Making your own toothpaste is easy, affordable, and a more eco-friendly way to take charge of your dental health. This coconut oil toothpaste with peppermint and cacao is made with only natural ingredients and not only cleans, but can also help to remineralize your teeth. It takes 5 minutes to make and is especially great for getting that fresh mouth feel without all the toxic chemicals found in conventional toothpastes.
And if you’re having reservations about putting cacao in your toothpaste, trust me… it’s honestly not as strange as it sounds. Yes, it’s kind of like brushing your teeth with a peppermint chocolate candy, but it’s the kind that won’t rot your teeth!
Reduce Household Toxins with Easy Homemade Products
… like homemade coconut oil toothpaste!
Our self-care products shouldn’t be a source of environmental toxins. We get enough toxins just existing in the over-industrialized, fast-paced, under-natured modern day society that we live in, a place where convenience is king.
Whether we’re exposed to the toxins in our food from toxic agriculture practices, the toxic materials our mattresses and pillows are made from, the unpronounceable chemicals that our bath, body, and beauty products contain, or even the chemical toxins floating around in the air we breathe…. the point is, we don’t need anymore.
In fact, we need way less.
Estimates indicate that we’re exposed to over 700,000 toxins in our environment every single day. And while there’s no quick fix, fortunately, we do have some control over our exposure.
Many common household products are a big source of everyday toxins. Luckily, many of our household cleaning products, as well as bath and body products can also be made so easily and affordably at home… minus the toxins.
>> Have you ever tried making your own Non-Toxic Cleaning Spray?
Why You Should Make Your Own Toothpaste?
There are lots of reasons to make your own toothpaste! To name a few:
- It’s safer.
- It’s cheaper.
- It takes 5 minutes to make.
- There are no plastic tubes to toss into the landfill.
- It’s an easy way to harness the medicinal power of the plants every day.
Have you ever read the ingredients on a tube of toothpaste? It’s not pretty.
Conventional toothpastes often contain artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners/flavors, parabens, triclosan, microbeads, and even gluten. Can you honestly think of one good reason that any of these ingredients should be in our toothpaste?
It’s also much cheaper to make our own toothpaste, especially if you’re in the practice of purchasing the more natural toothpastes. Some of them can cost a pretty penny!
Plus, when you’re finished, all you have to do is return to the kitchen and spend 5 minutes to whip up another batch that you can customize to your taste.
There’s no trip to the store required, nor are you left with having to toss a plastic tube into the garbage or find one of the few places that will take your empty plastic tubes for recycling.
And last but not least, I spend a lot of time sharing about easy ways to get more of the nutrition and medicine of plants into your every day. Making homemade coconut oil toothpaste is just another simple way to reconnect to the plants and their medicine.
The Natural Ingredients in Homemade Toothpaste
This coconut oil toothpaste contains only 6 ingredients! They’re recognizable, easily pronounced, and easy to find. Together, they help to keep our breath fresh, our teeth and gums healthy, and may even be an effective teeth whitener.
Here’s what those 6 ingredients are and why they’re included in this toothpaste.
- Coconut oil – Due to its high lauric acid content, coconut oil is naturally antimicrobial and anti-fungal. It has also been found to have a teeth whitening effect, but without the pain or sensitivity issues caused by over-the-counter whiteners.
- Bentonite clay – Bentonite clay acts as a gentle abrasive that can help to scrub plaque from your teeth without damaging the enamel.
- Raw cacao powder – It’s not often that you see cacao in toothpaste, but studies have shown that theobromine, one of the main phytochemicals found in cacao, can be effective in helping to remineralize teeth.
- Xylitol – Not only does this naturally-derived alcohol sugar sweeten the toothpaste a little bit, xylitol can also help to reduce the growth of bad bacteria in the mouth, helping to prevent bad breath and tooth decay.
- Baking soda – Baking soda also acts as a gentle abrasive to help remove plaque from your teeth, and can also help to whiten teeth.
- Peppermint essential oil – Peppermint essential oil, like most all essential oil, is incredibly antimicrobial. Its menthol content also gives us that refreshing cooling sensation. It’s really one of the best parts about brushing your teeth, isn’t it?!
>>If you’d like to learn more about the nutritive and medicinal properties of peppermint, check out The Food & Medicine of Mint.
How to Apply the Toothpaste to Your Toothbrush
There are a few ways you can apply your homemade coconut oil toothpaste to your toothbrush.
- Use a refillable toothpaste tube and squeeze a little bit on to your brush as you would any toothpaste. Refillable toothpaste tubes are easy to find with a quick internet search. Some drug stores carry them too. Look for them in the travel-sized product aisle.
- If the coconut oil hardens too much on a cold day, it may make it difficult to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube.
- Many of these refillable tubes are made of plastic and I always try to avoid using plastic especially with essential oils. Essential oils can be caustic and may slowly leak micro-plastics into your toothpaste.
