I’ve made adjustments to my homemade toothpaste recipe. We had used the old recipe for awhile, then switched back to Tom’s of Maine until I finally got off my butt and experimented with new measurements and flavors. There seems to be a short adjustment period with stinky breath when making the switch; I haven’t quite figured out why. Anyone know?

Here’s the new recipe I’ve settled on for now; “parts” equals teaspoons for me:

4 parts baking soda (Or was it six? Dang!)
2 parts hydrogen peroxide
2 parts water
1 part aloe vera
1 part vanilla extract

I’m storing it in a small jar that used to hold yeast, cuz how else can those tiny jars be reused? And yes, I really am using vanilla extract. The peppermint flavor from the last toothpaste recipe was a bit blech for me. In all honesty, I don’t taste much vanilla at all. I might increase it next time. Or I might skip it all together. I only wanted to use it up so I can start using my homemade vanilla extract!

We’ve been using Tom’s of Maine for awhile. While I prefer it (and it’s fluoride-free recipe) over conventional toothpaste, I was tired of the price. I was also tired of running out and forgetting to get more at the store. Since we’ve switched to homemade toothpaste, we’ve not only saved oodles of money but we’ve both noticed a difference in bad breath and morning breath after several weeks of use. And my hygienist (er, aunt) swears this is better than any toothpaste on the market and habitually prescribes it for her patients.

I’ve been tinkering with the recipe for awhile now and I think I have it perfected. The “parts” for me refers to teaspoons. Because I don’t know the shelf life of these ingredients once mixed and only two of us use this toothpaste, I prefer to only make a small batch at a time. If you have more people using it, try making it with tablespoons instead.

Ingredients:

4 parts baking soda
2 parts Aloe Vera – Uh, make sure you don’t get the kind made for sunburns. This needs to be 100% Aloe Vera, fresh from a plant or a food grade store-bought. My plant died in an out-of-character cold snap, so I went with a pure Skin Gel from Aloe Life. It’s states right on the bottle that it is good for the gums.
1 part hydrogen peroxide
1 part water (you can add more water and peroxide for a thinner consistency)
1 part peppermint extract (available at the grocery store)

Directions: Put it all in a small jar with a tight lid (I use a small canning jar). Shake it up baby now. You could even do a little twist and shout. I use a tiny little spoon to scoop out a small amount (pea-size) for each use. This is in order to keep the jar relatively germ-free since there are no preservatives (albeit the baking soda may help preserve to some small extent). The jar and lid are easily washable but try to keep the lid as clean and dry as possible to avoid rust. Ditch it if you find any rust (or try an all-natural rust cleaner). This makes enough toothpaste to last two adults about 3 weeks, depending on how much you use.

Hints: You can simplify this by omitting the Aloe Vera and using mouthwash to flavor. However, be sure to always use equal amounts of peroxide and water, as straight peroxide will usually irritate your gums.

There ya have it. Cheap, natural, sugar-free, mildly flavored and the best thing I’ve ever encountered for bad breath. I promise it.