Monday, September 26, 2011


You may think that toothpaste isnt an item where you need to read the ingredients list, but unfortunately, I'd start if you haven't already done so. Most of the ingredients that we use to clean our teeth end up in our stomach, intestines and can be absorbed into our gums. Hence, the need to rinse well with water or switch to a natural toothpaste.

Being a natural product reviewer I’d opt for either making the switch to a healthy toothpaste or making your own. Having small amounts of carcinogens every day, especially in your gastrointestinal system is in no way healthy for you, your family or the environment.

What you want to look out for:

SLS: For some reason, companies, even natural ones add this ingredient to make it seem frothy, like you’re getting a good clean. Everyone likes a good old frothy rabies smile when they brush their teeth. In reality, rabies is not attractive and this stuff stays in your gut, so much so that studies are finding large amounts of it in the intestines even after one stops using sls ingredients in their toothpaste. Yuck! This stuff is also known to be toxic to the liver and kidneys not to mention toxic to aquatic animal life…think about how many people have this ingredient in their toothpaste and how much of it goes down the drain yearly.

Titanium Dioxide: I’ve read so many mixed things about this ingredient. It’s a white pigment from the oxide of titanium. Essentially, it’s a mineral that makes things white…like paint, makeup, tattoo ink, food glaze, the lining on baseball and soccer fields, plastics, paper… The harm in titanium dioxides was mostly discovered from in sunscreens, as the ingredient lists have to include silica and other components that do not allow the titanium dioxide particles to penetrate the skin as it is a known human carcinogen. Key word: Carcinogen. That being said, I have never seen a makeup even natural one without this ingredient. Regardless, It’s used to make your toothpaste look white and is unnecessary. Most of the ingredients in your toothpaste will be white anyways like calcium carbonate.

Parabens-I’ve mentioned these before. Estrogens, found in tumors=bad.

Our take on Sodium Fluoride: I’ve actually fought with my dentist about this. I, in no way, mean to mock dentists or dental related practices or people who use fluoride because their dentist said so. I just am looking at the facts and my dentist had no solid argument other than “the text book said so”… and it was written by Colgate…ahem.

Sodium Fluoride is one of the main ingredients in rat and cockroach poison. Even minimal ingestion of sodium fluoride causes nausea, vomiting, gastric pain, and diarrhea. Large doses may cause paralysis, muscular weakness, followed by respiratory and cardiac failure. I am not a fan of having fluoride used as a water treatment. Fluoride poisoning is surprisingly identical symptoms of osteoporosis and I wonder how many people are being misdiagnosed from having too much fluoride in their water from the accumulation of such an ingredient in their system over a long period of time. Sodium fluoride is also the main component in anaesthetic and psychiatric drugs while being primarily used for Sarin Nerve Gas. Our body needs a tiny, tiny amount of this mineral in our body for our teeth and bones, but the over consumption of this mineral in our society is slightly terrifying along side of the amount of things that destroy this mineral. Where's the balance?


You could say I am anti-fluoride. I am a firm believer that I probably get enough fluoride when I am somehow exposed to tap water by drinking tea or coffee not from home.

Triclosan: A pesticide found in many types of commercial toothpaste. Pesticides and the complex chemical components that make them up can be stored in body fat (adipose tissue), sometimes accumulating to toxic levels causing damage the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs, suppress the immune system, and cause hormonal disruption, paralysis, sterility and brain hemorrhages.

Hydrated Silica: Taken from Quartz, sand and flint, these are the primary abrasive agent in commercial toothpastes. The difficulty in avoiding this ingredient, is that all cleaners need an abrasive. That goes for most things. Salt is the best abrasive as it wears down and is dissolved in water. Silica, being used from sand, and rock, does not break down and if you have soft teeth this is going to be harder to avoid even in the natural industry. The benefit is that MOST natural companies know this and grind this ingredient down to a very fine powder so that it can be broken down by the body and will not do significant damage provided you don’t brush your teeth 10 times a day with an industrial electric toothbrush. I think of all the ingredients it’s the least harmful if you brush your teeth gently and take good care of your gums. However, the “whitening” agents in most toothpastes are in reality, the ones with more abrasive agents to break down your teeth enamel.

