by: Michelle Cornelison, DJ
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
baking soda
if you already have a box, but it’s been sitting around for a while, try buying a fresh new one, and seal it up when not in use. baking soda loves to soak up bad smells, and you’re putting this stuff in your mouth!
glycerin
find it in the first aid section
flavoring (optional)
try: peppermint extract, orange extract, vanilla extract
small, airtight container and lid
try: a baby food jar, or reuse a plastic food container
something to stir with
WHY BOTHER?
Your health:
ALL commercial toothpastes (that I have ever seen) contain either sodium lauryl sulphate (aka SLS), sodium laureth sulfate, or both, EVEN the “natural” ones. This is a DETERGENT, found in engine degreasers, household cleaners, and car wash soap. BUT, it is also found (in lesser amounts) in practically every liquid “soap” product intended for use on our bodies, like hand soap, toothpaste, shampoo, bubble bath, etc. SLS causes skin irritation, especially for those with sensitive skin, and in toothpaste has been known to cause canker sores in the mouth. Detergents are for clothes and dishes and toilets, if we must use them, not for our mouths, skin, or hair. SLS is harmful to our bodies, and products made without it are just as effective. We don’t NEED to put this in our cosmetic products, so why should we?
Your self-respect:
Toothpaste companies have convinced us that we can’t have a healthy mouth without their products, but that just isn’t true. These companies are working hard on new flavors, fancy packaging, and clever sales pitches–not to improve your health, but to get your money. You don’t need to buy commercial toothpaste to avoid cavities and gingivitis; a homemade paste seriously works just as well. And the ingredients you buy to make it have countless other uses, especially baking soda. You can cook with it, clean your house, wash your hair, de-odorize small spaces, and much more. Plus, making your own stuff is fun! You will feel productive, and maybe even a little bit empowered. Who knows, in time, you may be able to bypass the entire cosmetics aisle!
Your wallet:
Commercial toothpaste averages around $3 a tube. A box of baking soda is around 50 to 75 cents, and peppermint and glycerin are a couple of dollars each. With those materials you could probably make over 10 batches of toothpaste.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
Your toothpaste is not going to look, taste, or feel like commercial toothpaste. Commercial toothpaste foams up in your mouth like soap because of the SLS. It feels smooth and tastes sweet. Baking soda-based toothpaste, while loved and preferred by many, will take some getting used to at first. It does not lather. It is not particularly smooth, creamy, or sweet. But honestly, we are cleaning our teeth here, not eating dessert. Cosmetic companies have got us under their thumbs with their foamy, scented, flavored additions to products that make us buy them but do not actually improve effectiveness. Baking soda toothpaste with real peppermint extract will leave your mouth feeling refreshed and truly clean, without that chemical-y mint aftertaste regular toothpastes leave behind. Keep in mind that if you add peppermint to your paste, the flavor may go away after a couple of weeks. This is normal, as baking soda absorbs odors; just add more flavoring.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO:
In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon glycerin.
Stir until moist and crumbly.
OPTIONAL (but recommended): Stir in at least 1 teaspoon flavor extract
Add water DROP BY DROP (you don’t need much at all), while stirring, until mixture is no longer crumbly.
It should look like sticky snow.
If you do add too much water and your paste is runny, just add some more baking soda until it seems right.
Store your toothpaste in a tightly sealed container and use within 1 month.
Now pat yourself on the back for rejecting consumerism.
I love this Michelle, what a great idea!