Sunday, September 13, 2009

How To Make Your Own Toothpaste

I recently started making my own toothpaste. It saves money, and it seems to work really well for my sensitive teeth.

I found several recipes while searching the web, but I basically ended up making my own recipe, based on my personal preferences and tastes. If you decide to give it a go, feel free to scale the recipe down so you can experiment with mixtures and tastes before making a full batch.

Here's how you do it!

You will need:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup glycerin (available at most pharmacies - vegetable glycerin will also work)
1/4 cup xylitol (a sweetener found in most health food stores)
1/4 teaspoon of spearmint essential oil (you can also use peppermint)

A bowl and spoon
A zipper-sealed plastic sandwich bag
A small cup or glass
A spatula
A pair of scissors
A small travel bottle (found near the travel size toiletries, usually used for shampoo or lotion)

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1. Mix the baking soda and xylitol in a bowl.

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2. Add the glycerin and essential oil. Stir until the mixture becomes a paste.

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4. Take the plastic bag and place it in the cup, turning the outside edges of the bag out and around the edge of the cup, as in the picture.

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5. Using the spatula, scoop the toothpaste into the plastic bag.

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6. Release the air from the bag and seal.

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7. Snip off a small corner piece of the bag, making sure the opening is small enough to fit into the travel bottle.

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8. Place the travel bottle into the cup to keep it steady. Place the opening of the bag in the bottle and squeeze the toothpaste into the bottle.

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9. Enjoy your toothpaste!

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