Recently, Piper and Londyn (my two littles) discovered the great joy of playing together in Piper’s room. The whole twenty minutes of pure silence, kids nicely playing together, is the perfect time for this mom to warm that cup of coffee I never finished this morning and sit. At least for a few minutes, uninterrupted.
A couple of months ago, the normal twenty minutes of play was extended. Not by my doing, but the kids seemed to be really enjoying their time together. Check-in or sit and savor the last few drops of coffee? As any practical mom would do, I raised my voice enough to be heard from the bottom of the stairs, “Are you two okay up there?” Silence. I put down the coffee (it was hard) and walked upstairs. I quietly peeked down the hall and saw her, covered, mouth full of pink paste.
Londyn had successfully broken away from playtime with Piper, wondered into the bathroom, and grabbed the bottle of kid-friendly “natural” toothpaste. The bright pink color and strawberry-flavor was just too appealing for a two year-old. And when anything is that appealing, much like chocolate, the only logical thing is to attempt to eat and cover yourself with the entire tube. I caught her just in time, most of the paste covered her body and the sticky hand-printed walls. I’m sure she ingested a small amount too. The idea of a child loving toothpaste so much that she viewed it as an edible treat, candy, terrified me.
I’ve been making and using homemade toothpaste for over a year. I’ve noticed an incredible difference in my dental health. Ditching the commercial paste has proven to be a wise decision. My kids are less than fond of my homemade concoction. The taste is “too hot” for their liking. (“Too hot” is Piper’s way of saying a food is too salty.) With the desire to make brushing teeth an enjoyable experience, I’ve been buying a popular “natural” brand of toothpaste: pink, strawberry-flavored, and super kid-friendly. Never giving thought to homemade “kid” toothpaste until Londyn’s scary toothpaste adventure.
Today, my kids use homemade toothpaste. A recipe very similar to my peppermint paste, but made kid-friendlier. So, what’s different? In the kid-friendlier recipe, I omit the salt and use less baking soda, reducing the salty taste. My kids aren’t a fan of peppermint, so I turn to a kid-friendly and safe essential oil, sweet orange. The addition of stevia adds a bit of sweetness, just enough to make teeth-time enjoyable. A recipe I can feel good about my kids using without the temptation of viewing toothpaste as edible candy.
Do I guarantee your kids will love this paste? No, I don’t. In fact, if your kids are used to processed, overly- sweetened paste adorned with lovable cartoon characters, it will take effort and time to get used to a homemade version. In the beginning my kids were skeptical. How did I transition them from pink slime to homemade paste? Here are a few tips:
1. Transition Slowly. My kids weren’t keen on the whole cold-turkey thing. I started putting a small amount of homemade paste on their toothbrush, followed by the commercial paste on top. Slowly, every couple of days, I decreased the amount of commercial toothpaste, adding more homemade paste. Eventually, the commercial paste was no longer needed. They also stopped trying to eat or “drink” the toothpaste once the transition took place. Toothpaste is now viewed a something we use to brush our teeth, not a treat.
2. Squeeze Bottles. I recently learned about these GoToob squeeze bottles. They’re amazing! I was hesitant to spend the money, but I’m glad I did. They’re soft and squeezable, very similar to a toothpaste tube. I bought the three pack, one for the kids’ toothpaste, one for mine, and the extra for homemade lotion. The squeezeableness (shhh, let’s pretend that’s a word) of the tube makes homemade toothpaste much more desirable for my kids. I think they feel “normal.”
3. Make it Together. Just like real food, getting your kids involved in the process of creating is always a win. This recipe is simple enough kids can assist in the making.
Homemade Kid Toothpaste
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut oil soft but not melted
- 1 TB baking soda
- 1 TB bentonite clay
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia
- 4-10 drops sweet orange essential oil Lemon or Peppermint are also an option if that's more appealing to your kids.
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, combine the coconut oil, baking soda, and clay. Mix thoroughly.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix.
- Store in a jar or for squeezable toothpaste, use these.
- Note: When mixing bentonite clay, please use a wood or plastic spoon. Bentonite clay should not come in contact with metal because it deactivates the clay.
