For at least 6 months now Jeremy and I have been using homemade toothpaste and have sworn off the commercial stuff. We like the homemade version better because it is cheaper, better for you (doesn't contain carcinogens), and actually is better at whitening our teeth than the commercial whitening toothpaste that we used to buy. The abrasiveness of the baking soda gives your teeth a good scrub and whitening, and the lime zest adds additional whitening power.
Toothpaste
-zest of 1 lime, left out to dry for 2 hours before mixing up toothpaste
-1 cup baking soda
-20 drops of peppermint (or spearmint) essential oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk until thoroughly incorporated (it will be a powder). To use wet your toothbrush and dip in mixture, brush as normal.
I put a few tablespoons of the mixture in our glass holder on our sink, and store the rest in the fridge. The first time or two that you brush with this it will taste a little salty, but you soon get used to it and actually prefer it once you realize just how artificial and like chemicals regular toothpaste tastes.
This toothpaste works for us!
This post is being linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.
Shannon
5 comments:
i'll keep this in mind. i know people who use baking soda as shampoo or deoderant, but so far i only use it for household cleaning tasks.
how long does the lime zest keep in the fridge?
Baking soda works for a deoderant -- just put it in a container and dust it on with a powder puff.
This sounds great! Where do you get the peppermint oil? A grocery store or pharmacy wouldn't carry it, would they?
Suzannah,
I don't know how long the zest keeps in the fridge, I couldn't find an answer. If you felt uncomfortable about it you could freeze it, and then add it when you mix new batches up. I know that lemon zest preserved with sugar or salt will keep for an infinitely long time, and since baking soda is so high in sodium I'm assuming that this would work the same way in preserving the zest.
Mary,
I'll have to try it as a deodorant... I've been wanting to quit purchasing the commercial stuff.
Lynn,
I get the peppermint oil from a health food store, but Whole Foods, some Targets, and some GNCs/ Vitamin Shoppes carry it also. If all else fails you could find it on the internet.
Shannon
Great, I love it!
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