Until this winter, I had used commercially prepared teeth-cleaning products, from tooth powder in the ’50s and ’60s, to the “brightening and whitening” national brands. I have tried them all. Some are as advertised but the ingredients are questionable. Some “natural” brands have performed better for me but are very expensive.
This past fall, I came across a very simple recipe for homemade toothpaste so I decided to give it a try. One of the main ingredients is coconut oil. I hadn’t used coconut oil much because it is not local to where I live (coconuts trees do not grow naturally in the Pacific Northwest), but I decided to give it a try for the sake of all natural dental health.
Homemade Coconut Toothpaste Recipe
• 6 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 6 tbsp baking soda
• Stevia to taste (baking soda can taste very salty)
• Peppermint essential oil
1. First, blend the dry ingredients and then add the coconut oil, stirring briskly. Then add the Peppermint essential oil (you can use other essential oils) to taste and stir until evenly combined. I like to use several drops of peppermint for a stronger flavor.
I store the toothpaste on the bathroom counter in a 1/4-pint canning jar. For my husband and me, this jar will last a little over a month. Since using our homemade toothpaste, I have no more bleeding of gums and less plaque buildup. This is a very soothing and gentle cleaning paste with good overall results.
On a few occasions, we’ve need to use commercial toothpaste and it was horrible. “I was hit immediately with a metallic smell and taste. It made we wonder if we were experiencing an electrical fire in our bathroom. It was an industrial smell,” my husband said. I seem to have experienced an allergic reaction to commercial brands. We will not do that again. From now on, our homemade toothpaste will be the only toothpaste we use.
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