DIY Natural Toothpaste?!

Couponer Problems..

There was a time when I was a huge couponer/stockpiler. It was a great way to save money on things I used a lot, and a great way to buy things that were "free" or "super cheap" that I really didn't need.... Sounds dumb when I write it out, but serious couponers will understand what I mean there. 

I had so many bottles of shampoo and tubes of toothpaste etc for two people, it was ridiculous. I would literally sell excess at garage sales and give away to friends and family. Which was nice, but for a long time I have wanted to simplify things and use down the stockpile. I like the idea of having on hand some common ingredients and whipping up some more natural products as needed. Not having *so* much excess stuff even in the way of personal care products means you need less space, there's less stuff to move if your family relocates, and if you go to a cool local market and find someone who makes awesome soaps by hand, for instance, you can treat yourself to that and know that it won't be waiting in line for a decade to get used. lol!!

Okay, this post started with a relevant-irrelevant rant, so lets get back on track:

Let's get back on track... so we can get off track again, and then back on track again :) 

I was shocked to realize that I only had one more tube of toothpaste left in the cupboard. I never thought I would see the day. In fact, once I learned the ways of drugstore deals and coupons, I vowed never to pay for toothpaste again and have stuck to that for the last seven years or so. Seriously. 

But, like you, I'm sure, I have seen so many posts and recipes for making your own toothpaste at home, natural whitening, and remineralizing teeth online, on pinterest, on youtube, everywhere! And I was intrigued, but I felt the need to get the stockpile used down before delving into and testing out this method. 

The time arrives!

Finally, the time had come! I think it will be a while before I find the perfect balance of ingredients and consistency, but so far I am *loving* this! And I feel so good about not using crazy ingredients in my mouth and not having blue toothpaste. Who decided that toothpaste needed to be colored anyways? *eyeroll* 

Fun Fact 

By the way, Fun Fact: Did you know that chemicals are absorbed super fast sublingually? (beneath the tongue) It's true. When a chemical contacts the membrane beneath our tongue, it diffuses through it where it can quickly pass through the capillaries below and into our blood stream. I'm no physician, and I do realize that the enzymes in saliva degrade the chemicals before they can get there. Still, it just dawned on me how easily weird chemicals can get into our bodies even when brushing our teeth. EEP! (I hope that made sense? Just a passing thought.. which may not be accurate, so please educate me!!! The sublingual absorption being fast is accurate though, that's why you should put an aspirin under your tongue in case of heart attack- gets into the blood stream faster and won't be damaged by digestive enzymes as it may if you took it orally) 

I try to be moderately paranoid, not *overly* paranoid - haha!

I try not to be overly paranoid or extreme about things like this, but as time goes by I am becoming more aware and trying to make some more conscious decisions. SO! onto the recipe! 

This is the second recipe I have tried so far and I used as a guide, this recipe from the Dr. Axe Food Is Medicine Website and tweaked a few things. For instance, I didn't need any sweetness, so I didn't use the xylitol. Nor did I add clove/cinnamon essential oil. Any who! Follow the simple process below!

Step One: Two Tablespoons of Baking Soda

Step Two: Four Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Step Three: ~30 Drops Trace Minerals

Step Four: ~20 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil (I used more, I like it minty!)

Step Five: Stir with adorable mini-whisk!

Step Six: Place into tube and admire your all-star team!

My Concerns:

My concerns are the same as most people. Is it going to be effective? Is it going to keep my teeth as healthy as it seems like it should? Will my teeth be sensitive? Will my teeth stay white? yadda, yadda, yadda....

I'll report back on that. So far I've been at this for about a month and see 0 reason to turn back. I think it's fun, I have a sense of pride in making my own toothpaste (as if it's hard.. LOL) and I feel good about the ingredients. I'm anxious to see how this goes in the long run though. 

I'm using this , I'd say between 2-4 times a day and so far so good. 

What Else I'm Testing:

• I just got some charcoal powder to test out and a lot of people have commented that it is useful for whitening teeth and keeping a healthy mouth. So... testing that out and will report back on that with tips for you. 
• Also, I have seen that bentonite clay gets great feedback for remineralizing teeth. I'm planning to get my hands on some of that soon, so I can test that out.
• And finally, the famousoil pulling idea.. It's bizarre at first, tossing a scoop of coconut oil in your mouth and swishing it around for quite a while.. but I want to see what all the hype is about. 

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Ingredients:

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Useful Items:

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