Yup, you can totally make toothpaste. Because of our food allergies, we had to buy expensive natural toothpaste. When I ran out one day and my usual supplier didn’t have any, I started scrambling to find a recipe to make my own. I stumbled on a recipe that needed only supplies I already had on hand, and I think it actually works a bit better than the $5 per tube stuff.
It turns out that making your own homemade toothpaste is simple, cheap, and you can flavor it any way you like. It’s all-natural (no weird chemicals you can’t pronounce!), and allergen-free. I seriously don’t know why I waited so long to try this.
Here’s the recipe I used from diyNatural:
2/3 cup baking soda
4 tsp fine sea salt (optional – gives paste extra scrubbing power, but is okay to leave out if the taste is too salty)
1 – 2 tsp peppermint extract according to taste (or add your favorite flavor – spearmint, cinnamon, orange, etc.)
water (add to desired consistency)
I added a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil as well ‘cause that’s just how I roll. I think I’ll also add some corn-free xylitol the next time I make a batch. I packed the mixture into recycled baby food jars, and we’re good to go!
Here’s the cost breakdown: http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-toothpaste-recipe-easy-and-frugal/
Disclaimer: if you’re not used to natural toothpaste, you may be quite surprised by this concoction. It’s not quite as mild and may take some getting used to. I suggest trying not to taste it at first. However, after using natural toothpastes for a while, I find the other stuff too foamy and sweet now. I even got the kid to use this toothpaste, and he’s been afraid of toothpaste for his whole life.
Let me know if you try it!