Making my own toothpaste and switching to a bamboo toothbrush were easy ways for me to reduce my plastic usage. Plus, homemade toothpaste lasts so much longer than the tubes of toothpaste I used to buy at the store. My first batch of homemade toothpaste lasted me three months and in that amount of time, my husband went through two tubes of Tom's of Maine toothpaste.
A couple things to note when it comes to using homemade toothpaste:
- It's saltier than store-bought toothpaste, due to the baking soda.
- It doesn't foam up like store-bought toothpaste.
But on the bright side, my teeth feel just as clean and I feel better knowing I'm using natural ingredients.
Quick and easy toothpaste recipe:
- 3 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- 10-15 drops of peppermint oil (to taste)
Mix all the ingredients in a glass jar and set it by your toothbrush to use each day.