10 Feb Freshen Up with Homemade Toothpaste & Mouthwash Recipes

We’ve already covered the drawbacks of fluoride, one of the most contentious ingredients that goes into ordinary toothpaste – and with a host of other nasties, like SLS, artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners that make their way into the toothpaste tubes, many families are seeking a safer, “crunchier” dental care alternative. So our green team is going to show you how to whip up your very own natural tooth powder, homemade toothpaste & mouthwash.

These home recipes are surprisingly quick and easy to make, and rely on only natural ingredients, so you can be absolutely sure of what’s going onto your toothbrush.

Did You Know? Toothpaste is regulated as a cosmetic product and not a food – even though we put it in our mouths every day and swallow small amounts every time we brush!

1. Natural “Squeezable” Coconut Homemade Toothpaste

What You Need:

• 3Tbsp coconut oil (room temperature)
• 3Tbsp filtered boiling water
• ¾tsp fine Himalayan crystal salt
• 1tsp baking soda
• 2Tbsp bentonite clay
• ¼tsp peppermint essential oil
• ¼tsp eucalyptus essential oil
• Pinch of stevia powder (optional)
• A clean squeezable tube (most supermarkets sell empty squeeze-tubes for airline travel)

What To Do:

• Coconut oil at room temperature will be quite solid, so you’ll need to thin it a bit. Blend together the coconut oil and water, then allow to cool slightly.
• Add the salt, baking soda and essential oils.
• Mix in the bentonite clay, using a plastic or wooden spoon.
• Slowly add more water if needed, one tablespoon at a time.
• Once you have a smooth paste, spoon it into the empty tube. Brush your teeth as normal.

2. Detoxifying Tooth Powder

What You Need:

• 4Tbsp bentonite clay
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1½tsp fine desert salt or sea salt (unrefined)
• ½tsp powdered clove
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 5-10 drops peppermint essential oil (or 1½tsp finely ground peppermint tea leaves)
• ½-1tsp unrefined stevia or xylitol powder (optional; adds sweetness)
• ¾tsp activated charcoal (optional)
• A clean glass container

What To Do:

• Use a plastic or wooden spoon (NOT metal) to mix all ingredients together in a clean glass jar.
• Add a little powder to a wet toothbrush and simply brush as normal.

Bentonite clay helps to detoxify and alkalise the mouth; it also provides essential minerals. Baking soda is also alkalising, while the herbs used are antibacterial and give the powder a pleasant natural flavour.

If you prefer tooth powder to paste, you might be interested in trying one of our Olgani herbal brushing salts, available in three natural flavours. Combine your favourite brushing salt with our much-love environmental toothbrush for all-round eco-friendly oral care.

3. Minty Antibacterial Mouthwash

What You Need:

• ½cup filtered water
• 2tsp baking soda
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil
• 2 drops peppermint essential oil
• A clean glass container

What To Do:

• Simply mix all ingredients together in a clean mason jar or glass bottle.
• Shake the container well before each use & gargle 2-3tsp of the mouth wash for about a minute.
• For best results, use daily after brushing your teeth.
• As with any mouthwash, try to avoid swallowing the mixture while gargling.

Tea tree oil is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. Peppermint is cooling and also has antibacterial properties – plus it adds a traditional minty flavour to the mouth rinse.

If DIY isn’t your thing, luckily we have an incredible selection of natural oral care products available on our site.