To be honest, however, this natural toothpaste did not give me anything more than clean teeth and fresh mouth. It did not stop the bleeding gums and the painful discomfort I was suffering since I gave birth. I found, however, another natural remedy with which I don’t have to wonder on which side would be less painful to chew my salad. Combine it with a homemade toothpaste and that’s all I want – save ingredients, confidence and relief. I promise you to write about this very simple and effective cure soon. And now…
The homemade toothpaste recipe
Ingredients:
1. baking soda (cleanser); 2. essential oils; 3. stevia or xylitol (natural sweetener); 4. coconut oil (as a base with antibacterial and antiviral properties).
Directions:
1. Mix the baking soda with the coconut oil so that a thick paste is achieved. You can start with 2 parts of baking soda and 1 part of melted coconut oil. Once you mix them, you’ll adjust the thickness by adding more coconut oil.
2. Add xylitol (found on sweetener aisles at most health food stores), if you want your toothpaste to be sweet. This ingredient is optional. Adjust the quantity to your taste.
3. Add 1 -2 drops of essential oil.
Notes:
1. Different essential oils are for different purposes:
- tea tree and lavender are for killing germs;
- lemon fights the plaque, kills the bacteria that cause gingivitis and strengthens the gums.
If you are worried about the tooth enamel, lemon oil is not like lemon juice (one of the strongest food acids). Lemon oil is pH neutral. You need to dilute it in water and then add it to the toothpaste. But, in case you already have issues with tooth enamel, then it is may be better to use another safe essential oil.
- peppermint, cinnamon and fennel are for flavor and freshness.
Essential oils are highly concentrated. That’s why always use a few drops only and make sure the one you use will not harm you in case of swallowing.
2. The shelf life of this homemade toothpaste is about 12 months as this is the expiration period of the coconut oil.
3. I store my toothpaste in a glass jar.
If you tried this recipe, I am curious about how you feel about it. What essential oil did you put? Do you prefer your homemade toothpaste over the commercial one? Did your kids like it?