Happy New Year! I wanted to start 2013 off with something a little special and I'm super excited about this post - I've practically had to sit on my hands to hold off on putting it up until today! I discovered Earthpaste while searching for glycerin free toothpastes. For years, I've read about how glycerin in toothpaste can affect your teeth, but it's only in the last few months that I began actively looking at glycerin free options. There's nothing wrong with glycerin in other body care products, but in toothpaste or mouthwash, it creates a film or coating that doesn't rinse off your teeth. This coating is problematic because it prevents the teeth from remineralizing, thereby weakening them and leaving them more prone to decay.
Unfortunately, realizing that glycerin is not the best thing to have in toothpaste is the easy part. Finding a toothpaste that's glycerin free can be much more difficult. Generally it's used to help prevent toothpastes from drying out and I'd venture to say that virtually every toothpaste on the market today, both mainstream and natural, contains glycerin. If you're open to using tooth soap or tooth powder, alternatives are more readily available, but for regular toothpaste, there are very few. I reached out to Earthpaste and they were kind enough to send me some toothpaste to try out. They even included some for a giveaway! (More on that later.)
In addition to being glycerin free, Earthpaste contains none of the other nasties commonly found in toothpaste. It contains no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or other foaming agents and no fluoride. It also contains no titanium dioxide or artificial coloring to make the paste white.
Ingredients
Food-grade Redmond Clay - a polishing cleanser with antibacterial properties
Purified Water - to hydrate the clay into a creamy paste
Xylitol - a natural sweetener that has been shown to promote healthy teeth
Redmond Real Salt - to enhance flavour and lend antibacterial properties
Tea Tree Oil - supports oral health and has anti-viral and anti-fungal properties
Peppermint, Wintergreen and Cinnamon Essential Oils - add flavor and other health benefits
Menthol - leaves your breath fresh and mouth feeling clean (only in peppermint and wintergreen flavors)
Price
4 ounces for $7.99 from Earthpaste or $5.12 from iherb
My Thoughts
After my first time using Earthpaste, I was amazed at how smooth my teeth felt. That smooth, polished feeling you get after a professional teeth cleaning? With Earthpaste, I get that feeling every day in my own bathroom. (How much did that just sound like an infomercial?)
Earthpaste comes in three flavours - peppermint, wintergreen, and cinnamon - and I was able to try them all. In the beginning they all tasted really salty to me, but after just about three weeks of use, I don't notice the salty taste anymore. I like all three flavours, but the peppermint and wintergreen are definitely my favourites. The cinnamon has a much milder flavour and it doesn't leave my mouth feeling as cool and fresh after brushing, probably because it doesn't contain menthol like the other two.
I will say, if you're used to more mainstream toothpastes, Earthpaste may take a little getting used to. It doesn't foam and it isn't the bright white most of us have come to expect in a toothpaste. Instead, it cleans your teeth without suds and looks a little like mud on your toothbrush. It's lovely, tasty, and effective, but the colour and texture might be a little offputting at first.
The Bottom Line
I'm not in the habit of giving ratings, but suffice it to say, if I were, Earthpaste would get a perfect 10/10. Ingredient-wise, it's incredibly clean and exactly what I was looking for. The tube even tells you to "rinse or swallow at your own discretion" - a far cry from your Crests and Colgates - which just goes to show how safe it is. If that wasn't enough, in terms of performance, I think it's the best toothpaste I've ever used. I'll definitely be purchasing the peppermint and wintergreen flavours once I run out. I've never gotten that polished feeling at home before and my teeth have never felt cleaner.
Giveaway
Good luck! To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter widget below. You can enter as many or as few ways as you like.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: Product provided for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
Currently using a concoction I whipped up in my kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI haven't made the switch yet with toothpaste but I plan to and wasn't aware of the glycerin issue. Learn something new every day :)
ReplyDeleteI had no clue about glycerin in toothpaste. I'm currently using nature's gate gel toothpaste but now I'm all paranoid lol
ReplyDeleteThis looks excellent! I use AloeDent toothpaste as I don't like using fluoride for health reasons. I wonder if this is available in the UK? Excellent post! :D
ReplyDeleteI am using Trader Joe's All Natural Antiplaque Toothpaste with Fennel, Propolis & Myrrh.
ReplyDeleteI am currently using Tom's of Maine
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely love to win this toothpaste. The concept sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhoops! Currently using some Himalayan toothpaste I bought from Sprouts.