- Store your toothpaste in a small glass jar and dip your dry toothbrush in to scoop out a bit of paste each time. This is my preferred method, although some may have concerns about sanitation.
- If you’re making toothpaste for more than just yourself, you may want to make each person their own container.
- Even though many of the ingredients in this toothpaste are antimicrobial, bacteria growth may still be possible. This is why I recommend only dipping a dry toothbrush in, not a wet one. I’ve been making and using this toothpaste for years and have never had a single problem with it going bad.
How Long Does Homemade Coconut Oil Toothpaste Last?
If stored properly, your homemade toothpaste can last 8-12 months or longer. Store your toothpaste in an airtight non-reactive container, ideally glass, in a cool location and out of direct sunlight.
✺ Caution ✺
Bentonite clay will react with metal. It’s very important to use only non-reactive utensils & storage containers with bentonite clay.
For more plant magic & herbal wellness in your life, be sure to follow along on ➡️ Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter, & snag my herbal 📚 eBooks Nourishing Herbal Gifts & Holiday Pies from the (Un)Bakery. 🌿 And please don’t forget to tag me in your snaps 📸 @_botanyculture_. I love to see all the plant magic you make happen!
REMINERALIZING COCONUT OIL TOOTHPASTE (RECIPE)
This minty chocolate coconut oil toothpaste is a simple and effective way to maintain your dental health. Because it’s made with a base of coconut oil, it can be a little messy. Just be sure to always rinse out the sink after using. And you can always adjust the recipe to make more or less depending on how many members of your household you’ll be making this toothpaste for.
While this toothpaste is perfect for someone with routine dental care needs, if you have more serious dental and gum health concerns, always be sure to speak with a licensed dental health professional.
Makes a little more than 1/4 cup.
INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons raw cacao powder* (not processed cocoa powder using in baking)
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon bentonite clay
2 teaspoons xylitol
4 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
8-10 drops peppermint essential oil, or to taste
METHOD
- In a small non-reactive bowl (such as glass or ceramic), add in raw cacao powder, baking soda, bentonite clay, and xylitol. Use a small, non-reactive utensil (such as a wooden or plastic spoon or silicone-coated whisk) to stir ingredients together.
- Add in softened coconut oil and use a plastic or wooden spoon to mix into the dry ingredients. The coconut oil may stiffen as you mix. Just use your plastic or wooden spoon to mash the coconut oil and dry ingredients together. (If the toothpaste is too runny, you can always add in more baking soda by the teaspoon, but be careful not to make it too thick as it may become hard to work with as the coconut oil hardens with any drop in temperature.)
- Then stir in the peppermint essential oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Use a rubber spatula to scoop your toothpaste into non-reactive containers (glass or ceramic containers with tight-fitting lids are ideal).
- Store your toothpaste in a cool location out of direct sunlight.
*A note on raw cacao powder: Raw cacao powder is a minimally processed cacao product made from fermented cacao beans that have not been roasted. Cocoa powder, used in baking, is often irradiated and roasted at high temperatures. Since we’re not ingesting this toothpaste, either will work. I’m unable to find any research that indicates that the theobromine (which has demonstrated remineralizing properties) content is affected by heat. Just be sure that you use pure cocoa powder and not a mix that might contain sugar or artificial ingredients.
>> Toothpaste TIP! If you don’t care for the taste of peppermint, or just want something different, try spearmint, cinnamon, orange, or even fennel essential oils instead. You can always customize to your taste!
Have you made your own toothpaste before? What did you think?!
I enjoy making and using this toothpaste knowing that I’m helping to keep more plastic out of the landfill. Plus, if there’s cacao in it, I’m into it.
>> If you enjoyed this content, please help me spread the good word about the magic of plants! Share this post, comment below, or tag me in your creations on your social media channels.
DISCLAIMER: The information given in this article is intended for educational purposes only. Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before consuming certain herbs & medicinal foods, especially if pregnant, nursing, or taking any prescription medications.
Hello! Is this toothpaste safe for kids?
I am new to natural remedies and just wondered to cocoa is safe in a toothpaste? What do you think of theobromine cocoa extract? Thank you so much!
Hi Tunde… Apologies for the slow reply. Welcome to the wonderful world of herbal wellness. 🙂 Cacao, the raw & little-to-no processed version of chocolate, is generally safe for internal and external uses. For the highest content of theobromine, look for raw cacao. Cocoa, cacao’s processed counterpart, is generally roasted, alkalinized, may contain other additives (including sweeteners), and has a lower theobromine content. Raw cacao is a much better option for toothpaste.
I highly recommend speaking with a licensed dental health professional as far as safety for kids. I imagine their dental needs might be a bit different, especially for younger kids. And sorry, I’m entirely unfamiliar with theobromine extract, but I’ll have to look into it!