http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homemade-toothpaste.html
Homemade Toothpaste
posted by Melissa Breyer Mar 6, 2009 12:39 pm
Skip the harmful chemicals in many commercial toothpastes and make your own. This is a simple, inexpensive, odor-eliminating, tooth-whitening, and very effective formula from Organic Body Care Recipes (Storey, 2007) By Stephanie Tourles.
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, finely ground
1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove, or cinnamon bark essential oil
A few drops tap water
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix them thoroughly with a toothbrush, your finger, or a small spoon until a smooth, thick paste forms. The paste shouldn’t be too runny; it has to stay on your toothbrush.
Dip your toothbrush into the paste and use as you would regular commercial toothpaste.
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10 comments
add your comment »I make mine using just the baking soda, essental oil of choice and water. In my opinion, the salt, though useful, makes it too hard to use and with all the sodium in the baking soda, then extra sodium in the (well..) salt, it's just a more miserable experience than it needs to be. I mix it to a suitable thickness (for me) in an old supplement container. As far as I can tell it lasts months. I love using it so much more than regular toothpaste. My mouth never feels as clean when using regular toothpaste as it does when I use this mixture. Yay for this article! :D
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...just make sure NOT to use flouridated salt (table salt) because that is the main ingredient that you should be avoiding in regular toothpaste. (seriously check out the history of flouridation of tap water, salt, toothpaste etc. its absolutely a HORRIFYING example of how special interests have allowed toxic components to be sold off as products we "need"). Himalayan or sea salt is what to use, FYI! Thanks Sierra for more info on how to MIY (make it yourself)! :)
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Can the peppermint essential oil be replaced with peppermint extract?
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Tried it for the first time today, seemed like a bit too much sea salt perhaps. Could just be me needed to adapt to it though. Going to see if it bothers me in the next hour or so here.
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I have heard that baking soda can be hard on your gums. I was using a combination of salt and baking soda, and my gums were receding (but they may have already been), so I switched to tooth soap.
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The original recipe doesn't make a large quantity, so if you use it daily, you'll have to remake it often.
A more practical idea is to mix a double or triple batch of the first three ingredients together, then store them in a small container in the bathroom. When you're ready to brush your teeth, pour a bit of the dry powder into your hand, wet your toothbrush, and swish the brush in the powder to mix. No muss, no fuss. ;-)
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Thanks for posting the recipe. I own that book and its pretty handy sometimes.
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Laurie, I should think it would last at least a month or so. probably longer. none of the ingredients listed really spoil (except perhaps the mint oil which might oxidize after a year or so) or mixed together would be food for microorganisms. so i don't think you need to worry much about it, except to store the paste in an airtight, dark container.
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why tap water? gosh
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How long will it keep?
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