I’ve seen many homemade toothpaste recipes floating around internet-land for a few years now.
Most recipes are a baking soda mixture, and while I have serious respect for the power of baking soda (it’s an awesome tub cleaner!), the thought of it in my mouth makes me scrunch up my nose and keep on buying those danged expensive little tubes of all-natural toothpaste from the local health store.
Then, I saw this post on Keeper of the Home where Stephanie makes homemade clay toothpaste. She essentially made her own Redmond Earthpaste – how awesome is that?! I recently got a tube of Earthpaste in the mail from the ebook bundle freebies, and I am loving it.
Being on a every-penny-pinched kind of budget though, I’m not loving the price. I mean, if you’re going to buy an all-natural flouride-free toothpaste (definitely a good idea if you aren’t going to make your own) then Earthpaste is definitely one of the best out there, and fairly priced too.
However, since I needed a more frugal option I opted to attempt to make my own concoction. (I love how the little things can really add up to big savings in the long run!). Woot woot! It turned out fabulously, and I am sharing the recipe below.
How Frugal Is It Compared to Store-Bought?
Redmond Clay – bought a jar for around $10, used 1/4 cup for a cost of $1.30 (found at a local natural health store)
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil – bought a jar for around $10, used 2 T for a cost of 68 cents.
Xylitol – approximately 25 cents worth (bought at the Bulk Barn, and I don’t honestly remember how much it cost, so this is a guesstimate!)
Peppermint Extract – a small container for around $3, used 2 teaspoons for a cost of 70 cents.
Redmond Real Salt – I only used 1/2 teaspoon of salt, so I didn’t bother calculating it.
Water – free. (OK, so technically I used the water from our Berkey, so maybe it cost a penny or two towards the cost of a new filter in 2-3 years…)
TOTAL COST: $2.93 for 130 ml (I used a little 125ml mason jam jar, and there was a little extra, so we all brushed our teeth and then squished the rest in as best we could!)
Cost of Redmond Earthpaste where I could buy it online (with free shipping here): $6.59 for 113 g.
The bottom line? My homemade version is approximately 60% cheaper!
When you calculate the annual costs for a family of five like ours, brushing our teeth twice a day, you will save approximately $326.50/year!
That’s no small chunk of change, and most definitely worth it in my opinion… especially when you consider the fact that this toothpaste feels and tastes just as good as the regular stuff. I actually find that it makes my teeth and mouth feel smoother and cleaner than ever. I’m guessing that if I were to try and suck it up and use a homemade baking soda kind, I’d likely give up on it eventually.
Why Not Conventional Toothpaste?
The toothpaste brands typically found on store shelves are full of harmful ingredients that you really don’t want to be ingesting; such as sodium lauryl sulfates (SLS), artificial flavours and colourings, parabens, fluoride, glycerin, and more. The EWG (a non-profit information agency) says
“Many people believe that companies are required to test personal care products for safety before they’re sold. It’s not true. While many companies make perfectly safe products, other personal care products that you use every day might be laden with carcinogens or miscellaneous chemicals that no one has ever studied the health effects of.”
SLS’s are one of the worst chemicals found in body care products. It is a chemical foaming agent that has been associated with a host of health issues. Many thousands of scientific medical studies have proven the toxicity of sodium laurel sulfate, and I for one do not want it anywhere near my family if I can help it. It’s in so many conventional body care products these days!
The safety of using fluoride has also come into serious doubt recently. This article has some excellent info. Interestingly, more and more people are starting to recognize the dangers of fluoride, such as the city of Calgary (an hour from Tiny Town!) which has voted to ban all fluoride in the public water supply.
Another ingredient that is in virtually all store-bought toothpaste (even the natural brands!) that I wanted to avoid is glycerin. This relatively harmless ingredient actually wreaks a lot of havoc by leaving a coating on your teeth, which does not allow them to remineralize on their own, leading to more cavities. The book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel is the one most commonly cited by other writers on this subject, though I haven’t personally read it yet myself.
The Amazing Power of Clay
The clay is a fabulous starring ingredient in this toothpaste as it is smooth and mostly tasteless on its own. It has incredible medicinal properties as well so that if you accidentally swallow some it’s totally safe (and even potentially beneficial).
There are a number of scientific studies published that show the power of clay to draw out toxins from the body. It is often used for stomach/bowel upsets, and it has even been proven to have a powerful role in the adsorption of radiation. Toxins are attracted to the clay like a magnet and carried out of the body. This process is called adsorption (spelled with a “d”). Clay has been used therapeutically for thousands of years, and is starting to see a resurgence in popularity once again.
