Making Natural Toothpaste Using Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has become incredibly popular and it’s celebrated for its many health benefits, both
when used in cooking and in cosmetics. Coincidentally, it is also the go-to ingredient for those
who want to make their own natural toothpaste. After all, coconut oil has been used for oil pulling,
a traditional Ayurvedic method for maintaining oral hygiene, for hundreds of years. So how do you
make coconut oil toothpaste? We’ll start with the ingredients you can add to your paste (no need
to add all of them, just pick your favorite) and then move on to the instructions for making the
paste. Enjoy!

The Ingredients

Coconut Oil

It should not come as a surprise that we will use coconut oil as the base for our coconut oil
toothpaste. Thanks to it’s gentle antimicrobial and antifungal properties, coconut oil is the perfect
ingredient for making a natural toothpaste, not to mention the fact that it tastes and smells
beautiful. For making toothpaste, we recommend using unrefined extra virgin coconut oil. This
type of coconut oil has a gentle coconut taste as it is made from fresh coconut fruit (as opposed
to dry coconut meat from which refined coconut oil is extracted).

Baking Soda

Probably the most common ingredient used to make toothpaste with coconut oil is baking soda.
This simple powder has countless uses around the home and countless health benefits, so why
not put it in toothpaste? Baking soda creates an alkaline environment, which means it supports a
healthier pH in your mouth when used in toothpaste thus also helping fight bad breath. Moreover,
baking soda has a gentle whitening effect and it helps fight plaque formation. However, the
opinions on baking soda in toothpaste are mixed. While some people report great experiences
with baking soda toothpaste, some dentists advise against it, claiming that it is too abrasive which
can cause damage to the enamel on your teeth and your gums over time. The bottom line is –
baking soda toothpaste is safe to use from time to time, but we should be cautious about using it
every day.

Bentonite Clay

Bentonite clay has become a hit in natural beauty products and remedies in recent years, but
what is it exactly and why use it in toothpaste? Bentonite is a soft, fine clay rich in minerals like
silica, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. It is great at removing toxins and it’s also gently
alkalizing, like baking soda, so it balances the pH in your mouth. Finally, yes, bentonite clay is
basically dirt, but it’s completely safe to use in toothpaste. In fact, some people even consume
small amounts of bentonite clay for its cleansing properties, so nothing to worry about there.

Activated Charcoal

If you are not familiar with the recent boom in the use of activated charcoal in beauty products
(although you must have been living under a rock if you’re not), you probably know it as something
used in emergency rooms. Activated charcoal is, as you might have guessed, a fine black powder
made by burning natural carbon-rich materials at extremely high temperatures. Activated charcoal
has extreme detoxifying properties, and this because the powder is extremely absorbent. It binds
most of the toxins to itself, thus taking them away from our body. This detoxifying effect works
great in toothpaste, especially in combination with coconut oil. Another advantage of activated
charcoal is the fact that it has a whitening effect, especially on superficial stains.

Essential Oils

Adding essential oils to your coconut oil natural toothpaste is not necessary, but a couple of drops
of an essential oil of your choice will make the paste smell like heaven. Additionally, many
essential oils also have antibacterial and antifungal properties which support the effects of
coconut oil beautifully. For the classic smell of toothpaste (only more beautiful, we might add),
you might want to choose peppermint oil, although spearmint oil also works great. For stronger
antibacterial and antifungal properties, choose tea tree, clove, or cinnamon essential oils.

Natural Sweeteners

For many people, switching to a natural, homemade toothpaste is about avoiding artificial
sweeteners. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t make your toothpaste taste sweet if you want
to, although the use of sweeteners is certainly not necessary. Just use a natural sweetener of
your choice, such as stevia or xylitol.

How To Make A Natural Toothpaste With Coconut Oil?

Coconut Oil Toothpaste With Baking Soda
To make a natural coconut oil toothpaste with baking soda, you’ll need to mix equal parts of
coconut oil and baking soda. You don’t really need to measure the amount of either precisely,
since you really can’t over do it with either of the ingredients. For easier mixing, we suggest you
warm up the coconut oil for a bit and place the desired amount in a bowl. Keep adding baking
soda and mixing it together using a spoon or a spatula until you reach the right consistency. That’s
it! Now you have the basic coconut oil and baking soda toothpaste. You can also add a couple of
drops of an essential oil of your choice or some natural sweetener to the mixture according to
taste.

Coconut Oil Toothpaste With Bentonite Clay

To make coconut oil toothpaste with bentonite clay, you’ll need to follow a similar process as with
baking soda. However, we recommend dissolving the bentonite clay in purified water first. Just
keep adding water in small increments until you get a thick, smooth paste. Mix this paste with an
equal amount of coconut oil and add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil if you wish.
Coconut Oil Whitening Toothpaste With Activated Charcoal
To make a special coconut oil toothpaste with a whitening effect, you’ll need to mix equal parts of
coconut oil and baking soda first. Add half a teaspoon of activated charcoal for every two
teaspoons of the baking soda and coconut oil mixture and there you go, you got your own natural
whitening toothpaste.
For 52+1 other uses for coconut oil take a look at this blog here.