In order to "sanitize" my lifestyle and make my existence lighter for the planet to carry on with, I've started to take each of my habits, one by one, who could be changed for the best.
And it randomly starts with the toothpaste.
Every year, toothpaste tubes represent 3000 tons of waste worldwide. And a single tube last for 500 years before disappearing entirely. And as an average of 4% of the toothpaste remains left in the tubes, it's about 70 000 tons of paste wasted every single year.
The idea was simple, using a sane product, or as close as possible. But also, and mostly, more bearable for the planet.
Crazy idea that looking at what constitute the essential of the industrial products. And brands are not as transparent as they should. But everybody seems to agree to say it's not any good in there. And nothing who makes it special in any sort of way.
And on top, not wasting single use plastic and paste is defy a thing.
So it's pretty simple, do your own, using products not packed in plastic and control what's inside. Then pack it in a reuse box or similar. Simple as.
The recipe : It I could have been a lazy ass back in the day, not engagin myself in any type of cooking if I can get everything at the supermarket, this era is defy behind me. At first, I had a look at what would be needed to do so. And first surprise, you don't need much at all. Here comes my own recipe : - 3 tablespoon of coconut oil
- Half a tea spoon of baking soda
- 3 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 5 drops of peppermint essential oil
Then nothing easier :
- I let the coconut oil melt for a few minutes under the kiwi sun
- Meanwhile, I properly clean/sterilize the utensils
- Add the baking soda to the coconut oil, then essential oils
- Mix and stir with love
- Pour in a clean and dedicated container
- Brush your teeth !
The products :
For this recipe, I used what was the best I could get : baking soda in cardboard packaging from Australia (I'm in NZ) and organic cold press coco oil.
I borrowed the essential oils, so not much infos about it. But considering who I did borrow it from, I trust the source.
Really important to be strict about the quality of the oil you'll use. And I wanted everything to be plastic free.
I got now those products in sufficient quantity to do a few batch of toothpaste.
And as a container, glass is suppose to be the best option. Efficient and ecological.
Having none on my possession and wanted to recycle my hummus pot, I made a toothpaste box from it !
I'll find smaller later, would be good for now. the idea is mainly not buying but recycling, So I just wait for the good size container to reuse !
Inside the paste :
Coconut oil : Antibacterial.
Baking soda : Scrubs strains, bacteria and food residues away. Whitening by abrasion.
Tea tree EO : Antibacterial and antifungal.
Peppermint EO : Disinfectant and antalgesic.
Baking soda can be replaced by baking soda, sweeter for teeth.
Some are sceptical about the baking soda use because of its abrasion attribute. To be use carefully. But once use with coconut oil, an wet brush and saliva, this attribute is mitigate.
Lotsa recipes use argila as well. But I didn't find ayny around. Well, I mostly didn't search much as it was not essential.
The test :
Pretty happily surprise ! In each way.
Surprised by its efficiency : find my teeth cleaner and with less effort.
Surprised by the texture : the coconut oil makes the paste pretty greasy, it's indeed pretty special in mouth, mostly because is no foam at all either.
The foam you can get from the industrial ones is not a good thing anyway apparently. Need some time to reappropriate the sensation of brushing that we're use to since the sweet childhood. No foam then, and not this intense feeling of fresh mint.
But it's just a matter of days, and then we get use to it for the best.
Once you get ride or expectations and habits, and you realize this product is s much better for you, it's hard to step back.
The economical aspect : I wanted to know how interesting, or not, this recipe could be moneywise. So here is the details of the expenses : Organic cold pressure coconut oil : 6,70NZ$ = 3,9€ for 330ml Baking soda : 3NZ$ = 1,7€ for 500g Tea tree EO : borrowed ! Peppermint EO : borrowed ! Considering quantities needed, with those 4 products, I could easily for 4 pots of paste. And I reckon each would last 2 months. Which means around 8 months for about 10NZ$, or 5,6€. I didn't count the essential oils for few reasons : very small quantity, and the bottle ould last half a life, and the possibility to grab a few drops from a friend. Works on the road. But at home, you probably already have those oils for other reasons, which add not extra cost. So, those home made toothpaste would cost me around 80 cents per month. Which is roughly the same, maybe even less than an industrial paste. And even tho it would be slightly more expensive, it's priceless to do your own products, with lotsa love and a control under what you use ! Quick note : Clearly, it's hard to manage it in the middle of nowhere. So for cyclists among you, I know, it's not gonna be doable in every country, at any time. Mostly because of the coconut oil. Although once you get some, the rest is easy to grab and it's quickly and easily doable. With those ingredient near by, no excuse. It's even easier than choosing from the substantial amount of paste in a supermarket. However, you might have sometimes to trade your paste for an industrial one regarding the place you're travelling in. As a conclusion, I'll mostly say that it's just a recipe among others. A first essay even. So no claims at all. It's just hat I'm using, and with what I'm fully satisfy at the moment. And mostly, I'm not an expert at all in aromatherapy or a naturopath either.