How to Make Your Own Toothpaste (Using Just 3 Ingredients From Your Cupboard)
Or, trying new zero-waste things during a lockdown
Did you know, we throw 1.5 billion empty toothpaste tubes into landfill every year? When I found this out, I got even more fed up that I was contributing to this non-recyclable waste.
Related Post: I have more stats, plus easy tips on how to create a zero-waste bathroom at The 5 Easiest Plastic-Free Alternatives for the Bathroom
I started buying natural charcoal toothpaste in a glass jar from Georganics. The taste and texture were different from conventional toothpaste but took only a couple of days to get used to. There was a fancy wooden spatula to use, and I found myself taking smaller portions. In the end, I preferred using this toothpaste over any from a tube.
But now I was spending more money on toothpaste than before. I knew I had to start making toothpaste for myself.
Making the leap
I was a little nervous about making my own ‘unofficial’ toothpaste. What if I was putting my long-term dental health at risk for the sake of improving my hippie credentials?
But it’s becoming common knowledge amongst dentists now that simply brushing correctly, to remove the beginnings of plaque, is the most important part of effective dental care. A study in 2016 even showed that brushing with toothpaste made no difference to the removal of plaque when compared to brushing without toothpaste.
A toothpaste’s primary functions are to be a mild abrasive and to make your breath smell nicer. The ingredients I use for my toothpaste do that, and more!
Besides, you can’t go wrong if exploring how to make toothpaste with baking soda, as it has about 1,000 gentle and effective cleaning uses.
If you’re anything like me, you don’t have the time, patience or inclination to take part in a complex chemistry experiment to make toothpaste. But the best part of this recipe is how easy it is to make. It only contains ingredients that you’ve heard of, and you’re probably using them for other things already.
Read on for my recipe for homemade toothpaste with coconut oil. Isn’t it nice to know exactly what you’re putting on your teeth?
The amounts are for a small batch of toothpaste, in case you end up wanting to adjust the quantities on the next one. You’ll also need:
- a container for your toothpaste (leftover glass jar?)
- some kind of spatula for getting the toothpaste out
P.S. Making your own toothpaste also means you can store it in a leftover glass jar instead of buying new, which avoids single-use materials. Winning!
It’s that simple!
Taste and texture
I use an especially coconutty coconut oil for this homemade toothpaste and enjoy the taste of this when brushing. The oil melts quickly in the mouth, and this mixture isn’t particularly gritty either.
The baking soda will make the toothpaste taste a little salty. This is one of the reasons for the essential oils. You can change which oils you use and adjust the amounts ‘to taste’ *Italian chef kissing motion*. 😚👌
Natural toothpastes don’t usually foam up like regular toothpaste, because they don’t contain detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate. Keep some mixture going on your brush and this shouldn’t matter.
Essential oils
Using good quality essential oils in your toothpaste also means you could benefit from the therapeutic qualities they have. For example, bergamot removes unpleasant odours and helps to heal sores.
Tip: If you desperately want to add more essential oils after you’ve made the mixture, you can leave your toothpaste in a sunny spot, which will melt it and make it easy to stir again. Science! Bear in mind that you should never add more than 18 drops of essential oil per 30ml/1 fl oz of mixture, as they can irritate the skin when not diluted correctly.
Cost comparison
One of the most satisfying aspects of making your own homemade toothpaste is the money you’ll save. I’ve taken the current RRPs of the specific products I use, and divided those down to the cost for 100ml of toothpaste:
Coconut oil: 2.1 cups (500ml) = £9. 1/4 cup = £1.06
Baking soda: 1.1 lbs (500g) = £1.75. 1 1/2 tbsp = 8p
Bergamot essential oil: 0.34 fl oz (10ml) = £7.50. 10 drops = 33p
Peppermint essential oil: 0.34 fl oz (10ml) = £4.75. 6 drops = 13p
Total: £1.60 per 100ml.
The Georganics charcoal toothpaste was the cheapest I could find at the time. It currently costs £8.90 for 120ml, which works out as £7.42 per 100ml.
That’s a cost saving of £5.82 when I made my own toothpaste. 👌🎈💃
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Originally published at https://carolineisawriter.com.
