An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but we’re not so sure if the same logic applies to the daily brushing of your pearly whites. Good oral hygiene is imperative, but not so much when your brushing routine is laced with abrasives and toxic chemicals. Before you assume we aren’t referring to your brand of Toothpaste, you may wanna grab your tube and compare the ingredients list. Does your brand contain any of these?
Related: Top 10 best natural toothpaste
What are the ingredients you must avoid in toothpaste?
Here are the 5 Ingredients You Must Avoid In your TOOTHPASTE:
- FLUORIDE
- SACCHARIN
- SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)
- CARRAGEENAN
- PROPYLENE GLYCOL
FLUORIDE
Used in toothpaste to strengthen enamel, fluoride is considered toxic when ingested at high levels and is a controversial additive in water. The addition of fluoride to toothpaste prompted manufacturers in the U.S. to have warning labels required by the FDA stating: “WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.” Watch An Inconvenient Tooth, a fluoride documentary. There are natural toothpaste with fluoride too. Therefore it is important to read the ingredients of the toothpaste you are buying.
SACCHARIN
Enough said. But, for those of you who still consume it, the sweetening agent in Sweet N ‘Low is sodium saccharin in toothpaste, which has been linked to bladder cancer. Splenda (sucralose) is a chlorocarbon and Equal (aspartame) is an excitotoxin. These are three chemicals that offer absolutely no health benefit to the body and over time will potentially lead to health problems. Additionally, brain tumors and lymphoma in rodents have been linked to the consumption of high amounts of sweeteners.
Read about best natural toothpaste
Buy a toothpaste without saccharin. Although, finding toothpaste without artificial sweeteners is difficult. If you like the sweet flavor in your toothpaste, try Stevia toothpaste instead. It is a great alternative to toothpaste without sodium saccharin.
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SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)
In the cleaning industry, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is used to clean garage floors. SLS is a drying agent which has a foaming effect that can be found in some toothpaste. It is known to cause microscopic tears in mouths that can lead to canker sores. Look for SLS-free toothpaste that uses glycyrrhizin, derived from licorice root, to lather and disperse ingredients.
CARRAGEENAN
Although extracted from red seaweeds (sounds healthy in theory) dozens of scientific, peer-reviewed studies used food-grade carrageenan and found exposure to carrageenan causes gastrointestinal inflammation, ulcerations, lesions, and even colon cancer in laboratory animals). Also, the American Diabetes Association links the consumption to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in mice. Since we adhere to the precautionary principle, we advise avoiding this as does the Cornucopia Institute based on numerous scientific studies.
PROPYLENE GLYCOL
Can you say anti-freeze? Yes, people, this is a solvent that is the active component in some anti-freezes. It’s a petroleum-based chemical that is used to soften cosmetic products and is used in a plethora of personal care products. In large quantities, studies have shown that it can cause damage to the central nervous system, liver, and heart. The same stuff used to make antifreeze does not belong in your mouth. Period.
FAQs
What makes toothpaste sweet?
Sucralose and saccharin, which are artificial sugars, are most commonly used as the primary sweeteners in toothpaste.
Is there a restriction on the amount of sugar that can be used in toothpaste?
But there are no restrictions on the amount of sugar that can be used in toothpaste, so it’s possible for manufacturers to use as much sugar as they want. Sucralose and saccharin, which are artificial sugars, are most commonly used as the primary sweeteners in toothpaste.
Recommended Healthiest Toothpaste Brands
Remember, not even the best natural toothpaste brands and the best organic toothpaste make the cut. In fact, many of the Tom’s of Maine safe toothpaste brands contain fluoride, and Tom’s and Trader Joe’s fluoride-free versions contain carrageenan. A few of our healthiest toothpaste recommendations here at the Healthy Home Dream Team® include:
- Nature’s Gate
- Earthpaste (clay-based)
- Weleda Oral Care
- Kiss My Face
- Neem Toothpaste
- DIY – make your own using this simple recipe!
Got a favorite and trusted brand? Please share it below with us in the comments section!
Dental Care from SISEL ( SupraShine Toothpaste) contains none of these ingredients, and the Mouthwash (Terminator) doesn’t have Alcohol. The Sisel (sizzle) Safe® Brand of Health and Wellness Products.
Kevin~
Thanks for sharing. I visited the website and could not find a full list of ingredients. Can you please provide a link to this?
Thank you!
Vegetable glycerin has been shown to actually attract tartar, so I would not use that in my homemade recipe.
I’m finding the only tooth paste to consider is one with NEEM in it. Refreshing and extremely healing.
Yes, Marta! NEEM has so many health benefits including hair, skin, mouth + gums as well as being a natural pesticide. Thanks for sharing!
I used to make my own before discovering Pure Haven Essentials safe, clean & effective brand. I like both their kid (orange/vanilla) and adult (peppermint/spearmint) versions.
I read in this article that earthpaste has lead in it.
I read in this article that Earthpaste has got lead in it.
Thanks for the info Denise! It appears this is f/ the naturally occurring lead found in soil which is very low. According to Earthpaste, ‘Even in larger portions, your body can’t absorb the naturally occurring lead in Bentonite clay to begin with. We simply wouldn’t sell it if we had any doubts!’ You can read the company’s full explanation and why the voluntarily list this here: http://www.earthpaste.com/prop65/lead/
Thank you for posting. I read ingredients in everything I eat to make sure it is natural and not chemical based additives. I got this way after being diagnosed with a chronic illness and listening to my cardiologist and pulmonologist (lung doctor) as both of them are vegan. I never thought to read ingredients on toothpaste until today and when I saw sodium saccharin in there I immediately googled to find out what it is. I hate it when I read this ingredient has been approved by the FDA because this is such bullshit. The FDA approves the chemical based high fructose, corn syrup is so many foods consumed by everyone that eats and it’s a billion dollar industry that is known to contribute to obesity and possible Alheimzer’s Disease. I have a question for you as well as folks that post opinions, my grandmother used to use baking soda right out of the box and I wonder if this is a good idea to try. I will discuss with my family about the recently bought toothpaste, Crest that has sodium saccharin in it, not to use it now to brush our teeth, but use it to clean faucets that makes it really clean and shiny and just toss it in the trash. Any opinions will be greatly appreciate. I’m so grateful, I found your site!
salt mixed with baking soda works well, also.
Has sorbitol. My mom is looking for something that doesn’t have that aftertaste. Stevia, xylitol, saccharine, sorbitol all taste bad to her. I need to find a recipe without all that.
I would suggest (and am currently using) Dr. Bronner’s All-One Toothpaste. So great! Here are the ingredients for their Peppermint version. Ingredients: Organic glycerin, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrated silica, calcium carbonate, xanthan gum, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), potassium cocoate (made with organic coconut oil*), organic mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, organic mentha arvensis (menthol) crystals, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) flour, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, tocopherol, citric acid, organic stevia rebaudiana leaf / stem extrac. *Certified fair trade ingredient. Here is our affiliate link to purchase the 3-pack so you/she can try all three flavors to see which one is her favorite! Best of luck: https://amzn.to/3xhIG0P
licorice toothpaste auromere taste great
I have discovered I’ve developed an intolerance to Stevia. It’s in every brand of toothpaste I’ve looked at and every brand of mouthwash. Within 20 mins of brushing my teeth my stomach turns acidic and I start burping. I have to pop Gaviscon to settle it down, and follow up with small juice glass of milk. Someone needs to make a toothpaste that has NO sweetener. Ditto for mouthwash.