As I mentioned in my February Love List update, I started making my own toothpaste. The first attempt wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I've since made another batch and I think I'm ready to share the very simple recipe.

4 tablespoons baking soda 2 tbsp vegetable glycerin 5 drops of organic essential oil in peppermint

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a small container. I use the small stainless bowls I got from Lee Valley Tools for Christmas a few years ago. Thankfully my family understands that I like to get useful items as gifts!

I buy my baking soda in bulk at Domino Foods at the St. Lawrence Market. They never make a fuss about meat me using my own reuseable bags, and they're super friendly!

4 tbsp baking soda

I purchased my vegetable glycerine and peppermint essential oils from New Directions Aromatics. While it`s not completely waste free, since the glycerine came in a plastic bottle and the essential oil in a tiny glass one, it`s still less waste per tube of toothpaste than going to the store to buy a tube.

2 tbsp vegetable glycerine

approx 5 drops peppermint essential oil

In the first batch I used too much glycerine. It wasn't runny, but it separated over the time I was using it. This time I used more baking soda and less glycerine, so I'm hoping the consistency stays about the same.

Mix

I put my toothpaste in an extra GoToob that I had from my travels to store my toothpaste. I used a whole bunch of Toobs when I was in Peru, but my recent foray into zero waste means I use significantly fewer bottled products and don't need all of the Toobs I have anymore. You can bet I'm happy that I've found another use for one of them! They're wonderful for traveling with because they don't leak, are super easy to fill (unless you're trying to fill and take a picture which results in a totally blurry photo as evidenced below), and you can mark what's in the bottle by spinning the top around. Unfortunately "toothpaste" isn't one of the options yet.

Put in a reuseable container.

GoToob filled and ready to go

While this toothpaste takes a little bit of getting used to, I especially like it in the morning. I've never been much of a morning tooth brusher (sorry if you find that gross), but this toothpaste's flavour fades quickly, which means that it doesn't interfere with the taste of my breakfast. R will be happy! :)

You can find other homemade toothpaste recipes at Zero Waste Home and Say No to Trash.