June 11, 2016
CHOCOLATE TOOTHPASTE
**Update (January 24, 2017) – I did purchase Tom’s of Maine toothpaste once, since writing this. I was dropping my son off at a weekend babysitter and completely forgot his toothpaste at home so I purchased it on the way. I now alternate (for my son and myself) between Tom’s and a simple 50/50 baking soda and cocoa powder. Sometimes I find that too much baking soda can cause redness under my son’s bottom lip, so I prefer to switch back and forth. He hates the mint taste though and actually prefers the baking soda.
After creating many versions of toothpastes, I’ve settled on this (for now) because it combines healthy, natural ingredients and my son enjoys the flavour. I don’t claim to be a health specialist or anything, but I do know that the fluoride in conventional toothpastes isn’t particularly good for you and apparently scientists believe so too. I am able to create this in under five minutes.
SUPPLIES
- 1 small sealable container
- 1 chop stick
- measuring spoons
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp bentonite clay
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp xylitol (you can leave this grainy or you can blend it in a coffee grinder for a finer texture)
Combine together and store in a small sealable container. When brushing your teeth, wet your brush, dip into the powder and use as needed. Avoid sharing the container with others to avoid the spread of bacteria.
In my FREE guide, the combinations in the recipe were a little different only because I had a smaller container. There is no right or wrong combination of each. You can change them slightly depending on how sweet (xylitol), chocolatey (cocoa powder) or salty (baking soda) you want it.
If you can’t find bentonite clay in your area, simply eliminate it. I use it only for additional health benefits. I would recommend you researching the health benefits of each ingredient.
Q. WHY DO YOU NOT USE COCONUT OIL? ALMOST ALL THE DIY TOOTHPASTES OUT THERE USE THIS INGREDIENT.
A. In most recipes online, you will find the use of coconut oil. When I first started, I followed the exact same recipes, but now I do not use coconut oil. Why? I choose not to do this because the oil coats your teeth, preventing any of the other ingredients from penetrating and doing their main job. I only use it after (think of shampooing your hair, then conditioning) as a form of mouthwash. If you want more health benefits, you can do twenty minutes of oil pulling.
I don’t use coconut oil often, mainly because I am trying to avoid unnecessary coconut oil consumption. The demands of the western world severely affect the farmers in the Philippines (where I am from) and Thailand, where most of the coconut comes from. Do some research as to what goes on and please consider purchasing Fair Trade.
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