Sometimes I wonder how much is too much to share about myself on my blog. This is one of those times. I will know you truly love me if you stick around after you find out I brush my teeth with bentonite clay toothpaste, or “dirt toothpaste” as my children affectionately call it!
Over the years, as I have studied natural health and herbalism, I have realized–
1) how many everyday items I was using that are not that healthy (even ones bought from “health” stores) and
2) how dependent our family was on these manufactured products.
In an effort to choose the healthiest options available, I have also been blessed to find that in the case of toothpaste, the healthiest option is also the cheapest.
One thing I want to add before sharing how I make our bentonite clay toothpaste is something I didn’t quite understand when I began my herbal/natural health studies. When I decided that yes, I could make my family’s toothpaste, I set out to find the right recipe. As if there had to be a right way and all the rest were wrong. As if getting it wrong meant that my children’s teeth would all rot and fall out.
This is the beauty of learning to make your own toothpaste, or any health care product for that matter. You are able to decide what to use, use what you have on hand, or customize what you are going to use based on your needs. God has generously provided man with herbs and natural substances that can do more than one job.
For instance, in the case of salt, it can season our food, give us vital minerals, be used as a cleanser, and the list goes on.
But what if we don’t have access to the ingredient we need. Guess what, God has also provided herbs and natural substances that can be substituted for one another.
With all that said, there are many, many tooth powder recipes out there. This is just one that I have put together for our family. I been using it for about a year now and have been very pleased with it. My teeth have a much cleaner feel to them. My kids have also made the adjustment nicely. In fact, they often offer their input and I will sometimes make adjustments based on their inputs.
Bentonite Clay Toothpaste Ingredients
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Bentonite Clay
1/3 cup Sea Salt
1/3 cup Baking Soda
3 tablespoon Sage Leaf
1 tablespoon Peppermint Leaf
40 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
1 tablespoon Vegetable Glycerin
1 tablespoon Water
1 dropper full Sage Tincture
Directions:
Grind sage and peppermint leaf in a coffee grinder until powdered.
Mix all ingredients in a zip lock bag or bowl. I like mixing in a bag because I can use a rolling pin to break up any lumps.
If you would like to use the recipe as a toothpowder, you may stop at this step and omit the last 3 ingredients (glycerin, water, tincture). The powder can be placed into jars (I use the Ball 4 oz. jars). When ready to brush teeth, wet toothbrush lightly and dip into powder.
In order to make the toothpaste, mix 1/4 cup of the toothpowder with the glycerin, water, and sage tincture. (I only mix up a small amount of this at a time to prevent spoilage.)