- The consistency of this recipe can vary depending on the temperature where the toothpaste is stored, due to the nature of coconut oil. This toothpaste isn't meant to be stored long-term, so I recommend making small batches frequently.
I’m sure someone will ask about baking soda being abrasive. I personally, after much reading, feel safer using baking soda than commercial toothpaste. It’s much less abrasive than commercial toothpaste, even the organic options. You can read more information and view a chart here. Also, if you’d like to skip homemade toothpaste and purchase a “cleaner” store-bought option, I love Nature’s Gate or Earthpaste (both are available at health food stores, or online).
I’ve read that you shouldn’t spit coconut oil down the drain. I know the toothpaste isn’t as much as used in oil pulling, but do you worry about your pipes?
Hey Shannon, That’s a great question. I live in Florida, so don’t worry much about this because we don’t experience cold (and cold pipes). Fractionated coconut oil may work for those that worry about the drain/pipes issue, particularly in the winter. But, you’d need to use less and the consistency will be much runnier.
Great recipe! Although, just as an “fyi”, nothing is chemical-free. Things, like this, just contain better and safer chemicals than store bought toothepaste. Sorry, I’m a chemist, just spreading my knowledge 🙂
Hey Becky, Thank you. And yes, you’re correct, thank you for clarifying. When we chose the title we were going with more of what people associate as “toxic” chemicals vs. not having any chemicals (which as you know isn’t possible). 🙂
This is great–thanks so much for the recipe!
One quick question: when I tried the recipe, my kids liked the taste, but the toothpaste was very difficult to squeeze out of the tube–it ended up really thick (I had this same issue when I made the adult version for myself).
Do you have any ideas why this might have been? Any suggestions on which ingredient I could add more or less of to make it more squeezable? Yours looks like a nice consistency in the photo.
I appreciate your help!
Hey Stephanie,
I think the thicker consistency is coming from the coconut oil since it’s winter (and depending on where you live and how cold it is, your coconut oil may be rock solid!). You can try warming the toothpaste in your hands by holding the bottle. That may help warm and loosen the coconut oil. If that’s not the issue, then adding more coconut oil may help, add a tsp at a time.
You can also try adding 1 tsp at a time of boiled or distilled water to keep the toothpaste a nice, squeezable consistency.
During the summer you’ll probably have just the opposite problem :). Hope that helps!
I made this for my kids – loved it – but we have the same problem with it being super thick. Wisconsin winter = hard coconut oil. I’m going to be making another batch soon & will try the water trick this time time around & see how it works! I read a similar recipe that added sesame oil (??) but I would rather just try water.
Love those tubes, by the way! I bought a 3-pack and we were able to fill 2 completely with a little leftover. Everyone picked their own flavors. Only other problem we encountered was that my oldest must’ve knocked his off accidentally & we believe it landed in the garbage! 🙁 Not a cheap oops, by any means!
Kristin,
Firstly I must say that I love your blog! I have made a bunch of your recipes and find that you are becoming my go-to for DIY even more than wellness mama and momypotomus! So, having said that, I finally got around to making this toothpaste and b/c it’s summer it’s super runny that it’s really messy. I put it in the fridge and then it won’t squeeze of of the tube. How do you store this in the summer? Also, have you had any issues with your drain clogging?
Thanks!
Hey FitMomPam,
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
We live in Florida so we keep our house air conditioned all summer long (around 73 degrees). The cooler temperature means I don’t have any issues with the coconut oil, but this would certainly change if the temperature in our house increased. My best tip is to increase the dry ingredients during the summer. You may also want to try whipping the toothpaste with a mixer–this may help; however, I haven’t tried this as a solution for warmer temperatures, only during the winter. I haven’t had an issue with coconut oil in our drain, but since our temperatures don’t change much it’s not a concern. If I lived in a colder environment, with freezing pipes, I would definitely spit the excess toothpaste in the trash before rinsing.
So what do u need just for the cleaning of your teeth?
No extra adds…
Hey Anna, You need everything except the stevia and orange (which are for flavor).
We keep bees and harvest our own raw honey – could I use that in place of the stevia or would it not be good for toothpaste? Looks like a great recipe and excited to try that squeeze bottle!
Hey Rachael,
I would love to keep bees! That’s awesome to have your own honey!
