Recently, I stumbled across an article that talked about toothpaste ingredients and the issues they can actually cause rather than prevent— and it startled me. So I did more research and found more chemicals in toothpaste that I didn’t like.
Two ingredients that have some pretty bad wrap are:
1. Glycerin: It gives toothpaste a nice creamy texture and coats the teeth for “protection”, but at the same time it also stops re-enamalization (so cavities can’t self-heal.)
2. Sodium flouride: A by-product of aluminum manufacturing that is found in rat poisons and industrial pesticides).
Scary stuff, huh? Well, rather than freak out about it every time I brush my teeth, I decided to make my own. And yes— I threw in some wonderful coconut oil.
I am thrilled to have found a replacement that I actually enjoy using and have fun making. I like that I can tweak the recipe depending on my personal preference at the time  (sweeter, minty, fruity, etc— it’s all about what essential oils I put in it). I’ve made a batch with grapefruit oil and it has a citrus-tang to it, which was refreshing for the summer. Now I am using eucalyptus oil and I love the minty taste.
Prep Time:
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Clean those pearly whites with this yummy and healthy coconut oil toothpaste.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp coconut oil
- 6 tbsp baking soda
- 25 drops essential oil (whatever you prefer— I like eucalyptus and grapefruit)
- 1 tsp stevia (or more if you like it sweeter)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. I used my SmartStick to whip it really well and give it a light creamy texture.
- Pour into a mason jar and seal it up until ready to use.
Notes
Getting it out of the mason jar can be an adjustment. Use a popsicle stick to dip into the toothpaste and spread nicely onto the toothbrush. You can also use a squirt bottle (you will need to cut the pointed tip wider).
More uses for Coconut Oil:
I use coconut oil on my face, for baking muffins, deep conditioning treatments, and so much more. Not sure where to buy it? I have a few places I recommend based on budget, level of interest and my own personal experience.  You can read all about it here.
97 comments
About coconut oil and winter. I’m in Wisconsin. Whip the coconut oil, you’ll need to whip it for about 7 minutes… till soft peaks form. I do this for my face moisturizer. I know it’s easier if you can whip with a stand mixer. I do it by hand.
My question is how is the best way to keep your toothbrush soft after brushing? It gets hard even rinsed in hot water. Thanks
Hi Mary,
Great question! Need to give your toothbrush some extra cleaning? Try soaking your toothbrush in vinegar and warm water.
Cheers 😉
I love coconut oil too and so am interested in this recipe (great post BTW). My potential problem would be the nature of coconut oil, since it solidifies at 76 degrees F. In winter, our house is much colder than that and my coconut oil is quite hard. I’m assuming my toothpaste would therefore be quite hard too. Any experience with this?
Hi Leigh,
I’m up north in Minnesota, so I’m pretty sure my coconut oil is frozen all year. Hahaha. I usually keep my homemade toothpaste in a mason jar with a small spoon and just scoop a small amount onto my toothbrush in the morning. The warmth of your mouth softens the coconut oil very quickly!
Hope this helps!
If you are looking for coconut oil in the uk you try other health food stores. I’ve seen it plenty at waitrose or the cultural food section at tesco.
As far as essential oils you can order them online. I use doterra essential oils to make my toothpaste.
Thank you so much for sharing, Belle!
New to this but can you purchase essential oils at walmart? walgreens? etc thank U
Hi Dee,
You might have luck at Walmart! I often pick-up essential oils at Whole Foods or Amazon.com.
Cheers 🙂
Whitney is mostly correct. As a former dental assistant with over 14 years experience I’ve learned that toothpaste is a commercial sales gimmick. It’s mostly to freshen the breath, temporarily. Whitney is correct in the matter of the physical action of brushing your teeth with a SOFT toothbrush with or without toothpaste and I’ll add to that…..Your diet, flossing and routine visits to your Dental Hygienist every 6 months are the real preventative measures! They now have manufactured remineralization pastes that have came on the market since I’ve left dentistry so I have no experience as to the validity of their claim. I do know that there are prescription remineralization pastes that you massage onto your teeth that do work so it’s possible that this has been introduced to the OTC market by now. Regarding Coconut oil, it has many wonderful health benefits so I don’t personally see any harm in using it in the mouth but I don’t know exactly how it benefits the actual teeth other than it doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals that may be in most toothpaste. Suggestion: Tom’s All Natural Toothpaste is available at Walmart and most other retailers. Thanks for reading my little 2¢!!!!
Hi Tabatha,
Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your expertise + experience! We greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge with our SGS tribe! We personally love homemade coconut oil toothpaste because it’s biocidal properties fight against the bacteria responsible for tooth decay, while having no chemicals or foaming agents.
Cheers to healthy teeth!
How can it be used as a deep conditioner for your hair before you wash it?
Hi Michelle,
For a deep conditioning treatment, massage a couple of tablespoons of the coconut oil into your clean, damp hair + scalp (if your hair is thinner or gets greasy easily, you may choose to skip the scalp as the oil could weigh your hair down). Allow the oil to sit on your hair for 20-30 minutes after application. Because the oil is very heavy, you will need to shampoo the oil out of your hair well after the treatment.
I thought I posted this earlier today, but it doesn’t show. If there are Walgreens Stores in your area, try there. The ones in Anchorage, Alaska carry it in the vitamins/natural supplements area. They sell fairly nice-sized containers for around $8.50. Best of luck!
Thanks James!
hi its not readily available in uk………..find it here and there Holland and barratt use to have face coconut oil, now that’s been removed, Some stores do it but often they don’t re order …..the oil I get is SOLID……..soft ones not available. So how do u use this on your toothbrush???
Hi Mrs. Miller,
Is the coconut oil hard that you’re coming across, as you would not be able to spoon it from the container?
Please let me know, and we’ll work on helping you with our homemade toothpaste recipe!
Cheers 🙂
It softens with touch. Use a spoon or popcycle stick to put it on ur brush.
My wife just shared your site with me and we plan on using the recipes. I’m concerned about Stevia; I’ve seen much on it being not so great for you.
Feel free to leave it out. 🙂
I just made this, (using spearmint essential oil)- its quite a strong taste in my mouth, and almost makes my tongue a bit numb! It also sort of fizzes in my mouth! Is this normal??
Have you use spearmint before? How does your body react??
Did you use xylitol? I have a similar reaction when I use any toothpaste made with xylitol. It could also be the spearmint, maybe try peppermint essential oil instead. Also, try and use an essential oil that says safe for internal consumption.