Propylene Glycol: Causes birth defects and is the agent that brings moisture and toxins to the deeper levels of the skin=bad.

FD&C Food color dyes may also cause potentially severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness, lack of concentration, and cancer. Also, you’re trying to clean your teeth. Why would you need purple or blue toothpaste to make it appealing?

Believe it or not, there are natural teeth whiteners out there. The harm in commercial ones is basically the stripping of the enamel and the bleaching of the teeth which are caused by some pretty chemically harsh ingredients.
Your choices are going to range from bamboo, calcium, walnut tree bark, orange peel, strawberries, sage, lemon juice, and baking soda. There are probably some other natural miracle ones, but these ones are the most popular in the natural market. The avoidance of smoking, large wine consumption and coffee are also recommended for those wanting to make their teeth all bright and sparkly.

So…all that being said. You can either make your own, or make the switch, and if you do make the switch here are some good ones to choose:

Dr. Kens

Kens give you the option of having fluoride or fluoride free and whitening or not. Whitening has titanium dioxide, but you can easily avoid this by purchasing their basic regular fluoride free formula.
It has some great antioxidants like green tea, aloe and stevia, which is a great sweetener in toothpaste and has been shown to be quite beneficial for proper oral hygiene.

Green Beaver

Yes, they make toothpastes. Awesome toothpastes. Not only do you get clean ingredients, but also some cool flavors like orange, green apple, star anise and cilantro mint. These guys have a very small amount of hydrated silica at the very end of their ingredient list, meaning there is only traces of it. My advice is to not use it with an electric toothbrush that could cause further abrasive damage to the enamel.

Kiss my face Whitening

This is one of the good whitening toothpastes out there and used aloe vera as one of the main components. I especially like the mint as it doesn’t burn or sting like most of them. Its a good clean and I like the taste and the ingredients.

Thera Neem

Neem is an excellent anti bacterial and healing oil. Quite beneficial in cleaning and protecting the gums , it is no wonder it is now a main ingredient in so many different salves, lotions and shampoo.


I really like this company for so many reasons. In terms of natural, apart from making it yourself, it is probably the most natural one. They make a great kids line ranging from kiwi, bubble gum, strawberry, cantaloupe and orange cream. They use yucca as a foaming agent, seaweed, tea tree, grapefruit extract and colloidal silver. Doesn’t get any better than this.

For Kids
When choosing a toothpaste for babies I would recommend Waleda toothpaste or Newco. Kiss my face has a great toothpaste for kids under 4.

For kids over 4 and under 12, Newco is still my fave.

Mouthwashes: I generally don’t use mouthwashes that have alcohol in them. However, the main function of a mouthwash is to be rid of any leftover bacteria. The same result can be achieved through salt water rinse. I do like Jasons line of mouthwashes. The ingredients are good and the results are beneficial.

For those ambitious types

Make your own toothpaste recipe:

All Natural Toothpaste Recipe 1
1/4 cup Vegetable Glycerin
1/4 cup Baking Soda
one eights of a tsp on salt
10 to 15 drops of Food grade Essential Oil of your choice: cinnamon, anise, orange cinnamon, lemon, ginger…go nuts.

Recipe 2 with Stevia
3 tablespoons of baking soda and
1/2 small packet of stevia powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
20-25 drops of food grade essential oil

What about toothbrushes…Here are some awesome companies making toothbrushes and floss out of recycled plastics like yogurt containers or the leftover pulp from nylon.

Jessy Cooke

1 comment:

  1. Hi there, have you ever tried Herbodent?
    I've used it for several years and *love* it. I find my teeth feel much nicer, I have way less plaque build up than with other brands, and less cavities too it seems.
    They're worth checking out. :)