DIY Toothpaste with Clay, No Baking Soda!

By Contributing Writer, Erin Long

Back in January 2012 I decided it was time to make substantial changes to my lifestyle and take the plunge into natural living. I didn’t eat much processed food so I decided to revamp my personal care supplies first, starting with DIY toothpaste.

Most store-bought products are full of nasties and since skin is the largest organ and it absorbs the toxins put on it, I thought that would be a good place to begin.

I’m a DIYer by nature so I was more than excited to whip up my own products and save my health, the environment and my budget at the same time.

One of the first things I made was toothpaste. I knew baking soda was a natural whitener so when I found a highly recommended baking soda-based toothpaste I was all over it.

It was awful.

Over the next year my otherwise extremely healthy gums became sensitive and eventually started bleeding.

At my dental check-up my hygienist said the baking soda was the culprit behind all my gum problems. It was too rough and was tearing them apart.

Frustrated that my foray into natural living was actually hurting me, I walked home from my appointment dejected. Soon after I arrived at my apartment, I got on my computer and saw that Red & Honey had a new post: Homemade Clay Toothpaste. It didn’t have any baking soda!

Providence? I think so.

I made Beth’s recipe that day and chucked the baking soda stuff. I’ve used and loved it ever since.

True story.

But since that day three-and-a-half years ago I’ve learned more about natural oral care and have adapted Beth’s recipe, adding ingredients to make it even better.

The base of the recipe is the same. The consistency is great and everything in there is fantastic. No need to change any of that.

However, I added calcium/magnesium powder, trace minerals and essential oils.

Here’s why:

Calcium/magnesium powder: Your teeth, just like your bones, need calcium to be strong. The calcium builds up your teeth and the magnesium is necessary for the calcium to do its best work.

(Buy cal/mag powder here.)

Trace minerals: Like the cal/mag powder, it gets essential minerals right where they need to be in order to keep teeth healthy and strong.

(Buy liquid trace minerals here.)

Essential oils: When I found this post I knew I needed to switch out the peppermint extract for peppermint essential oil. While I haven’t tried all the oils recommended, I’ve seen a difference with peppermint and clove oils. I plan to try the cinnamon soon!

(Buy high-quality peppermint essential oil here, and clove essential oil here.)

While I’ve always had healthy teeth, they’ve been even healthier since making the switch to this DIY recipe. My gums don’t ever get irritated, I’ve never had tooth pain, and this is all without regular cleaning (oops…). I’ve seen three dentists since and none of them have questioned my home cleaning practices.

I’d call that a success.

If you want more info on why you should ditch store bought toothpaste and why this homemade version is so awesome, read Beth’s original post. She covers what you need to know so I didn’t bother going into it here.

Here’s how to make your own DIY Clay Toothpaste:

1/4 cup Bentonite clay (Available at retailers like Redmond and Amazon)
1/2 t real salt
1/3 cup near boiling water
2 T coconut oil
3 t xylitol
2 t calcium/magnesium powder
12 drops trace mineral
15-20 drops any combination of cinnamon, spearmint, peppermint, myrrh, or clove essential oil

Combine clay, salt and hot water. Be sure not to use a metal measuring cup as it will deactivate the clay.

Once the clay mixture has cooled to close to room temperature add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Store in a clean glad jar.

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