve to just go for it. I’m so glad I did! My mouth feels extremely clean…like all day long. I like knowing that I’m actually remineralizing my teeth, trapping the bad bacteria, feeding the good bacteria and boosting my immune system. It really doesn’t cost that much either…after the initial investment in the essential oils (EO).
Why You Should Make Your Own Toothpaste
First, let’s talk about why it’s worth making your own. Toothpaste you buy at the store is full of a lot of disgusting stuff. First, is fluoride. The fluoride in toothpaste is much different from the fluoride discovered in that small Colorado town where everyone had incredibly healthy teeth despite their diet. Current fluoride is this really long word no one can pronounce. And if you swallow your toothpaste you are supposed to call poison control. Yes, poison control. I have young children in my house. I do not want to be freaking out over toothpaste being swallowed.
Another thing mainstream toothpaste has is sodium lauryl sulfate. It’s not necessarily toxic, however, it causes tears in the mouth which can lead to canker sores. I hate those suckers. It also can lead to chronic bad breath, which toothpaste is supposed to help with. It also contributes to dry mouth because of how it alters our mucus membranes which produce our saliva.
The third ingredient that you really don’t want in your mouth is glycerin. Glycerin coats our teeth which you’d think would be good right? Wrong. By coating our teeth it actually keeps the plaque and decay-producing bacteria trapped against our teeth! Also by encapsulating our teeth, it prevents remineralization by preventing the absorption of calcium, silica and other minerals our teeth need to stay strong. While teeth are “dead,” they are like our nails and “grow.” You remove the things that tear down your teeth and replace them with things that build up your teeth, you are going to have a fantastic (and healthy) smile.
So let’s get to the recipe then discuss why it works.
My Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
- Equal parts (2 -3 tbsp each) virgin coconut oil
and baking soda - 1 tbsp bentonite clay powder
- 5 drops of OnGuard EO
- 10 drops of either Peppermint or Spearmint EO
- 3 drops of Frankincense EO
Mix well and store in an airtight glass container.
Coconut Oil
Virgin Coconut Oil is amazing. It contains lauric acid which is anti-microbial. That means is kills harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi. It also traps the main player behind plaque buildup and tooth decay, streptoccocus mutans. You can find out more about how great coconut oil is for our dental hygiene by reading my blog post on oil pulling here.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is mostly known for its teeth whitening properties. While abrasive, it is is weaker than our enamel so it will clean our teeth without scratching our enamel (source). It helps reduce bad breath and does a great job really cleaning our teeth.
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is a mineral rich substance that can help reminerlize our teeth. It contains calcium, magnesium and silica. Things our teeth need! Learn more about bentonite clay here.
Essential Oils
I love DoTerra’s OnGuard Essential Oil. It is a unique blend of oils that support our immune system. Using it in our toothpaste is a great way to get these potent supporters into our blood stream and helping us fight off the bad stuff.
Using peppermint or spearmint gives us the nice flavor we associate with cleaning our teeth. It definitely makes it more pleasant!
Frankincense is an amazing oil. I’ve heard so many amazing stories of healing associated with taking frankincense in daily. Frankincense is antiseptic, prevents bad breath, canker sores, is astringent and boosts our immune system. It really does so much more, I recommend you research it. You’ll be amazed.
So you can see why I’m so excited about this toothpaste. Not only does it clean really, really well. It supports our overall health!
Sources:
http://derrdian.hubpages.com/hub/Strenghtening-Tooth-Enamel-Through-Re-Mineralization
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/11/is-baking-soda-a-good-alternative-toothpaste/
http://www.farrensnaturalcosmetics.com/blog/34-whats-bad-about-toothpaste.html
http://www.doterratools.com/on-guard-products/
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