Stevia and honey are very different, so honey won’t work for this recipe. You can leave the stevia out, it’s just added for a bit of sweetness as many kids are transitioning from the store-bought paste (that’s very sweet) to homemade.
Actually, raw honey is great in homemade toothpaste! It’s anti-bacterial, viral, fungal, septic qualities make for a wonderful additive. I too keep bees and we love our homemade toothpaste with a little raw honey in it. I have also brought this up to our dentist who completely agreed. He is fairly pro-natural about things (although he is a standard practice) and he thinks honey and things like baking soda are great to use and dislikes average toothpastes for what they contain. I understand you’re going for a far less sweet alternative to commercial toothpaste, but if your family likes it, go for raw honey! Also, thank you for your ratios provided. I used them to help establish our own recipe. I sometimes add calcium powder I make ourselves from sanitized eggshells from our free-range eggs, and activated charcoal to my husband and I’s paste.
Thank you for sharing, Rosie. I didn’t know that great info.
Can I use a dry powder truvia or xylilot? I am new at making my own homeade beauty products. I love it!!
Hey Gina, You can sub either one for the stevia. Enjoy!!
I love that it has coconut oil cause it is way good for your teeth and has about 100 more uses! I love the little bottle you stored it in. I wonder if there is a vanilla essential oil that i could add with the peppermint!
Katie, That sounds great. Let me know how it goes.
I am looking forward to trying this! My little man dislikes sweet tasting things so the previous kids toothpastes we have tried are out. He would probably like a saltier option. But any recommendations you have on ingredients that would steer clear of sweetness are appreciated!
Hey Brandy, I would leave the stevia out of the recipe. It’s added to sweeten the toothpaste. You may also want to leave the essential oil out. The toothpaste alone is salty, but if he doesn’t like the salty bland taste then orange or peppermint essential oil can be added.
Can I make this without the clay? maybe add calcium powder instead?
Hi Lolo, I think calcium powder would be a great substitute for the clay.
Would diatomaceous earth work in place of the bentonite clay?
Hi Marianne, Diatomaceous Earth would work great in this recipe.
Great tips! I am thinking to make my own toothpaste for myself and my little ones. I like your idea of getting kids involved in the making process and the squeezable bottle looks super awesome. Will definitely try this recipe this weekend 🙂
Thank you, Ron. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the toothpaste.
I’ve been wanting to use the GoToob for my homemade toothpaste. I am wondering if you wash them out between batches or simply refill the tubes. I am worried about the coconut oil residue from previous batches going rancid after time if I don’t wash out the tubes. Thanks!
Hi Gloria, I wash the tubes in between new batches of toothpaste. I’m concerned about water or anything “extra” with kids that might get into the tubes. They wash well. I’ve found a bottle brush really helps.
I heard that Bentonite clay absorbs the chemicals found in plastic and that you should only store it in glass, what are your thoughts on that?
Hey Ruth, Yes, it’s true. It’s best not to store clay (that’s been activated, AKA wet) in plastic over an extended period of time. This recipe makes about 2 oz (a bit less), so between two kiddos it’s used rather quickly (not stored over an extended period of time). Also, I love that these tubes are silicone. If you do store it in plastic, for a short time period, choose the best you can find.
I didn’t think you could use bentonite clay internally. I know my kids would swallow accidentally. Can you share with me why you think that’s ok to ingest? The website I wanted to buy from states only for external use. Thank you! I’m beginning the process of ridding our beauty cabinets of chemicals and looking for a good toothpaste!
Hey Sabrina, Great question. Personally, the swallowing is what really concerned me with the commercial pastes. They are so tasty my kids wanted to swallow along with all the chemicals. You can leave the clay out if it concerns you. You’ll still have a good toothpaste for cleaning. Here’s a little bit about clay and all it’s uses: http://wellnessmama.com/5915/the-benefits-of-healing-clays/. Also some purifying qualities of clay: http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/bentonite-clay-a-safe-and-effective-detox-from-radiation-build-up. I personally wouldn’t internally take clay on a regular basis in large amounts (although some people do and I’d make sure the source is a very secure one, if you decide to follow that practice), but the minute amount in the toothpaste is very safe, even if the small amount is consumed. I’ve also found now that toothpaste doesn’t taste like candy my kids don’t swallow it like they used to. Leaving me feeling much better about the little that may be ingested vs. the commercial ingredients. You can also check out Redmond Clay, same clay, just a different brand, which many ingest.
