DIY Homemade Toothpaste

I’ve seen a few blogs and pins about this floating around the interwebs and this morning I decided to try my hand at it. There is a whole host of reasons why making your own toothpaste is a good idea. For me the main benefit is controlling what’s in it – no glycerin, no fluoride and no SLS in this toothpaste. In my research I’ve also come across some amazing reasons why putting coconut oil in your toothpaste is just the best idea.

Benefits of Coconut Oil in Your Toothpaste

  • Can help prevent cavities
  • Reduce the risk of tooth decay & gum disease
  • Reduce or eliminate bad breath
  • Naturally antibacterial
  • Stop and possibly repair tooth enamel

The prevention of cavities is a big one for me. Since having my son my teeth have not been in great shape. This is partly due to the actually pregnancy itself (which is not kind on a mama’s teeth), extended nursing and an embarrassingly addictive coffee habit. This is my first step to starting oil pulling (something I will talk about in later blog posts). My goal, although possibly far fetched, is to not only prevent, but heal the cavities I do have. Plus having nicer breath and whiter teeth (thanks to the baking soda) are pretty cool benefits too!

The Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 baking soda
  • 10 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions

  • Scoop your coconut oil and baking soda into a bowl. Some steps said to put in straight into the container you will house it in but I don’t recommend this. Definitely not enough room to adequate mix the two ingredients together.
  • Using a fork mash till your heart’s content. You want a nice smooth consistency.
  • Add your drops of essential oils and continue to mix.
  • Transfer to a mason jar or other container.

First Impressions

I’ve brushed my teeth with this twice today. I loved how clean my teeth felt and how fresh my breath was afterwards. I didn’t mind the texture at all, but I did find the taste was slightly salty. I personally didn’t mind this much at all, but if I were making this for my son I would most definitely add a sweetener of some kind (the most commonly suggested one is stevia).

Other Essential Oil Choices

I decided peppermint was a safe first choice, but here are some others I’m thinking about trying for subsequent batches.

  • Eucalyptus – antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral & anti-inflammatory
  • Cinnamon – antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant & anti-inflammatory
  • Clove – Excellent antioxidant as well as antifungal, antibacterial & antiviral
  • Lemon – antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral & antioxidant
  • Orange – antiseptic & antioxidant

Enjoy and let me know how your toothpaste making adventures go.