design finch

Well, friends – I’ve been at it again here in the design finch laboratory, this time experimenting with a recipe for homemade toothpaste. Why am I making toothpaste, you ask?

When I started reading about the toxins (think rat poison and engine degreaser) contained in most conventional toothpastes, we made the decision to switch to natural toothpaste. We were using Tom’s of Maine for a while, but never really liked the flavor, plus it is a little more expensive. So I was intrigued when I found Simple Mom’s recipe for homemade toothpaste.

You only need a few ingredients to make your own toothpaste:

• baking soda
• coconut oil
• Stevia natural sweetner
• pure peppermint extract
• lidded container

I start by filling the container about half full of baking soda, then slowly mixing in coconut oil a little at a time until its the same consistency as toothpaste. Finally, I add about a teaspoon of Stevia and a few drops of peppermint extract to achieve that minty fresh taste.

We use a little spoon to scoop the toothpaste out of the jar onto our toothbrushes. I have to admit that its an acquired taste and, at first, it seems a little weird to brush your teeth with anything other than Crest. However, now that we’ve perfected the recipe for making our own natural toothpaste, we actually prefer it over the store-bought stuff.

I’m not certain if 9 out of 10 dentists endorse this method, but I’m sure it’s totally fine. I mean, nothing says dental hygiene like brushing your teeth with homemade toothpaste straight from an old Nutella jar. It seems like a better choice than rat poison.