My DIY adventures actually started with me looking at all-natural toothpaste options at Whole Foods.  I had spent the sleepless night before reading about the trash that’s in our body care products and I had decided that it was time to start making a few positive changes for my family’s health.  I got off work, marched into Whole Foods with my ingredients-I’ll-be-avoiding list, and had every intention of purchasing a nice, non-chemically toothpaste to try.  I got about half way to placing this awesome one I had found into my cart when I saw the price.  $8 for a tube of toothpaste that had about 7 ingredients in it?  It was worth pausing over.

I left the store and spent the next several days researching how to make my own toothpaste.  Since that time, I’ve tried many different versions but never really liked the result.  I didn’t like the texture I got from coconut oil based toothpastes and those with any baking soda at all really irritated my teeth and gums.  I thought the powdered toothpastes worked ok but were a huge pain in the butt to travel with (plus I felt gross after a while dipping my toothbrush in it).

This bentonite clay mineral toothpaste has become my absolute favorite.  It’s great for sensitive teeth but really makes your mouth feel super clean.  I put mine in a “goop tube” (I got mine at Whole Foods but I’ve seen them at Walgreens) so it really travels well and looks pretty much like regular toothpaste.  The only “drawback” to this toothpaste is that it doesn’t lather at all but I think that’s also a major plus that it doesn’t have any detergents in it.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup distilled water
• 3 teaspoons xylitol
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil
• 6 drops tea tree oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (I prefer Redmond Real Salt)
• 2.5 tablespoons bentonite clay
• 1/2 tablespoon calcium/magnesium powder (optional, can substitute with more bentonite clay)

Steps:

1. Combine your water and xylitol into a mixing cup. Mix well until the xylitol is dissolved in the water.

2. Add the salt to your water/xylitol mixture and mix until dissolved.

3. Add in your peppermint and tea tree essential oils.  Mix with a wooden spoon (I had to start over because I did it with a plastic measuring spoon at first and the essential oils took off the writing on the spoon…whoops!).

4. Add your calcium/magnesium powder (if using) and stir.

5.  Add in your bentonite clay, 1 tablespoon at time, and stir well. Again, make sure you’re using a wooden spoon.

6. Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl into a small ziplock bag.

7.  Smush the toothpaste around in the bag until the mixture is completely smooth and not lumpy.

8.  Cut a hole at the tip of the ziplock bag.

9. Transfer the toothpaste into the tube you’ll be storing your toothpaste in (I used a “goop tube”). As it fills up, tap the tube on your table to get the toothpaste to settle at the bottom so that you can add more in.

10. Use like you would any other toothpaste!

Have you ever made your own toothpaste? Share your experiences in the comment section below!