Sodium fluoride, triclosan, water, hydrated silica, glycerin, sorbitol, PVM/MA copolymer, sodium lauryl sulfate, flavor, cellulose gum, sodium hydroxide, propylene glycol, carrageenan, sodium saccharin, titanium dioxide
This is a list of ingredients found in the toothpaste in my cupboard. It tastes sweet and minty and because we are so used to it, our mouths feel and taste nice and clean after using it! What a great invention right?! Well, yes, and no... considering I can't even feel confident pronouncing at least a third of those ingredients.
(Information found primarily in
Wikipedia [by searching and reading on every ingredient] and
Toothpastes)
Fluoride found in toothpaste can be extremely toxic if swallowed in large amounts. Ok... in large amounts...so as long as we are using the recommended amount, it's not toxic?
Triclosan has been reported to change into a possible human carcinogen when mixed with chlorine found in tap water... ok, so use it with bottled water or chlorine-free water. Got it.
Solid
sodium hydroxide or solutions of sodium hydroxide may cause chemical burns
, permanent injury or scarring if it contacts unprotected human, or other animal, tissue. It may cause blindness
if it contacts with the eye. Protective equipment such as rubber gloves, safety clothing and eye protection
should always be used when handling the material or its solutions.
Dissolution of sodium hydroxide is highly exothermic (or a chemical change that causes excess heat)
, and the resulting heat may cause heat burns or ignite flammables. It also produces heat when reacted with acids. Sodium hydroxide is corrosive to some metals, e.g.aluminum
, which produces flammable hydrogen
gas on contact. Sodium hydroxide is also mildly corrosive to glass
, which can cause damage to glazing
or freezing of ground glass joints
. Alright, so just use a little? hum.
Carrageenan has been tested on rats, guinea pigs, and monkeys and found that degraded carrageenan (poligeenan) may cause ulcerations in the gastro-intestinal tract and gastro-intestinal cancer. Also, carrageenan in any form has been "unadvised" for use in infant formula.
Titanium dioxide does not mix with strong acids or oxidizers and becomes violent with metals like aluminuim, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and lithium. Titanium dioxide dust has recently been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans when inhaled. Powdered and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation. The same findings have been found in people who work in dusty environments.
Interesting.
There are some brands that are made with organic, herbal, and natural ingredients which are significantly less harmful and I wouldn't mind using those as much as the others.
So the purpose of this post is to inform as well as to help solve : ) I have come across some great websites and blogs that have great recipes for homemade toothpaste. Yes, homemade toothpaste. The ingredients in the average batch of homemade toothpaste include: Coconut oil and Castile soap (soap made from oils) or tooth soap. Some include essential oils for flavors like spearmint, peppermint, orange, or whatever suits your flavor. Other recipes add a pinch of stevia for its sweetness, and a little baking soda for whitening and polishing (although overuse of baking soda can erode enamel so it is used sparingly).
My personal recipe includes: 5 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Magic soap - baby mild. I have added essential oils and actually like it but I am aiming for simplicity. I have also added a half teaspoon of baking soda, which works quite well. Then I leave our commercial toothpaste for my husband who doesn't particularly favor the homemade goods.
Hopefully this information has been helpful in understanding our commercial toothpastes a little more in depth and has shed some light on how easy and affordable it is to make it in the comfort of your own home. Every tooth brushing experience can be done with ease of mind.
For an added informative bonus also from Wikipedia ( I know, kind of nerdy, but I love Wikipedia ) :
The History Of Toothpaste
The Greeks, and then the Romans, improved the recipes for toothpaste by adding abrasives such as crushed bones and oyster shell. In the 9th century, the Persian musician and fashion designer Ziyab invented a type of toothpaste, which he popularized throughout Islamic Spain. The exact ingredients of this toothpaste are unknown, but it was reported to have been both "functional and pleasant to taste". It is not known whether these early toothpastes were used alone, were to be rubbed onto the teeth with rags, or were to be used with early toothbrushes, such as neem-tree twigs and miswak. Toothpastes or powders came into general use in the 19th century. Tooth powders for use with toothbrushes came into general use in the 19th century in Britain. Most were homemade, with chalk, pulverized brick, or salt as ingredients. A 1866 Home Encyclopedia recommended pulverized charcoal, and cautioned that many patented tooth powders that were commercially marketed did more harm than good. By 1900, a paste made of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda was recommended for use with toothbrushes. Pre-mixed toothpastes were first marketed in the 19th century, but did not surpass the popularity of tooth-powder until World War I. In 1892, Dr. Washington Sheffield of New London, Connecticut, manufactured toothpaste into a collapsible tube, Dr. Sheffield's Creme Dentifrice. He had the idea after his son traveled to Paris and saw painters using paint from tubes. In New York City in 1896, Colgate & Company Dental Cream was packaged in collapsible tubes imitating Sheffield. The original collapsible toothpaste tubes were made of lead.