Is there a alternative for coconut oil. I have a child with a tree nut allergy, which includes coconut.
Moriah, I bet you could totally use rendered lard for a pastured pig.
Great idea, Becky!
I love the idea of getting your kids to help. My kids love to help with making anything so maybe they will enjoy using it more. I like the orange idea too. So the peppermint doesn’t really help with the cleaning aspect?
Hi Jodi, The essential oil just provides a safe flavoring. The other ingredients are the main cleaning ingredients. Enjoy making it with your kiddos. 🙂
Orange oil can actually help whiten teeth! Just a fun fact I thought I would add!
Awesome, Jamie! Thank you for sharing!
How awesome! I especially love the squeeze bottle as nerdy as it is! 😉 We’ve been using the kids toothpaste from Young Living, but will definitely give this one a try!
Hi Myra, I’m totally obsessed with the squeeze bottles too ;). Enjoy!
What a great recipe! My little one would love this. Orange essential oil is her favorite!
Thanks, Kelli. My kids really enjoy the orange too. Enjoy 🙂
This recipe looks awesome! I want to get some sqeezie tubes and make it!
Thanks, Becky :). The squeeze bottles definitely make it that much more awesome! 😉
I was wondering if there was a substitute suggestion you could give me if I’d like to use your recipe, but have an allergy to coconut. I’m finding a lot of difficulty searching for healthier alternatives for myself and my family due to quite a long list of intolerances I’ve developed. Any guidance/help/motivation is greatly appreciated!! I love reading your blog among various others out there and hope to be able to improve the quality of life of myself and the people I care about. Thanks so much!
Stephanie
Hey Stephanie, I haven’t found a way to make homemade toothpaste without coconut oil :(. If a homemade version isn’t available (that’s coconut-free) then purchasing Redmond Clay’s toothpaste would be the next best option!
You could try omitting the coconut oil and using it as a dry tooth powder. I have made homemade tooth cleanser this way and it works fine. Just wet your brush before using so that the powder sticks. Don’t know how kids would react to it but it might be worth a try.
Hey Lindsay, I think that may work with the dry ingredients in this recipe. Let me know if you try it!
i don’t see why she could not us a good olive oil or even a avocado oil instead of coconut oil. With oil cleansing of the teeth and gums u swish with is usually olive oil just use more backing soda to thicken it. I could be wrong but that is what I would use and keep it in the fridge because it thickens when it is cold. If I’m wrong pls let me know. And I was also thinking strawberry extract which u could probably get at whole foods to add a couple of drops to make the tooth paste better for kids. And Strawberries are a natural whitner.
Kari-Lynn, I haven’t tried adding a different oil, but if you do let me know how it goes! I think a natural strawberry extract would be a great addition.
I’ve been making mine with palm oil…the funny orange colored stuff that you have to be sure is harvested sustainably, etc.
It looks orange in the sink but didn’t stain my teeth or anything and they feel just as clean as when I originally used coconut oil. I tried olive oil and it…ugh…it was bad. It made my mouth smell and feel funky for the rest of the day!
I still can’t get either coconut or palm oil based recipes to dispense out of the gotoobs though and that part is really frustrating because I don’t want to clutter the bathroom up with three little mason jars (for three little boys). It must have to do with my cooler climate 🙁
Hey I dislike coconut oil in my toothpaste and I found that a mixture of 1/2 tablespoon of arrowroot and a 1/4 Cup water simmered until clear and thick makes a thick mixture for toothpaste base so to speak. YOu could try that to get a paste. I even found the liked foaming toothpaste and add a teaspoon or two of Castile soap to my toothpaste. This is another natural paste http://www.joyelick.com/2015/04/diy-all-natural-toothpaste-so-good-you.html?showComment=1496288379556#c1593673590548014492
Thanks, April!
How long would you say this is good for?
Hey Sarah, As long as water isn’t introduced, I usually keep it for 2-3 weeks.
This looks amazing.I love that it includes baking soda and coconut oil too! This is going to be another fun project with the kids. Thanks, Kristin! xo