Have you thought much about fluoride? This lovely product is added to many water supplies and toothpaste. Dentists supposedly say it prevents tooth decay. When I discovered this product has been banned from adding to water in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, France and The Netherlands, I questioned why it is still being promoted as a healthy product here in the States.
Andreas Schuld describes fluoride as follows in an article on the Weston Price Foundation:
“Fluoride is any combination of elements containing the fluoride ion. In its elemental form, fluorine is a pale yellow, highly toxic and corrosive gas. In nature, fluorine is found combined with minerals as fluorides. It is the most chemically active nonmetallic element of all the elements and also has the most reactive electro-negative ion. Because of this extreme reactivity, fluorine is never found in nature as an uncombined element.”
Highly toxic? Corrosive gas? I am not sure about you, but that concerns me. These references are referring to the addition of flouride to most water systems in the US, but there is another form of flouride that is added to your average container of toothpaste.
Fluoride Deception
You might be interested in checking out these videos…
Fluoride Deception – interesting video on harm of fluoride
Cure Tooth Decay – can tooth decay be related to what kind of food you eat?
Fluoride Alert – professionals sign document to end fluoride in water due to its toxic content. Two interesting videos about flouride.
Fluoride Free Alternatives
Fluoride is added to most toothpastes you will find in the store, and although your consumption may be minimal, it is something to consider. Finding flouride-free toothpaste is a spendy pursuit, costing up to $5 per small tube. Sodium lauryl sulfate is included in most natural toothpastes, which is the foaming agent that is added to toothpaste and other bathroom products. There is much controversy whether it is safe as well, so I am seeking to avoid, if possible, and stick to the ingredients that are safe to consume, especially for the little one, as she very well may swallow it.
Here are a few alternatives:
Toothsoap – I have not tried this, but have heard many rave reviews from others. The ingredients are all natural, based upon coconut oil, olive oil and a few other products. The price might sound a bit high at first but I have been told a tube lasts three months for a family of four. Toothsoap is preferred over natural toothpastes because not only does it not contain fluoride but it also does not have sodium lauryl sulfate.
I reviewed the list of ingredients and I thought…why not? These are simple enough to combine together at home. I wanted a toothpaste with quality ingredients that I had on hand, without spending too much on a tube of toothsoap. Here is what I came up with:
Homemade Toothsoap
You can actually just us Dr. Bronner’s as a natural toothpaste, but the texture is very liquidy and very powerful in taste (soap here we come!). Definitely not something the hubby or baby would like. I tried mellowing and sweetening it a bit with these ingredients and all are quite satisfied! Still under a little experimentation. This recipe provided a nice moist but thicker consistency than Dr. Bronner’s alone.
1 Tbsp Dr. Bronners castile liquid soap - contains coconut, olive, palm oils – we use Baby Mild unscented (because it is more versatile for us, and covers multiply uses in one product) and then flavor with an essential oil or two
5 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp or more olive oil or water – to get the consistency you want – this makes it pourable to put in the soap dispenser
Essential oil (20-25 drops), I use orange and peppermint together, as peppermint alone is a little strong for me, but you can use whatever combination you like. If using Peppermint Dr Bronner’s soap, you can skip this altogether.
Stevia, to sweeten to your taste – a few dashes or so works
Warning: Do not test this product more than a few times at a time or just a dab at a time, or else you can burn your mouth (if using peppermint oil/soap), as I experienced. Best to taste by putting it on a toothbrush and brushing your teeth, as flavor is a bit different from just tasting the toothpaste directly.
I store mine in a new soap dispenser in our bathroom. No scooping it up, just pump it out right onto your toothbrush. No messes in the draw from spilled sticky toothpaste tubes either!
Check out Mountain Rose Herbs for the best quality and lowest priced coconut oil around!
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doesn’t the castile soap contain lye and I read that it’s harmful if on the skin and injested? Sorry I’m new to this
I am really not sure on this one. I believe Dr. Bronner’s is perfectly safe…but you would have to check into the lye content with the company.
No, castille soap and other ‘lye’ soaps do not contain lye. Yes, they are made using lye, but once the lye and oils are blended in the soapmaking process (called saponification) the lye and oils are transformed into soap, which then becomes a completely different chemical compound. With that said, my reservations would be using soap on the teeth and in the mouth. I don’t think the taste would be much too enjoyable.
I have struggled with a similar recipe…the coconut oil hardens when it starts to get cold out side (now!) and then there is no hope getting it out of the container without warming it:( Do you have the same struggle with this recipe?
I would replace the castile soap and coconut oil with vegetable glycerin and extra baking soda. I have been changing the recipe a bit lately and have an updated version to share shortly, but that it the basic idea of it.
Is vegetable glycerin better than the one that is used in the commercial tooth paste? I read that glycerin in the tooth paste coats the teeth and prevents them from remineralization.
I do not know. I used a natural vegetable glycerin from Mountain Rose Herbs.
I will try this recipe out this week. By chance, do you have a recipe for mouthwash?
I just tried home made tooth soap. I made it tonight and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! My teeth feel AWESOME! I added cinnamon and a little lemon juice. It really didn’t leave a “soapy” taste in my mouth. I am AMAZED! Can’t wait to make my hubby and kids try it!!
While it’s true that flouride is not added to the water in Sweden flouride for the teeth are still very much promoted. It very hard if not impossible to find flouride free toothpaste and most dentist also promote flouride rinses. Kids in school in Sweden have regular ‘rinse days’.
you cand fin flouride free toothpaste online, i live in romania and i found it
here is the website !
http://www.naturallydirect.net/natural-toothpaste.htm
We just use baking soda and mint extract and stevia and enough water to mix into a paste. Just adjust the amounts to your preference.
By the way, your deodorant recipe works really well! Both me and my DH love it! The nasty store brands always stink of so much disgusting, overwhelming perfume that I couldn’t get near my husband when he wore it. They did not work, either. Of course, he is very sensitive to perfumes and gets a headache anytime he gets around a heavy scent.
Okay, I suppose that I have taken up enough space. I really enjoy your web-site, by the way! It is so nice to get proper nutrition from a good Christian perspective rather than the hippies that work at our local co-op. Yesterday DH went to get some soap nuts for us to try and they asked him if he was trying to align his shakras. Good grief! I think I will stick with the farmers markets and Azure Standard, thank you very much! Okay, now I really have taken too much space
he he he …
hmmm, only problem I can see is if a guest mistakes the toothsoap for handsoap; ) I’ve gotta admit, I’m intrigued. I wonder if my husband will go for it though.
I live in Durban, South Africa and do not think that Dr Bronner’s is available here. What could one use as a substitute?
Thanks. Sam
I MADE THIS….WONDERFUL!!!! I ADDED 6 TBLS COCONUT OIL…2 TBLS OLIVE OIL…1/2 TSP ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL…ABOUT 20 DROPS OF SPEARMINT E.O. AND 2 TBLS BAKING SODA…NO SOAPY TASTE ONCE YOU BRUSH…!!! THANKS FOR SHARING
You can find fluoride free toothpaste from Cleure (a fusion of Clean and Pure)at http://www.LiveCleanAndPure.com
BUT, I’m very curious to try making my own too
Lindsay, love your site!
Emily
My doctor specifically instructed me that I needed to get my daughter on bottled water that had fluoride because we were on a septic system and didn’t drink tap water. I was always a little suspicious of this and never did what the doctor said to.. I’m glad after reading this article!