DIY: Earthpaste Toothpaste Recipe

 

Welcome to the first part of a three part series on dental health! I hope to get you thinking, researching and trying out safer alternatives for your oral hygiene. One of the first things I switched when making the change to more natural beauty and hygiene products was toothpaste. I had always thought toothpaste tasted chemically but did not think much of it because I believed I was doing the right thing for my oral health. Further research into the ingredients and purpose of toothpaste showed me I was being deceived by what the world around me was saying was correct. Toothpaste is merrily a tooth polish and the actual brushing action along with the important addition of flossing helps keep bacteria and plaque at bay. With that being said, I believe this recipe will actually be beneficial for your teeth and gums. Below, after the recipe, I will list the benefits for each ingredient. 

The first natural toothpaste I tried was Earthpaste. I went for the best ingredients I could find and this toothpaste has them. I liked Earthpaste but it did not always make my breath as fresh as it was with conventional toothpaste. I found a recipe for Earthpaste and decide to try it out because it was so much cheaper to make. A bonus was all the ingredients could be used in other product recipes. I ended up liking the DIY recipe even better than the original and have since added a few ingredients to strengthen it's cleaning and breath freshening power!

 

Before the recipe I want to go over the ingredients from a more recognizable and conventional toothpaste brand. I am going to explain why each ingredient is in the toothpaste.

Ingredients:
Sodium Fluoride: Prevents tooth decay and plaque
Inactive ingredients:

Sorbitol: Flavoring Agent and Humectant

Water
Hydrated silica: Abrasive, absorbent and viscosity controlling
PEG-6: Humectant and solvent
Sodium lauryl sulfate: Denaturant, surfactant, cleansing agent, emulsifying, foaming.
Zinc citrate: Biocide
Cellulose gum: Binder, emulsion stabilizer, film former, viscosity increasing agent
Sodium saccharin: Flavoring agent
Carrageenan: Masking agent
Glycerin: Denaturant, humectant, viscosity decreasing agent, solvent
Hydroxyethyl cellulose: Binder, emulsion stabilizer, film former, viscosity increasing agent
Sodium citrate: pH adjuster, buffering, chelating, masking
Stannous chloride: Reducing
Polysorbate 80: Denaturant, surfactant, emulsifying agent, solubilizing agent
Sodium benzoate: Preservative, anticorrosive, masking
Cetylpryidinium chloride: Antiseptic
Benzoic acid: pH Adjuster, preservative, bulking, masking
Polyethylene: Abrasive, adhesive, binder, bulking agent, emulsion stabilizer, film former, viscosity increasing agent
Iron oxides: Colorant
Titanium dioxide: Colorant, opacifying agent, ultraviolet light absorber
Blue 1, Blue 1 lake, Yellow 10 lake and Yellow 5: Colorants

From the ingredient's list I have concluded the Sodium Fluoride, Zinc Citrate and Cetylpryidinium chloride have properties that are actually meant to help keep your teeth safe from decay, plaque and bacteria. The preservatives, ingredients to help the stability, colorants and abrasives are unneeded. This Earthpaste recipe is free from modern day chemicals and only uses natural ingredients used throughout history. This recipe last without a preservative for the entire time it takes to use the toothpaste. The ingredients never have to be mixed after making the recipe. While the color is a light brown and the toothpaste doesn't foam in your mouth, this just takes some getting used to. The ingredients below are antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, prevent tooth decay and plaque all while tasting great! 

Earthpaste Toothpaste Ingredients:
Glass Container. (Jar from Hobby Lobby)
¼ cup Redmond Clay (Bentonite Clay)
¼ tsp. Real Salt or Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
2 tbsp. Xylitol
1-2 tbsp. Coconut Oil (taste dependent)
10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (I only had Peppermint Extract)
5 drops Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil
3 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
2 drops Clove Bud Essential Oil
3-6 tbsp. Distilled Water (more/less for desired thickness)

Optional ingredients:

1-2 tbsp. Baking Soda 

20-30 drops Trace Minerals (Recommended by Wellness Mama to help with remineralization)
Flavor Options:

Spearmint, Lemon, Lime, Sweet Orange, Mandarin Orange, and Tangerine.
(Recipe based off Earthpaste ingredients and this recipe)

 

Mix Coconut Oil with all the Essential Oils in the glass container. This acts as a carrier and dilutes the EO's. If the Coconut Oil is hard place the jar in warm water to aid in mixing. Add Clay, Salt, Xylitol and 3 tablespoons water and mix.  Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until you get the paste consistency you want. If the toothpaste clumps together instead of being smooth you do not have enough water.

*Do not use metal (or plastic if able) when using clay. Mix with a wood utensil (I use a chop stick) and keep the toothpaste in glass.

