WE MADE TOOTHPASTE :)

From L to R: Homemade toothpaste in a jar; baking soda; 100% natural coconut oil in a jar; measuring spoons; and spearmint essential oil.

Well, we finally did it! We made our own toothpaste this evening. I'm super excited to see how this goes. We are going to start using it tonight, so I'll post about the brushing experience in a few weeks.

A couple of things to consider...

• RECIPE: I used Trash is for Tossers recipe by Lauren Singer. She does a great job of explaining how to make your own toothpaste in this video. It only takes three ingredients - baking soda, coconut oil, and essential oil - and no more than a few minutes to make! 
• Another recipe that I haven't tried, but looks just as easy and I'm sure is just as good, can be found on Bea Johnson's Zero Waste Home blog.
• Alternatively, you could just use baking soda and water!
• YOUR HEALTH: Here is a good overview of why baking soda is a safe alternative to traditional toothpaste for brushing teeth.
• THE PLANET: Toothpaste comes in 2-3 layers of unnecessary packaging that isn't reusable and obviously creates a lot of waste. Even the toothpaste at health stores like MOM's or Whole Foods comes in at least 2 layers of packaging. 
• On the other hand, you can purchase both baking soda and coconut oil in bulk. Most baking soda comes in paper containers, and both coconut oil and essential oil can be found in glass containers. Furthermore, all of these ingredients can be re-purposed for other uses, and an empty coconut jar can be reused to store your next batch of toothpaste!
• YOUR WALLET: I first have to see how long this first batch of toothpaste is going to last us to determine the exact cost savings. In the meantime, here are some numbers to consider:
• Toothpaste prices can range anywhere from $3 to $7 on average for a standard 7.8 oz size. If you're like us and you brush your teeth at least 2x/per day and sometimes more, then a standard tube of toothpaste for two people will last about a month. Thus, the total cost of toothpaste per year comes out to anywhere from $36 to $84. 
• A typical price for 1lb of baking soda is about $1. This makes for approx. 32 tablespoons of toothpaste!
• Coconut oil prices vary, but you can easily find a 16oz jar for under $9.
• We bought .5 fl oz of essential oil for $5.49. 

Happy DIY toothpaste making! 
Modern Akhmatova