If you think that you shouldn’t be alarmed by the toxic chemicals found in commercially available toothpastes, think again. Even if you use only pea-sized blobs of toothpaste twice a day and you spit most of it, some of the harmful substances it contains can actually get to your bloodstream. Just imagine how much of them get to your system in a lifetime!
This is the reason why you have to be very careful when on the hunt for the best toothpaste. You should carefully read the packaging to ensure that the product you are about to place in your shopping cart contains nothing that can ruin your health in the long run. Aside from shopping, you may simply opt for DIY toothpaste out of very simple ingredients!
Before we start discussing that three-ingredient toothpaste, let us first put the spotlight on some of the reasons why certain toothpastes on the market should be avoided — the harmful ingredients many of them contains!
• Triclosan – This antibacterial agent is known to help ward off plaque and gingivitis. While very effective in killing bacteria, triclosan is linked to a host of problems: antibiotic resistance, hormonal imbalance and cancer!
• Sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS – It’s the reason why your favorite toothpastes foams. Aside from temporarily disrupting the functioning of your taste buds (which is why food and drinks taste bad after brushing your teeth), SLS is also linked to the development of canker sores. What’s more, experts say that the manufacturing of SLS causes the formation of the chemical 1,4-Dioxane, a well-known carcinogen.
• Diethanolamine or DEA – Just like SLS, the presence of this chemical makes toothpastes foam. Studies have shown that DEA may cause organ toxicity, and it may produce carcinogenic substances when mixed with other chemicals.
• Propylene glycol – A surfactant, propylene glycol works like detergent. It’s also added to toothpastes and many other beauty products to keep them from freezing over. The problem with this chemical is it’s known as a skin irritant. According to experts, it may cause organ toxicity in large amounts.
• Artificial sweeteners – Aspartame and other similar sweeteners may make toothpastes taste yummy alright, but they are linked to a variety of problems, including nausea, dizziness, digestive issues and vertigo.
• Fluoride – It’s true that fluoride helps strengthen teeth. But did you know that too much of it is really bad for you? Experts say that fluoride can accumulate in your tissue over time and disrupt the production of enzymes and hormones, as well as the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Toothpastes may be able to give you a winning smile, but the ingredients they contain can put your health in complete shambles! It’s for this reason why more and more people are being mindful of the toothpastes they use at home. The presence of one or more of the chemicals mentioned above should leave you scrambling for another brand.
You can scour the entire city for toothpaste that contains none of the said ingredients. Or you may simply whip up your very own toothpaste at home. Not only is it something that’s health-friendly and easy to make, but it allows you to stretch your shopping budget. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
• 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
• Distilled water
Procedure:
1. In a small bowl, combine your baking soda, fine sea salt and peppermint essential oil.
2. Add a teaspoon of distilled water and stir. Repeat this step until you end up with your desired consistency.
3. Transfer your DIY toothpaste in a small container with a cover.
That’s how simple it is to create your own toothpaste that’s free of any chemical known to ruin your health! It’s something that can kill off bacteria that cause bad breath and gingivitis, and it also helps remove surface stains.
