The other day on my way to the office…
I decided to change it up from Pandora to talk radio against my better judgement. The precise moment I switched the channel, I happened to catch a commentary by the radio hosts about the natural lifestyle of Shailene Woodley, rising star of the blockbuster movies “Divergent” and “The Fault in Our Stars”. The hosts immediately denounced her for doing “crazy hippie things” like oil pulling and eating “dirt”, and dubbed her practices as “gross”. I shook my head, but not because I agreed with these yammerers. It’s because they have no idea how beneficial oil and dirt are for your health, and now their audience won’t either. And I give major props to Shailene for openly sharing her natural and holistic wellness lifestyle with the public, which has generally grown skeptical of any beauty or hygiene product that wasn’t born in a test tube.
That got me to thinking: this would be a great post to start planting the seeds of helping readers rethink the conventions we’ve accepted in this country about our ways of life, starting with our healthy & beauty routines. With that, here goes my very first crunchy Maverick Mama admission:
I Brush My Teeth with Dirt.
Yeah, you heard me. Dirt. Bentonite clay dirt, more specifically. What the heck is bentonite clay, you ask? It’s a swelling clay used for centuries by traditional societies internally and externally for health detoxification and radiant beauty. It’s often found in quality face masks, bath soaks and healing poultices. The folks over at Redmond Clay describe the scientific properties of bentonite clay as follows:
I know what you’re thinking…so clay sounds fine and dandy, but why the BEEP would I brush my choppers with clay that when I have much more appetizing, tooth-tingling cleaning options from Crest and Colgate? I grew up on Crest! It tastes so good! Yes, the Crest Test-Tubers have spent countless hours toiling, tweaking and percolating their secret formulas to ensure their toothpaste tastes as magical as possible. What other flavors could possibly deserve descriptors like “Dynamic!” “Inspiring!” and my favorite, “Adventurous!!” I mean, how can one possibly resist a flavor called “Adventurous Mint Chocolate Trek”? Yes, I want to feel as though I am trekking through misty, minty mountains and Valhrona valleys! Ahhhh.
Well I hate to break it to you, but Big Tooth is putting some questionable ingredients in your candied caravan, and I’m putting them on trial right now. The very first ingredient is (and it’s a doozy):
Sodium Fluoride.
Fact: there is a growing body of compelling research that demonstrates the dangers of long-term fluoride exposure in adults and children. Dr. Oz himself takes measures to remove fluoride from his family’s drinking water to avoid fluorosis, a nasty discoloration of the teeth. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at this post about fluoride in water by the Mommypotamus, one my FAVORITE real food bloggers. She has amassed the most comprehensive set of research on the dark side of fluoride that I’ve read to date. Unfortunately, fluoride is still in widespread use in toothpaste for humans age 2 and up, and it really needs to go.
Exceed Strong? Firmly Tooth? Not in my baby’s mouth.
OK, so we agree fluoride sounds not so nice. Let’s continue with our ingredient shakedown:
Polyethylene: This nasty newcomer is making major headlines after a dental hygienist discovered tiny plastic “microbeads” embedded in the teeth of Crest-committed patients. The Big Tooth megalith is now committing to removing these creepy beads from their toothpaste…by the year 2016 [source]. Sorry but I’m not willing to spend another two years sporting bedazzled ivories. Pass.
Sorbitol – a sugar alcohol chemically derived from corn, so there’s a good chance there’s GMO sneaking around in there. So what if it’s been known to cause GI tract bleeding, IBS and ulcers, even in small doses? The good news is, sorbitol is a versatile substance with many practical applications. Bad news is, those applications include acting as an “antifreeze” in highly processed fish paste and an experimental ingredient in rocket fuel. Worse news is, it’s now in your mouth.
Yellow 5, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 1 – Chemical dyes used in food that are either warned against or banned in the European Union for causing attention and hyperactivity issues in children [source]. The US has yet to take action against food manufacturers that include these dyes in not only dental care, but children’s food and drink as well. I guess if children’s behavioral disorders were on the rise, I’d be worried. Oh wait…
Disodium Pyrophosphate – A chemical food additive typically used to prevent oxidation (browning) in flour. Also an excellent iron stain remover for leather in a pinch. In large quantities, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and nosebleeds but hey, extra-shiny choppers! [gleam]
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – Wait, what? [comes to sudden, screeching halt] You mean, the same controversial sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) foaming agent that is all over the news for being a skin irritant, reproductive toxin and possibly an ulcer-forming carcinogen?? Come on now.
