DIY Toothpaste

Yep, you read the title right, I just whipped up a batch of my own homemade toothpaste. If you thought I was a weirdo for making my own laundry detergent (which turned out awesome by the way, my laundry came out perfectly clean and smelling lovely), than you should probably just stop reading now because DIY toothpaste definitely takes it to the next level of hippy.

This recipe also comes from Bust Magazine and like the laundry detergent, it only involved a few ingredients and was super easy to make. I just gave my pearly whites their first brush with it and I have to say, it looked like toothpaste, it felt like toothpaste, and it acted like toothpaste—my teeth feel just as clean as they do when I brush with the brand name stuff. Here's the instructions on how to make it:

DIY Toothpaste
From Bust Magazine

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. calcium carbonate (I ordered this online)
2 Tbsp. baking soda
Pinch of stevia powder (for sweetness, adjust to taste)
5-6 drops of an essential oil (peppermint, spearmint, rose, vanilla, etc.)
Vegetable glycerine (I ordered this online as well)

Instructions
1. Combine the dry ingredients and essential oil in a small airtight jar.
2. Add a splash of vegetable glycerine and mix. Continue adding vegetable glycerine until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Put a dab on your toothbrush and brush away, that's it!

This recipe makes about a 3 week supply of toothpaste and will keep for up to a month. The paste will separate between uses so use your toothbrush to stir it up.



Paging Josh Rolnick, the only dentist I know, is this actually effective to use or is a mouth full of cavities in my future?

UPDATE: Here is the response I received from Josh Rolnick, DDS

"Unfortunately, I can't give my dentist stamp of approval. Although your toothpaste has calcium carbonate (a commonly used abrasive in toothpaste), it is lacking the most important ingredient, Fluoride. Your toothpaste may do a good job in mechanically removing plaque from your teeth, but it is not doing anything to protect the teeth from cavities. All ADA (American Dental Association) approved toothpastes have fluoride. Some toothpastes also have added ingredients with anti-microbial properties to kill the bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease. While this is certainly a very cool undertaking, I can't recommend using the homemade toothpaste. I recommend any ADA approved fluoride toothpaste."