**Always check the safety of essential oils especially if you are pregnant or using the product on children. Check here, here and here for more information. Unfortunately, websites give conflicting information. The first website does not list any of the ingredients above as ones to avoid while pregnant while the second and third says to avoid cinnamon, clove and peppermint. Personally, I would stay away from most essential oils while pregnant or with children just to be safe. Try using the leaf or extract form instead. Xylitol (even small amounts) and tea tree essential oil are toxic to dogs so always keep these away from your pet family.

Benefits of Ingredients:

Xylitol: non-fermentable making an environment that is inhospitable to bacteria and inhibits plaque formation (keep away from dogs!)

Peppermint Essential Oil: antibacterial, helps with bad breath, gum infections, oral inflammation and prevents gingivitis
Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil: antiseptic and antibacterial
Tea Tree Essential Oil: antibacterial, antiviral and fights gingivitis and plaque (toxic to dogs)
Clove Bud Essential Oil: antibacterial and antiseptic

Coconut Oil: antibacterial

Salt: antibacterial and taste

Bentonite Clay: light abrasive and antibacterial 

DIY: Holy Grail Natural Deodorant Recipe

I recently found my favorite deodorant in the world! Yay! Of course, it was natural because we all know most commercial deodorants are horrible for you thanks to aluminum-based compounds and many other toxic chemicals. I was so excited but the cost put a damper on my happiness. Broken down, the deodorant was $5.83 vs. the $3.40 per oz. for my second favorite natural deodorant. When I read the ingredients list I thought "I can do this, I can make this!" I already had all but one of the ingredients, which was arrowroot powder. I had no problem buying this because I've been wanting to experiment with making a dry shampoo. 

I added the contents of two probiotic capsules thanks to a few recipes I found online. My second favorite natural deodorant has Saccharomyces Ferment and the probiotics are meant to serve the same purpose. They hopefully replace unwanted smelly bacteria with good bacteria. Coconut oil and lavender are antibacterial so I'm not sure if the probiotic ends up being ineffective. (I need a biologist to perform some test!) The clay and arrowroot powder help with moisture and the baking soda neutralizes body odor. Jojoba oil is rich in vitamin E, bacteria resistant and helps aids in absorption. Shea butter helps moisturize and is noncomedogenic. This is now my HOLY GRAIL DEODORANT!!!

What you need:
Glass Jar
½ cup Arrowroot Powder
¼ cup Baking Soda
¼ cup Coconut Oil
¼ cup Shea Butter
2 tbsp. Bentonite Clay (Kaolin Clay was in original recipe)
2 tbsp. Jojoba Oil
20-40 drops Lavender Essential Oil
2-3 Probiotic Capsules (optional)

Add the Arrowroot Powder, Baking Soda, Bentonite Clay and the inside of the Probiotic Capsules to the glass jar. Heat the Coconut Oil and Shea Butter until melted in a double boiler. Take off the heat and replace the hot water in your pot with cold water. Stir the oil to cool down. When it is warm to the touch mix in the Jojoba Oil and Lavender Essential Oil. Add the oil mixture to the glass jar while continuously stirring. Mix well. Put in the refrigerator to set up. Use a pea sized amount and allow the deodorant to absorb into the skin before putting on clothes. Makes 1 ½ cups. 

Scents: If you want to play around with the scent try using Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Myrrh, Tea Tree or Rose Otto (pricey) to help prevent bacteria. You could also use cocoa butter for a chocolate smell, extracts and other EO's. Play around and have fun with your pits!

Sensitivities: If you have a sensitivity to Baking Soda or clay you can replace these with an equal amount of Arrowroot Powder. You can also replace the Bentonite Clay (for oily skin, most absorbent and the harshest) with European Clay Powder (normal skin) or Moroccan Red Clay Powder (for sensitive skin and least absorbent). Corn Starch can also replace the clay (unsure of harshness vs. clay). If you are worried about the Coconut Oil and/or Jojoba Oil clogging your pores replace with more Shea Butter (comedogenic ratings). This will change the consistency but the deodorant will still work. Detoxing your arm pits before using natural deodorants will help with the transition. You can use clay and apple cider vinegar to make a paste and let dry. This also makes a great mask. Feel free to do this occasionally for continued benefits.

Run down on the cost of ingredients and cost per ounce:

If you bought the ingredients on Vitacost you would spend under $70 without the probiotic. You have to buy two Bob's Red Mill arrowroot powders and baking sodas plus I added the largest Vitacost coconut oil into the price so your total could be much cheaper. Since this recipe makes around 1 ½ cups it is roughly 12 ounces. The shea butter will last for three recipes (ingredient used up first). This means you will get at least 36 oz. and pay at most $1.94 per oz. Many of the ingredients will be able to be used for more than three recipes and everything can be used for other DIY's.

What are your favorite natural deodorants? Let me know if you plan on trying out my recipe and if you make any changes let us know! Subscribe to my blog for more recipes, comment and share with your friends! Have a great non smelly day!




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