Butter Believer posted a status on Facebook the other day that read like this:

“Husband wants a “normal” toothpaste, but I refuse to get that nasty stuff with fluoride, triclosan, and a hundred other toxic chemicals in it. But all the “natural” toothpastes contain glycerin, which coats teeth and prevents minerals from reaching them.

Anyone know of a natural, glycerin-free, semi-normal toothpaste?”

It’s not like I immediately threw out all of our toothpaste. But I was curious to try to make my own. Frank says his mom uses just baking soda sometimes, so I know at least ONE family member that won’t shun me for this if it sticks! Hahaha!

We currently use Jason’s brand toothpaste. The only ingredient that really bothers me is carrageenan, which seems harmless enough since it originates from seaweed, but then you find out that it has been shown to cause cancer and rats, and well….? What am I supposed to do with that information? Carrageenan is typically used as a thickener and emulsifier in ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and other processed food products, including soy milk.

Cornucopia.org lists some common products with carrageenan in them—none of which we eat, so it’s not something I’m super worried about getting in my toothpaste, which I spit out anyway.

Jason’s Sea Fresh toothpaste lists the following Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice* , Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Powder, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract , Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Stevia, Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Silica, Sodium Bicarbonate
*Certifed Organic Ingredient

Okay, so besides Gylcerin and Carrageenan, the rest is okay right? Even so, my brain wouldn’t leave me alone until I at least TRIED a make-at-home option. So here’s what happened tonight.

I took a shot glass (—that never gets used, by the way. I currently have another shot glass holding a blend of coconut oil and Purification oil, which I use for deodorant sometimes.) Anyway, I took a shot glass and dumped a tablespoon of baking soda in it. Filled the rest of the glass up with coconut oil—just enough to cover the baking soda—and then added some Peppermint Essential Oil. TA DA. That’s it. Stirred it around a little, dipped my toothbrush in, and brushed away!

…Gosh. I mean, I know it’s SODIUM bicarbonate, but I guess I didn’t expect it to taste so…salty? Some people add stevia to their toothpaste and there is stevia in Jason’s brand. Maybe that’s the key to making this work. We shall see.

I do think it’s worth mentioning that my teeth felt pretty awesome after brushing though. Really slick and clean. Frank tried it, too, and immediately after brushing said, “Wow! My teeth feel so clean! Does that mean we’re switching now?” Hahaha. He said the mild salty taste didn’t bother him and that he could do without the stevia. I don’t know about me though! Might just have to get some!

One thing to note about brushing with baking soda is that—if used too much—it can alter your mouth’s pH to be too alkaline, and you won’t be able to kill certain bacteria. One way to tell is if you experience gum sensitivity or bleeding. In order to keep our pH at a healthy balance, Frank and I have decided to switch off every two or three days to oil pulling with coconut oil. Oh! And another added benefit of using essential oil of peppermint is that it’s supposed to be naturally whitening. Can’t go wrong with that!

So, have you looked at what’s in your toothpaste lately? Ten bucks says it contains sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, a common poison found in most shampoos and liquid soaps—anything that foams. If you’ve never heard of SLS, perhaps it’s time you did some digging—for your health. You might be surprised.