HOW TO MAKE TOOTHPASTE

HOW TO MAKE TOOTHPASTE

STEPS ON THE ROAD TO HEALTH:  Put nothing IN or ON your body that is toxic.

Who could have ever imagined that I’d one day be the sort of person who makes her own toothpaste?  Well, I am.  And it’s really easy.  But before I give you my 2-minute recipe to make a healthier, less expensive and more effective toothpaste, let me give you 5 reasons why, if good health is a priority, you might want to stop using the toothpaste you’re using.

REASON 1:  SODIUM FLUORIDE

It’s a byproduct of aluminum manufacturing and it’s also found in rat poisons and industrial pesticides. Ingesting sodium fluoride can cause dental fluorosis and/or bone fluorosis.  You can read more about sodium fluoride here:  www.bodyunburdened.com

REASON 2:  TRICLOSAN

It shows up a lot in the ingredients of anti-bacterial products—and in toothpaste.  It’s classified by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as a pesticide.  It’s dangerous to humans and it’s also dangerous to the environment.  It’s an endocrine disrupter and it can impair muscle function.  It’s also thought to cause cancer.

REASON 3: SODIUM LAURYL/LAURETH SULFATE (SLS)

The American College of Toxicology says that it has “a degenerative effect on the cell membranes because of its protein denaturing properties”.  SLS has the ability to cause a great deal of damage even at a low rate of usage.

Let’s start with the fact that it’s a pesticide that is commonly used to kill plants and insects.  It’s also a detergent and cleansing agent, with corrosive properties, so it can be found in dishwashing agents, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, most soaps—from car wash soap to the huge brand name bar and, sometimes, even that overpriced bar from the health food store with all the rainforest seeds and berries and African jungle roots and weeds in them.

SLS is really, really, REALLY harmful.  Apparently, it’s so strong that it can permeate the heart, the eyes, the brain and the liver.   

You can read a bit more about it here and here.

REASON 4:  PROPYLENE GLYCOL

It’s an active component in antifreeze.  The fact that the EPA won’t allow the folks who work for them to handle the substance without wearing rubber gloves should tell you something.

It can have adverse effects on your dermal, renal and respiratory systems (skin, kidneys, lungs.  

You can read more about it on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

REASON 5:  DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)

It’s what makes things (like toothpaste) foam. Diethanolamine is also thought to cause liver and kidney cancer.

E-Z TOOTHPASTE RECIPE

2tbsp baking soda

1tbsp organic virgin coconut oil

cloves tincture (to taste—I usually use half a dropper)

peppermint tincture (to taste—I usually use 3/4 of a dropper)

Mix ingredients until the consistency is a bit thick, like, well, paste.  There are a lot of different recipes online.  Explore and experiment until you find something that works for you.

I store my homemade toothpaste in a little glass jam bottle, the kind they put out at restaurants.  You can buy your own toothpaste squeezers online but all of the ones I’ve seen are made of plastic—and knowing how toxic plastic is, that would defeat the entire purpose.

I’ve been using my own homemade toothpaste for a couple of months now and I have to admit that I actually prefer it to store-bought toothpaste, and I think it gets my teeth cleaner.