Why I Didn’t Use Essential Oils or Baking Soda
I decided to not use any essential oils because I have concerns about the safety of ingesting them, especially on a daily long-term basis. You may think it doesn’t matter since we spit it out, but since my four-year-old son loves to declare that “Toothpaste is my favourite food, Mommy!” whenever he brushes his teeth, I decided that spitting the toothpaste out was not a safe bet.
I also have concerns about having things in my mouth that I’m not comfortable ingesting due to the absorbing nature of the mucous pathways of our bodies (think eye, nose, mouth, etc).
Some claim that ingesting small amounts of certain higher-quality oils is safe, but even that is not on a daily long-term basis. Either way, essential oils are powerful things, and they can make a person quite sick if used incorrectly.
So, I needed something else for the minty flavour and preferably something else with antibacterial properties. I decided to use peppermint extract and xylitol for taste (minty and sweet), and coconut oil for its antibacterial properties.
You could easily sub in stevia for sweetener if you’d like, but I didn’t for a couple of reasons: 1) I didn’t have any on hand 2) The first brand I’ve tried had a yucky aftertaste and I haven’t wanted to drop the money on trying more to find one I like, and 3) there are many studies citing the benefits of xylitol on reducing or healing cavities.
I also decided to avoid baking soda, which is the basis of most homemade toothpaste recipes, for a couple of reasons. First, because the taste is just gross to me. I’ve also heard conflicting reports about using baking soda on your teeth. Many say that it is too abrasive, and too harsh for daily use on teeth and gums.
The Recipe
1/4 cup Redmond clay
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 teaspoons xylitol
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix clay and salt in a bowl, then add boiling water. Mix well with a hand mixer, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix all together well, store in an airtight container, and throw out your colgate.
(Edited to add: I find mine fairly stiff in texture, so feel free to add extra hot water (a tablespoon at a time) to get the consistency you want before putting it in the container).
I have mine in a small mason jar for now, and I plan to keep a little butter knife or spoon with it to use to apply the toothpaste to the brush. Dipping it in won’t work because of the potential contamination of bacteria, and the texture is a bit too thick for that to work well anyway.
I love this toothpaste, my family loves it, and there’s no way I’m ever going back!
Have you ever made your own toothpaste?
L
I wouldn’t be concerned about brushing or gargling with essential oils. I have been using Uncle Harry’s toothpaste and his fabulous Miracle mouthwash for 2 years now with fantastic results. The toothpaste has bentonite clay along with essential oils of eucalyptus, clove, anise, wintergreen, and oregano with calcium carbonate, colloidal silver, sea salt, ionic minerals and mustard seed. The mouthwash has the same ingredients minus the clay and mustard seed and the addition of purified ocean water, sea salt, magnetic earth and purified water. While it won’t win any taste awards it has kept me and several other people I know from getting a cold now for 2 years running. It’s designed to alkalize and detoxify your mouth so germs and bacteria can’t get a foot hold and while it does a great job of that it really has a super strong taste that takes some getting used to. I had to dilute the mouthwash with 50% water when I first started using it cause it was just too strong of a taste.
Kate
Is it possible that the toothpaste might get mouldy?
Beverly G.
MY Question!! Ok so if I’m too LAZY to make it and to CHEAP to buy the expensive brands… what are the odds you could make a few bucks selling it??
Kaitlyn
Can you add calcium and activated charcoal to this recipe? TIA!
Best Whitening Toothpaste
Thanks for some other magnificent article. Where else could anybody get that kind of information in such an ideal method of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I am at the look for such info.
Jacob
One question, can you swallow this toothpaste following use? I see no reason not to, since each has enormous health benefits. Assuming your clay is food grade, which redmond clay usually is.
ALSO, why no baking soda?
Grant
Thanks for the recipe. I tried it but found it too watery. Perhaps adding some corn starch to thicken it to a paste (preferred).
EJMC
This sounds amazing! I’m planning on making some before going on vacation, so I’m wondering: about how much does this recipe yield, and for how long does it last for you?
Violet
Can you use this if you have partial plates.
Lauren
We’ve been using Green Beaver’s toothpaste, and aside from the cost, I’ve been very happy with it! Now we are just going through it too fast, so I’m doing the research to make our own. I think there’s always going to be something we don’t like in even organic products – something that isn’t “great” – it’s kind of like, pick your poison 😀 Xylitol vs. stevia vs. cell salts? EO vs. extracts vs. baking soda? Take your pick :0)
I’m curious though about where you got your clay and xylitol, since we’re both in Canada 😀 I’m debating the cell salts recipe from Colorful Canary, or yours with the coconut oil (though I’ve heard it’s weird brushing with CO until it warms up?) and Don’t Waste the Crumbs (without CO and with stevia).