Phew, I just had a flashback to my high school chemistry class. By the way, I happened to notice that Crest does not publish product ingredients on its product pages, which I thought was…interesting. I’m sure someone in Marketing just forgot! My bottom line is, I don’t need an adventurous toothpaste to dynamically inspire me. I need a natural toothpaste that will clean my teeth, improve my oral health and not slowly poison me. K?
So what about “natural” toothpastes?
Those are OK, right?? Many are, but you need to have eagle eyes on those ingredient lists. My old toothpaste from The Natural Dentist contained fluoride, and I had no clue! And upon running out of toothpaste on a recent trip, my only option was trusty Tom’s of Maine; however I was shocked and disappointed to find that this “natural” toothpaste contained…wait for it…sodium lauryl sulfate! Ew people! Although Tom’s website has an extensive explanation of why they still use it, I’m not convinced it’s worth the risk when there are many more palatable options available. I realized that any mass-marketed product with a “natural” label slapped on deserves a second look. I know these statements may sound overdramatic or inflammatory, but my soapbox tends to make an appearance when I see what creepy things manufacturers are legally allowed to put in our bodies. Remember, I’m doing this for you. Sorry Big Tooth, Judgey Bear DOES NOT APPROVE.
Convinced? So what’s a Maverick-in-training to do? Luckily there are several effective and economical clay dental care alternatives to choose from:
Clay tooth powder is simply a mix of clay, myrrh gum and essential oils that is indefinitely shelf-stable because there is no moisture. We started our clay journey with a tooth powder which made my teeth feel super clean and polished, but I wasn’t a fan of how it collected on my toothbrush and how much was lost trying to spoon it onto the toothbrush head. Merely a personal preference.
Clay toothpaste is comprised of the same ingredients as tooth powder with water added for a creamy, more familiar texture. This is a big hit in the Maverick household and a perfect entry to clay dental care.
Please note: these are NOT foaming formulations. Many of us are very attached to the lathering action in our dental and beauty products and find it difficult to let go while transitioning to natural alternatives. I think this is because modern marketing has taught our generation to directly associate sudsiness with cleanliness. I promise, your pearly whites will feel so clean, you won’t miss it!
Natural Clay Dental Care Options
So if you’d like to ditch Creepy Crest for something clay-based, here are your options ranked by Crunch-factor:
Crunchy: Right now we’re only at this stage, since it’s been freakishly busy at the Maverick Manse. We are loving Earthpaste by Redmond Clay, which has a brief, non-tongue-twisting list of ingredients:
- Food grade Redmond bentonite clay
- Purified water – No explanation needed, which is refreshing.
- Xylitol – A sweetener that has demonstrated many oral and nasal health benefits.
- Redmond salt – Provides antibacterial qualities and enhanced flavor. Salt. I recognize this word.
- Tea tree oil – An essential oil that supports oral health by kicking nasty viruses and fungi square in the cojones.
All ingredients are a manageable five syllables or fewer. I use the Peppermint flavor in the spring/summer to help rouse me from my zombie-like state in the morning, and Cinnamon in the winter for extra warming immune support. NOTE: For babies & toddlers, the Lemon Twist and Cinnamon flavors are deemed safe as the others contain ingredients like menthol (naturally derived). Judgey Bear runs to the sink for his dates with Lemon Twist!
Crunchier: Support a fellow Maverick by purchasing a homemade natural toothpaste on Etsy.com. There are so many handmade clay tooth powder and herbal toothpaste options for sale, it’s hard to choose! I actually began my journey into clay with this delicious cinnamon and clove herbal tooth powder. I used this and its sibling clove mouthwash this past winter for extra viral protection and got nary a cold!
Crunchiest: Make your own toothpaste or tooth powder! I’ll admit I haven’t attained this crunch level because I can’ t yet justify purchasing some of these very specific ingredients. But if you want to go full-DIY or happen to have myrrh gum and xylitol lying around your cupboard, here are several recipes from one of my favorite bloggers: Wellness Mama’s Homemade Squeezeable Toothpaste and Herbal Tooth Powder. Many more great dental & beauty recipes are available in the Mommypotamus DIY Organic Beauty Recipes e-Book. This e-Book enabled me to systematically transform my medicine cabinet from a chemical factory to an herbal oasis! And if you decide that clay isn’t your jam, check out this list of other natural toothpaste alternatives from my friend Elizabeth at Living the Nourished Life!
Congrats! Your tooth care is now healthier and Judgey Bear APPROVED with these natural alternatives to toxic toothpaste, and you’ve taken a great first step towards ridding your home of naughty ingredients. And the next time I’m tempted to switch from Pandora in the car, I’ll be listening to my crunchy mama podcasts instead.
Now that’s real food for thought.
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