DeleteEek I'm using Colgate...
ReplyDeleteI'm using Crest for now until I can switch to something non-poisonous like EarthPaste.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently using Colgate (I think!) Like, the crazy 'sensitive teeth plus whitening) because it's cheap and on sale.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try this one though!!
I've been using toms because they were the only one I could find in stores that had a flouride free option, but have been looking for something more natural than that... might have to give this a go!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I use Crest and/or Colgate. Generally speaking, I use whatever is on sale!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently using Nature's Gate - it's better than the standard ones, but not ideal.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's!
ReplyDeleteCurrently we use regular old Crest Toothpaste and give the kids Jack and Jill. I am definitely ordering a tube of this to try!
ReplyDeleteOh, man! I can't join due to my location.
ReplyDeleteNever knew glycerin is 'not so good' for the teeth... I thought it was one of those very neutral ingredients. So although I can't join the giveaway, thanks for the info!
I'm using Grant's now.
ReplyDeleteI'm using baking soda
ReplyDeleteI'm in!
ReplyDeleteWe are currently using Earthpaste & LOVE it!!!
ReplyDeleteziggy28028 at yahoo dot com
I just found Earthpaste last week and LOVE it! Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI use Earthpaste! vrclay30 at yahoo
ReplyDeletejust discovered earthpaste too! I am waiting for my order from vita cost since it is less than $5 there. Cinnamon sounds like a great toothpaste flavor.
ReplyDeletebrbinder2004 at yahoo.com
I use Earthpaste and I absolutely love it! Switched about a month ago and I'm never going back. :-) Awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI am currently using Cinnamon Earthpaste! I love it! I don't think I'll ever go back to "normal" toothpaste.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm using Colgate and I hate it. It tastes alwful but I ran out of the more natural toothpaste I had and wasn't able to get anything else. I tried a sample of Earthpaste and I loved how it felt afterwards and it didn't taste nasty or make my food taste weird after brushing.
ReplyDeleteCinnamon Earthpaste. Husband uses the Peppermint.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity to win some!!
I'm using Earthpaste. But I've used Auromere Herbal toothpaste as well.
ReplyDeleteI had been using Burt's Bee's but now would love to make the switch! I had no idea about glycerin being bad for teeth, yuck! Would love to win some Earthpaste to try it out!!!
ReplyDeleteI just started using Earthpaste about 2 weeks ago and we love it! Looking forward to more flavors coming out this year too like orange or berry for kids who don't like mint or cinnamon or adults too. tee hee.
ReplyDeleteCurrently using homemade toothpaste (coconut oil, baking soda, peppermint essential oil). It's good, it's clean, but it's not amazing.
ReplyDeleteI use Earthpaste already!
ReplyDeleteThe very last of the EarthPaste I bought.
ReplyDeleteRight now I am not using a natural toothpaste, but have been on the look out for one that doesn't contain nasty things like glycerin. I recently learned about Earthpaste from another natural blog and would love to try it out. Thanks for the opportunity and good luck to everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm using one from Desert Essence. Still can't decide if I like it or not.
ReplyDeleteI am using a simple one from colgate
ReplyDeleteWe currently use Nature's Gate Fluoride Free
ReplyDeleteOh thank God it’s Thursday-almost Friday too! I just learned something-thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. Your passion comes out in your writing. Keep at it! Why? Because every little bit helps and you never know who is watching/listening/learning from you! If you are feeling a bit worn out, come on over to my blog and let me encourage you!
Ciao ciao for now~
Cherelynn
http://makeupuniversity.blogspot.com
P.S. Did you check out TEEN WEEK yet?
http://makeupuniversity.blogspot.com/p/advertising.html
I bought this and on the back there is a warning label saying it contains trace amounts of lead....do you know what that's about?
ReplyDeleteThis is the first I've heard of that! I wonder if it's new, as I'm pretty sure it hasn't been on any of my tubes. I just googled this and it seems to be related to trace amounts of lead in the clay. Earthpaste's explanation can be found here: http://www.earthpaste.com/prop65.
DeleteThere's also a complete breakdown of elements in Redmond's clay here: http://www.redmondtrading.com/pdfs/RedmondClay_MineralAnalysis.pdf - lead is listed as 11.9 ppm. I'll have to look into this more also, but I hope that helps in the meantime!