Australian shoppers are now, more than ever, aware of the chemicals that are present in cosmetics and skincare, and many of us make the conscious decision to steer clear of products containing unnatural ingredients. However, many of us are still using supermarket toothpaste – which can have just as many chemicals in it.
“Natural toothpaste cleans your teeth just as effectively as supermarket brands,” says Tash Scutts, the founder of vegan, natural and cruelty-free toothpaste brand LovebyT. “To care for and clean your teeth thoroughly you need two things: an abrasive ingredient and a toothbrush. All toothpastes contain an abrasive ingredient, the commercial brands just add a mix of cheap – and sometimes harmful – chemicals to their base abrasive ingredients to create foam, to give the toothpaste shelf life, to protect teeth from plaque or to help reduce tooth sensitivity.”
Tash explains that natural toothpastes don’t contain chemicals, instead, they harness the power of natural alternatives such as natural cocoyl taurate and natural xylitol to deliver the same efficacy. “Natural toothpastes can deliver efficacious results without chemical nasties and with more gentle ingredients,” says Tash.
5 reasons why you should be using natural toothpaste
- Commercial toothpaste brands use parabens and triclosan to give their toothpaste shelf life, whereas natural alternatives tend to use natural citric acid from fruit.
- Where regular toothpastes use sodium lauryl sulphate to create the foaming sensation, natural toothpastes use natural cocoyl taurate which is derived from coconuts.
- Fluoride found in supermarket toothpastes to protect teeth from plaque is usually replaced with natural xylitol from birch trees in natural toothpaste counterparts.
- For sensitive teeth, commercial toothpaste brands use potassium nitrate to aid sensitivity, while natural toothpastes harness natural clove, cinnamon or calendula, all proven to calm and soothe sensitive teeth and gums.
- Where peroxide is seen on the back labels of popular whitening products, natural activated charcoal has been proven to brighten and whiten teeth without the need for chemicals.
Why should we all be using compostable toothbrushes?
Plastic toothbrushes are made of plastic materials such as rubber and crude oil, and the manufacturing process for these toothbrushes consist of dangerous plastic by-products: crude oil and petroleum, which are harmful to the environment, says Tash.
“Plastic toothbrushes cannot break down and either end up in landfills or in our oceans. In fact, every year over 30 million plastic toothbrushes are dumped in landfill in Australia alone.”
However, bamboo is one of the fastest-growing and sustainable plants on the planet and toothbrushes made from bamboo are 100% compostable, are BPA-free and break down naturally. Better yet, many bamboo tooth brushes have softer bristles than plastic brushes, making them more gentle on gums. All you have to do is chop the bristles off the brush and compost the handle!
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