Carol
I have been using homemade toothpaste for a while. Even though I’m quite satisfied with my own baking-soda-mixture toothpaste, I find clay toothpaste more attempting. Will definitely give your recipe a try. Thanks for sharing 😀
JC
I’ve been using this toothpaste for quite a while now and absolutely LOVE IT! It actually makes my mouth feel clean and my teeth feel like they are fresh from a polish at the dentist. I make two version- a mint and a citrus (lemon and sweet orange). I like it much better than earthpaste from Redmond (they use a little too much flavor for me and makes my mouth feel raw). If you like this you should also try making your own minralizing mouthwash. My family loves it.
Patsy
I love this toothpaste. I have one question for you. My boyfriend used his finger to put the toothpaste on his toothbrush. Should I throw the toothpaste out and make him another one because of the potential bacteria?
Beth
You can if you’re concerned… but personally I wouldn’t bother if it were me.
Dani
I was not aware that we even can make our own toothpaste. Sounds wonderful!
Milca
Just wanted to write a note regarding the Earthpaste. Due to a gum lesion (accidentally smacked myself in the gum with a toothbrush… and the graft didn’t take, waiting on finances and timing to get the surgery again), anywho, due to the lesion I had been recommended to use Prevident 5000. Expensive tiny tube of high fluoride toothpaste. A year or so later, I went to the dentist and my gums were in very bad health and I had six cavities! A friend of ours (Prairie alumni here!) posted a link to your post on Facebook and I decided to try out Earthpaste before going ahead with trying the homemade version. I really loved how clean my mouth felt! And this morning, at my annual cleaning, the hygienist was sooo impressed in the improvement of my gum health, there was a visible difference. I just said I had switched brands of toothpaste 😉 The office pushes for Colgate, no need to say anything about my chemical-free lifestyle. I just wanted to write a note so others may know how good the Earthpaste (and like) toothpastes are, they really do work!
Beth
Wow, that’s awesome! I’m glad to hear success stories like that. I think that this recipe would give the same or similar results 🙂
Maggie
do you use extract still or essential oil now? and if essential oil what kinds have you used?
Beth
I use mint extract still. I’m still kind of on the fence about internal use of EO’s, especially for little ones. I might try a drop of peppermint if it were a high-quality oil. I’ve had several readers say that cinnamon is also a nice flavour.
Maggie
Understand…my boys like the clay lemon and mint, we have doterra lemon eo, so was wondering if it would work the same…
Jennifer
Hi There, I’m in calgary. Just wondering where you purchased your redmond Clay. Thanks I was hping to pick it up instead of ordering online
Beth
Hi Jennifer – I think Nutter’s carries it. I think there’s one of those in Calgary? If not, then just check your local health store? Hope that helps! (You can also use another brand as long as it’s bentonite clay).
S
I saw online that soap and more sells it at a very good price.
Meghan Tanner
I made this toothpaste a month ago but forwent the xylitol as I didn’t have any on hand, Despite the flavor, I enjoyed using it and felt like it got my teeth very clean. I used my old tooth paste on w whim a few weeks into using it and found that it really irritated my mouth. I wonder why this was, I guess I had had a tolerance to it and now I don’t. Also, I just made another batch and added the xylitol, calcium, and some baking soda. The flavor was much improved, but the baking soda really seems to irritate my gums. I think I will leave it out next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Sonja
I started with Earthpaste several months ago. Then, used a different bentonite clay recipe – it included calcium and magnesium. I’ve used this recipe for the last month or so. I’m noticing that the tips of my teeth are becoming see-through. . . and I thought the bentonite clay was supposed to do the OPPOSITE. I’ve noticed it most in the last two weeks, but I don’t know whether to attribute it to this recipe or the ones I used previously or something else entirely. (I’m using a new toothbrush from Oral Wellness, as well, and it is definitely not as soft as my previous brushes.) I have made the toothpaste in lemon and cinnamon/clove. I am using bentonite clay from the bulk section at Whole foods, so maybe it isn’t as fine. . . Anyway, has anyone had a similar experience or have suggestions on the cause or how to fix it?
N.D. Larimore
Try omitting the lemon as it can have adverse effect on teeth. lemon is very beneficial for liver cleansing. Also try rinsing your mouth with pure coconut oil. It has many health benefits. Avoid foaming agents as they coat the teeth and do not allow ‘re-mineralization of teeth.
Daniel
Homemade toothpaste is interesting to try because I was unsure of the ingredients in some commercial toothpastes. I am quite hesitant to try homemade toothpaste because I did not know where to find the ingredients. Maybe I will try asking for these ingredients on local food store or check out online shops.