When we talk about preparedness, there are many different levels. For example, when we talk about Bugging out, I see your EDC, your vehicle kit, and your bug out bag as different levels of the same thing. But bugging out isn’t the only place which that principle comes into play. When we’re talking about food storage, we shouldn’t just be talking about getting enough toilet paper, we should be talking about alternatives to toilet paper. We shouldn’t just be talking about amassing tubes of toothpaste, we should be talking about toothpaste alternatives and how to make our own toothpaste. We shouldn’t be talking about having enough soap, we need to be talking about how to make our own soap and how to source the ingredients.
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So today, we’re going to talk about how to make toothpaste and other natural toothpaste alternatives in case you ever run out of toothpaste.
Here’s the recipe then I’ll walk you through it. This recipe makes 1 cup of toothpaste.
Toothpaste Ingredients
- ½ C Bentonite clay
- 3T Xylitol
- ¼ C Coconut oil
- ½ C Water
- 20 drops Peppermint essential oil
- 30 drops Concentrace minerals
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Put the xylitol into a small food processor. Process until powdered.
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Add the Bentonite clay and process again.
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Melt the coconut oil. Add 30 drops of Concentrace minerals and 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to the coconut oil.
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Pour these oils and minerals into the small food processor and process. It will look lumpy.
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Add water to the mixture and process until smooth.
Do note that xylitol is poisonous to dogs. I know it sounds funny, but make sure your dog doesn’t get into your DIY toothpaste.
Renewable Toothpaste Alternatives
Even if you have access to a moderate amount of each of the ingredients in the toothpaste, in a long-term event, you may need to look for renewable alternatives.
Dry Brushing
Believe it or not, using just a dry toothbrush to clean the debris out of your teeth does work. Another alternative to drybrushing is using just water and a toothbrush. This will clean your teeth, but your mouth won’t feel as fresh as if you used a toothbrush.
Activated Charcoal
Despite the fact that activated charcoal is black, it does an amazing job of whitening teeth! All you need to do is wet your toothbrush and dip it in activated charcoal and brush with it. But most people buy activated charcoal and we need something that is sourceable during hard times.
So how do you make activated charcoal? I found an article that walks you through it step by step. It IS possible to make your own activated charcoal.
Turmeric Paste
Since turmeric is an herb, it is imminently sourcable. To make turmeric powder, you’d peel the turmeric root, slice it into thin slices and dehydrate it. Once it’s dehydrated, you’d put it through a food processor to powder it. If you’re worried about having power, there are power free options for food processors.
Taking powdered turmeric and adding a little mustard oil (or other natural food-base oil that you can make yourself) to it makes a great – once in awhile – toothpaste. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory, anti-plaque, and anti-bacterial properties. These make for a great toothpaste. It makes it incredibly healthy for your teeth and gums.
Two items of note. (1) If you use this, make sure you rinse with water incredibly well afterward. (2) You don’t want to use this often as it can color your teeth a yellow/orange if you do.
Licorice Root
Licorice root is an herbal alternative to toothpaste. It’s anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. The anti-bacterial properties deter the growth of cavity causing bacteria and strengthens your gums and teeth. Licorice is a 5′ tall legume that you can grow in your garden.
You can either use powdered licorice root to brush your teeth, or you can use an actual soft, clean, licorice root to brush your teeth in.
Oil Pulling
While oil will be harder to come by during a long-term outage of any sort, if you have access to something – like nuts – to make oil, you can use it to do oil pulling. What is oil pulling? Oil pulling is basically swishing oil in your mouth for 1-2 minutes before spitting it out. NEVER swallow oil that you used for oil pulling.
Oil pulling has been proven to improve oral hygiene. If you had access to any oils, I recommend using coconut oil for oil pulling.
What About You?
What things would you like to learn how to make from scratch? It could be something food-related, like broth or bread, or a personal care item, like shampoo or deodorant, or a cleaning agent. Do you have other easily sourced ways of cleaning your teeth? Please share any details of either question below in the comments so that we can all be better prepared.
Together, let’s Love, Learn, Practice, and Overcome!
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Even a plain toothbrush and water with a saltwater rinse would work. Salt is a natural anti bacterial. Think salt-cured ham. In a pinch, vodka with peppermint oil can be used as a mouthwash. The high the proof, the better at killing bacteria…
In a pinch, I’ve made toothpaste with baking soda, coconut oil, and a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen oil — and I’ve been really pleased with it. I found a lot of toothpaste recipes add a sweetener, and I just don’t need a sweetener in homemade toothpaste, but to each his own! — I don’t actually measure the baking soda or oil… I just combine some of each until I get a consistency I like, then I add a few drops of peppermint or wintergreen essential oil. I store it in a small jelly jar (it’s actually one of those “sample jars” — holds about 1 oz. of jelly). (This works great if you’re not sharing your toothpaste with someone else.) I press my toothbrush into the toothpaste until I get enough on the bristles. Just thot I’d share what I do!
I agree with you that sweetener isn’t necessary, but the cool thing about xylitol is that it actually strengthens teeth! So that’s the main reason that it’s included in the recipe. The fact that it sweetens the paste is just a side benefit – especially for kids who might prefer it that way. 🙂