If you’re like us, you must be all about making eco-friendly decisions that can benefit the planet. One of our favourite ways to make a difference is by researching some sustainable product swaps that will take us a few good steps in the right direction. While you’re likely to be familiar with menstruation alternatives and reusable bags, another sustainable swap you can add to the shopping list is natural toothpaste.
Natural toothpaste is an alternative to regular toothpaste brands that are often jam-packed with artificial ingredients. They’re an ideal option for those who are sustainably conscious or have sensitivities that are triggered by the ingredients in commercial brands.
The best natural toothpastes in Australia
hello eco-friendly natural toothpaste
Hello is a fantastic brand that has recently launched in Australia and is all about sustainability, as well as catering to people with different preferences. In our chat with Craig, he discussed how the brand aspired to create an eco-friendly toothpaste range that was formulated with no artificial sweeteners, flavours, colourants, sulphates or peroxide. And somehow, it still tastes just as delicious as the big brand stuff packed full of unnatural ingredients.
Instead, hello uses farm-grown ingredients like peppermint, coconut and tea tree oil on this natural toothpaste. There’s even a fluoride-free version, which still offers plenty of protection for your teeth since it contains xylitol and erythritol. Both ingredients are derived from non-genetically engineered corn and can also protect against plague build-up.
Gem toothpaste
Gem is more an organic-focused toothpaste brand and comes in a bunch of fun and very delicious flavours, such as cinnamon mint, watermelon and apple.
Its teeth whitening range uses a combination of sodium bicarbonate and silica to whiten teeth naturally, while all of its toothpaste integrates hydroxyapatite, which is a safe and proven remineralising agent.
Gem also earns itself some bonus points for being Australian and the first toothpaste brand in the country to contain oral probiotics in its products. Namely, it uses lactobascillus salivarus, which is useful for combatting the bad bacteria in your mouth with good bacteria.
Grants of Australia natural toothpaste
Grants is well-known since it can be found in your local Coles or Woolworths and is one of the cheapest natural toothpastes that’s readily available.
Grants natural toothpaste is made without SNS, parabens, preservatives or GMO and comes in a box made from 80% recyclable material and printed with vegetable ink. The tube and lid are also totally recyclable, which you can keep track of using TerraCycle.
Alfree allergy-free natural toothpaste
Alfree prides itself in catering to allergy-sufferers, but also doubles as a natural toothpaste brand and is another Australia-based company. It specifically targets those who want to reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals due to sensitivities, allergies or even medical conditions such as diabetes.
One thing you’ll immediately note about this natural toothpaste is the fact that most of its range is pear-flavoured (instead of the standard mint that’s become synonymous with dental hygiene) and actually comes from a plant called ketone, which is responsible for pears’ crisp flavour.
Alfree also uses other natural-based ingredients such as sorbitol, bamboo charcoal, hydroxyacetophenone, glycerin, calcium carbonate and silica.
What is natural toothpaste?
Most popular toothpaste brands that you see on the shelves of your local supermarket are filled with parabens, sulfates and other unnatural ingredients which act as preservatives and foaming agents.
While not wholly bad for you, it doesn’t hurt to make the swap over to an eco-friendly toothpaste brand that won’t affect your health in the long term. For instance, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a cheap ingredient that is commonly added to cosmetics, hygiene products and toothpaste as a surfactant. But for some, it’s an irritant that can cause redness or itching for those with sensitive skin.
Natural toothpastes avoid additives such as SLS and instead choose healthier and locally sourced ingredients such as aloe vera, coconut oil, charcoal and tea tree oil. Some whitening options even contain baking soda (an age-old trick that will make your teeth pearly white).
Natural toothpaste will clean your teeth and maintain your dental hygiene just as well as any other commercial brand you see on the shelves. Some natural toothpastes even make the exception and include fluoride, which is recommended by many dentists as a way to protect against plaque and other dental-related problems.
But it’s not only the ingredients that go into natural toothpaste that set it apart, it’s also the care that goes into designing and creating its packaging. Take for instance, hello’s natural toothpaste brand. According to its founder, Craig Dubitsky, hello prides itself on using responsibly sourced materials such as bamboo, stevia, 100% recycled paper and, get this, soy-based ink.
Another way you can make a difference is by opting for toothpaste tablets, which you can learn more about here.
This article has been updated since its publication.
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