My partner (Brett) and I have been living together since the beginning of 2017 and his store bought tube of toothpaste had run out. He knows how passionate I am about reducing waste and knowing what ingredients you put in your body, so it was no shock to him when I asked if he’d consider using an alternative.
I didn’t expect him to take a huge leap forward, so I suggested we take a visit to the health food shop and buy a more natural toothpaste, as a way of transition.
We went, we looked, and then we looked at the ingredients. It was no surprise to me what we found, but I think Brett had a bit of an awakening. In that space I offered to make him some homemade paste to try.
He happily agreed, tried and adapted instantly. (Such a champion)
INGREDIENTS
- Bicarb (Bicarbonate of Soda)
- Liquid: Vegetable Glycerine OR Coconut Oil (fractionated or cold pressed)
- Flavour (I used peppermint essential oil)
METHOD
- Put some bicarb in a bowl
- Put a lesser quantity of liquid in
- Mix with a fork – this helps to break up any lumps
- If it’s too runny add more bicarb, if it’s too dry add more liquid
- Add food grade essential oil for flavour (less is more) and mix
- Mixture should be like a paste, similar to what you get in shops
- Transfer to a jar
To brush your teeth, simply wet toothbrush as normal, dip brush in toothpaste mixture and brush your teeth. Supa dupa simple!
NOTES
- I can obtain all ingredients from my local bulk food store (Wasteless Pantry). This means I take in my own containers and fill them up = zero waste for me.
- I use a soft bristled bamboo brush.
- It will probably take you a few days to get used to using homemade toothpaste. Stick it out for a week, once you’re used to it, it will be weird to go back to the frothy stuff.
- Once you’re a hardcore, seasoned homemade toothpaste user, you can just use straight bicarb + add any other ingredients as desired. I add activated charcoal to help with teeth whitening.
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