Daily Archives: March 28, 2013

How-To Make Your Own Toothpaste!

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to eliminate some chemicals from my life that weren’t necessary. I researched “chemical-free alternatives to everyday essentials.”

The first thing I could think of that I used daily was my toothpaste.

So, how can you make your own toothpaste cheaply using household items?

  • Rummage through your kitchen and grab the ingredients for this easy-to-do recipe.

You’ll need: baking soda, coconut oil, salt (optional), a small jar, and some essential peppermint oil, and a bowl for mixing.

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  • Step One:  Place about 4-5 big spoonfuls of the baking soda into a bowl. 

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  • Step Two: Set aside this bowl of baking soda and grab a microwave-safe cup (this part is optional, but makes mixing a LOT easier) and put about 3 big spoonfuls of your coconut oil into it. 

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  • Step Three: For easier mixing, place the cup of coconut oil into the microwave for 20 seconds, or until almost fully melted.

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  • Step Four: Take out your melted coconut oil and add it to the bowl of baking soda.

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  • Step Five: Mix these two ingredients thoroughly and then add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so of peppermint oil (for taste).

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  • Step Six: (Optional) Add a couple shakes of salt for a more abrasive paste.

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  • Step Seven: Pour liquid into a small jar. (I bought a pack of 4 from Walmart, but baby food jars work perfectly!)

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  • Step Eight: Label the jar so friends and family won’t mistake it for something else– although this smells exactly like toothpaste, so hopefully they won’t get confused!

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There you have it. A cheap, chemical-free, alternative to toothpaste.

A couple tricks:

  1. I should warn you, it does NOT taste good. I’ve been using this toothpaste for 3 weeks now and my trick is to avoid brushing my tongue (or getting it on my tongue) until the very end of brushing.
  2. It seems very liquid-like when you pour the mixture into the jar, don’t worry– this will harden up quite a bit.
  3. Something you should know about coconut oil– when it is above room temperature, it melts. So, when you’re ready to brush your teeth, soak your toothbrush in hot/warm water THEN dip it into the jar to help the toothpaste come out of the jar easier.

This toothpaste works great!

Not only does it clean your teeth, but I’ve noticed my teeth getting much whiter too!