all-natural toothpaste recipe

all-natural toothpaste recipe

I've been making my own toothpaste for more years than I can count. Originally, my recipe contained baking soda which was fabulous for whitening the teeth, but terrible for everything else. It made my pearly whites so terrifically sensitive that I eventually ditched it altogether. After some trial and error, I stumbled on bentonite clay and never looked back because I adore it as a base. Like, really adore it.

Not only does it get along beautifully with my teeth (bye-bye sensitivity), but it absorbs toxins in the mouth, whitens teeth, and may also strengthen them thanks to all of those naturally-occurring minerals! I will add here that I source my clay carefully because there is a real risk of them being contaminated with heavy metals. I'll share a link below to the brand I buy; they triple test their clay for both metal contamination and microbes.

but... gross

But maybe brushing with clay sounds kind of gross, right? Especially if you're new to the homemade toothpaste game. And I get that. Because even though I've been making my own for years, the first time I tried this one it was with some trepidation.

I expected it to taste like... dirt. I mean, I would have used it anyway, but still. Yuck.

And while maybe you shouldn't trust my judgement because I'm totally used to it now, I'll just say that the added stevia and essential oils do a fabulous joy of masking that dirt taste. My mouth and teeth feel clean and refreshed, and it's all without any nasty added chemicals. Homemade toothpaste may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a lover like I am, this all-natural toothpaste recipe is definitely worth a try!

Ingredients

• 7½ tablespoons distilled water

• 2 tablespoons bentonite clay

• ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt

• ⅛ teaspoon stevia powder

• 6 drops organic peppermint essential oil

Supplies

• Magic Bullet (you can probably mix it by hand if you don't have one, but I love a creamy toothpaste!)

• covered glass container for storage

Directions

1. Add the distilled water to the Magic Bullet container. Add in both the sea salt and the stevia; stir until the salt is dissolved.

2. Add in the bentonite clay.

3. Drop in the peppermint essential oil.

4. Screw on the cover and shake vigorously.

5. Immediately insert the container into the Magic Bullet base and process until the toothpaste thickens and the machine is no longer able to mix the paste.

6. Remove the toothpaste container from the base and shake vigorously again. Insert back into the base and process until the toothpaste thickens and the machine, once again, stops mixing. (These steps only take a matter of seconds.)

7. Scrape the toothpaste into a glass container and keep covered between brushings. Make sure to only use a clean spoon to scoop out the toothpaste prior to brushing so as not to introduce bacteria into the toothpaste.

   
   

notes

This toothpaste contains no preservatives and will eventually go moldy if not used within a week or two (especially in the summer). If you don't think you'll use the toothpaste within that time frame, either halve the recipe or try storing it in the refrigerator.

This recipe is for adults only. Peppermint shouldn't be used with children under the age of two via any route.

While peppermint essential oil can inhibit the growth of certain bacteria that cause cavities, it isn't the only essential oil that you can use! Clove bud essential oil is capable of killing cavity-causing bacteria as well. If neither of those appeal, you could also try sweet orange, lemon, grapefruit, lavender, spearmint, or frankincense essential oil if you really want to shake things up ;)

I buy and use this bentonite clay for my toothpaste: Schizandu bentonite clay

This is the stevia that I use: SweetLeaf organic stevia leaf extract

This company sells a clean, organic peppermint essential oil: Plant Therapy

And that'll do it for today! Happy brushing :)

Much love,

Melinda