Simple homemade toothpaste recipe made with bentonite clay and only 4 other natural ingredients.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been sewing, cooking and whipping up crafts of all sorts. This craftiness certainly has had its advantages – saving money (why buy when you can make?), impressing friends (homemade gifts!) and generally keeping me out of trouble.
On the flip side, I’ve spent countless dollars on supplies for short-lived hobbies (hello metal-working and pottery classes) and have amassed large collections of things like fabric, beads and buttons that are currently collecting dust.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, then you’ll understand how someone like this would eventually be the kind of person who makes her own toothpaste.
It was bound to happen. First it was simple scrubs and masks. Then lip balms and body creams. Now homemade toothpaste. And it’s not because good natural toothpaste is not available – it is! But once a maker, always a maker and toothpaste was on my bucket list.
Is homemade toothpaste is on your bucket list too?
How to Make Homemade Toothpaste
Just so you know – I tried a lot of variations before I came up with a homemade toothpaste recipe that I liked. I knew I wanted to use bentonite clay as the base because of its ability to draw out toxins and deposit minerals on teeth – plus it is the primary ingredient in Earthpaste, a natural toothpaste I like a lot.
Variations using baking soda were a bit too harsh for me. The consistency of a version using only bentonite clay and essential oils was a bit odd. It was only when I added in a bit of coconut oil to the mix that I got the flavor and consistency that I liked.
Feel free to mess around with this recipe to find your favorite combination!
About the ingredients
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One of the biggest advantages of making your own toothpaste is knowing what’s in it. This toothpaste recipe has only 5 natural ingredients – plus a bit of water to bind it all together. Don’t worry – you won’t go broke making this – these ingredients are inexpensive and could even save you money on toothpaste in the long run.
- Bentonite clay – draws out toxins, reduces acidity in mouth, non-abrasive polisher and is full of minerals like calcium and magnesium that are good for teeth
- Coconut oil – anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
- Essential oils – anti-bacterial and fights plaque (I chose a blend of orange and peppermint)
- Sea salt – natural cleanser and whitener
- Stevia – natural sweetener
What’s not in this toothpaste? Fluoride, glycerin, sodium lauryl sulphate, triclosan, propylene glycol, carrageenan, saccharin, polyethylene, titanium dioxide and artificial colors and flavors.
Learn More: How to Buy Non-Toxic Beauty & Personal Care Products
Orange Peppermint Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
Homemade toothpaste is super easy to make. Just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl – no need to heat anything up. Use the back of the spoon to break up any clumps of coconut oil. (Note: bentonite clay reacts with metal and loses its effectiveness, so it is best to use a non-metal bowl and spoon for this project.)
As for flavor, the combination of orange and peppermint essential oils, along with a smidge of stevia give it a slightly sweet taste, along with that fresh mintiness you expect from toothpaste. Feel free to choose your own essential oil combination – cinnamon, clove, spearmint and lemon are popular toothpaste flavors too.
Because there are no preservatives, it is best to make a small batch that will be used up in about a month.
Store your homemade toothpaste in a small glass or plastic jar. I save and reuse jars from food and beauty products especially for my DIY concoctions – but Amazon sells 2-oz glass jars that are the perfect size for a batch of this toothpaste.
And if you’re wondering where that wooden toothbrush is from – it’s a MABLE bamboo toothbrush – love it!
Whether you’re a DIY addict or newbie, I have a feeling this toothpaste will make you smile!
Homemade Toothpaste With Bentonite Clay
Materials
- 2 Tablespoons powdered bentonite clay
- 4 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops orange essential oil
Instructions
- Mix powdered clay with water in a small, non-metal bowl, with a non-metal spoon.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.
- Store in a glass or plastic jar.
Notes
Shelf life is about 1 month.
Do you love making stuff? What’s the most unusual DIY you’ve done?
Green Bean says
Wow! I’m impressed. Pinning.
Mary says
I’ll have to try that and maybe replace the baking soda only habit.
Mala says
Is it calcium bentonite or sodium bentonite that you use?
Micaela says
Hi Mala – Redmond brand bentonite clay is high in BOTH calcium and sodium. http://www.redmondclay.com/2012/is-redmond-clay-a-calcium-bentonite-clay/
Fran says
I have read that you should never put coconut oil down the drain as it will build up over time and cause major plumbing issues. Has this been an issue for you or do you expel the used toothpaste in another manner?
Micaela says
Good question Fran. Since there is so little coconut in this toothpaste recipe, and you use so little at a time, I wouldn’t think it would be a problem. As a precaution, running very hot water down your sink periodically, should help clear out anything that is building up!
Tiffany says
Hi Fran.
I oil pull with coconut oil, and have always been cautious about this, so I spit the oil into little paper bathroom cups instead of my sink. It could be a method here as well, just double your trash bags to prevent leakage.
Della says
I learned a lot here. I was wondering how much it costs in total to make 2 oz of this recipe?
Micaela says
Hi Della – The cost would depend on how much you paid for your ingredients. If you live near a food co-op or natural foods store, you can probably get just a small amount of the bentonite clay, instead of buying a whole bag. All the ingredients are fairly inexpensive!
Tiffany says
Is the salt necessary? I’ve read a lot of recipes for homemade toothpaste, and though a lot of them call for baking soda as an added ingredient, others dis it because it’s too abrasive. Now, I would think that if baking soda is too abrasive for teeth, then salt – even super fine sea salt – would be just as abrasive, if not more so.
Micaela says
Hi Tiffany – You can definitely make this toothpaste without the salt – it’s not necessary but helps as a cleanser and whitener. There is such a small amount of salt in the recipe that I don’t think the abrasiveness is a problem. Weleda has a very popular salt toothpaste that’s been around for ages – so it’s not a new concept to use salt in toothpaste. Hope that helps!
Tiffany says
Is the water necessary? What is its purpose in the recipe? I thought water decreased shelf life.
Becki says
I can’t get the essential oil taste or smell to last any more than 5 days after making and using. Any tips?
Micaela says
Hmmm…I haven’t had that problem. I would try adding more essential oils – maybe 5 extra drops at a time?