The Joy of Sustainability #002 - DIY Toothpaste
Ever wish you could ditch the guilt associated with throwing away a tube of toothpaste every month?
Do you ever go to the supermarket toothpaste aisle and just feel like all the different kinds of toothpastes flavors and benefits are just a bunch of marketing ploys designed to make them all sound better than they actually are?
Do you ever feel like you just don't have any other option than to buy toothpaste wrapped in plastic?
My answer: Yes, yes, and yes.
But despite feeling those feelings all the time, it took me years to finally reach a point where I said…
ENOUGH.
And it turns out, it's a ridiculously easy problem to solve.
Once I committed to never using toothpaste in plastic anymore, I did a little Google search and came across this video which made me realize how stupidly easy it is: baking soda, coconut oil, and some peppermint essential oil.
Since watching this video, I've made this DIY toothpaste a few times, and I've modified the recipe for my own use (personally I like a 1:1 ratio of baking soda to coconut oil), and since I have, it's been one of my little daily joys that I find in living sustainably.
No more wrestling with toothpaste tubes. No more feeling like I'm throwing away more plastic that will end up in the ocean for the next 1,500 years. No more wondering what the heck all the different chemicals in the toothpaste are.
Making my own toothpaste, I know exactly what's in it, and that it's all natural. And since the coconut oil I buy is in a glass jar and the baking soda is in cardboard, NO MORE PLASTIC! What's more, I found out that my local refillery stocks baking soda so I won't even have the cardboard waste soon!
My Super Simple DIY Toothpaste Recipe
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp baking soda
- 10-15 drops peppermint essential oil (or whatever other oil you'd like to try)
Mix 'em all together and you're done. Throw it in the fridge for a bit if you live in a place that's a bit warm, keep it in a semi-warm spot if you live in a place that's cold.
Now I should warn you before you go out and make some: this stuff takes some getting used to. It does NOT have the same texture as regular toothpaste. Since this toothpaste is made with oil and the baking soda is salty, the toothpaste is totally different than what you're used to. It's oily and salty and your hands get a little oily after using it.
Once you go homemade, you don't go back.
But you want to know what's weird? After using it for so long, I've actually gone back to regular toothpaste to try it, and now regular toothpaste GROSSES ME OUT. It's so sticky and glue-like, the last time I actually tried to use it, I gagged a bit because it felt like I had just put some Elmer's on my toothbrush. So to me, in switching to this particular DIY toothpaste, a sacrifice it is not.
So every day, right after I wake up, and right before I go to bed, I enjoy brushing my teeth and getting some squeaky clean sparklers that are waste free and healthy!
And guess what? You could too!
It might take a bit of getting used to, but give it a try. If you absolutely hate it, you can always go back to the plastic-wrapped, chemical goopy stuff.
