eco beauty: 6 natural products for pearly whites

i love to brush my teeth. judge me not. i'm a simple girl with simple pleasures. i just love the idea of a mini before and after, the way you feel after you've organized your closet or cleaned your room, you know, that post-laundry, fresh-sheets high. only this is a petite detox party happening in your mouth. less visual, more oral of course.

so why choose green oral care? there are some ingredients you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley and certainly not in your medicine cabinet. the e.p.a has added fluoride to their list of developmental neurotoxins and identified fluoride as an endocrine disruptor. what does all this mean? if you're trying to lead a healthy life - and who isn't? - this is not an ingredient you want in your morning routine where ingredients are absorbed through the walls of your mouth + into your body.

fluoride has an adverse affect on normal function of the thyroid. this means thyroid function is reduced: our thyroid regulates our weight, fertility, optimal brain development + energy levels. that is not the before and after we want, my friends. 97% of western european countries do not fluoridate their water. here is a  brief history of fluoride and how the u.s.a. came to fluoridate their h2o - it follows the same trajectory as lead and asbestos - and a recap of some facts about the hazards of fluoride. another ingredient to steer clear of is triclosan: read why, my friends, and it's not just because it sounds ominous. 

i set out to find a natural + effective toothpaste that would taste great, too. plant-based products contain known adaptogens + healthy ingredients like dead sea salt that are rich in mineral content + can actually restore minerals to your teeth. here today, 6 ways to keep your pearly whites + your gums clean, healthy and strong.

toothpaste

i've tried a lot of toothpastes over the last five years, and i admit that there are a number of flouride-free options today with flavors for miles. dr. brite offers a toothpaste with certified organic ingredients including coconut oil + aloe vera juice. they have a traditional mint flavor for from-the-meadows fresh breath or a soothing coco chai flavor that really makes me happy. i like my toothpastes like i like my teas, not too sweet, and the familiar taste of chai is truly relaxing + calming. is it weird that i look forward to brushing my teeth now? methinks not!

mouthwash

it took me a long time to find a mouthwash that was natural - made sans alcohol, chlorine dioxide, chlorhexidine, cocamidopropyl betaine, parabens, formaldehyde + saccharin, all ingredients that can change the pH of the mouth + throat and are associated with increased risk of mouth and throat cancers. dr. brite provides an organic, plant-based option: a fluoride-free, alcohol-free mouth rinse free of gmo ingredients. conventional mouthwashes - the ones that make your eyes tear as if you were chopping a field of onions - kill bacteria in your mouth without distinguishing between harmful bacteria and the the helpful flora which we need to fight bath breath. this is a gentle alternative; do a little swishing with natural ingredients like aloe vera juice for a squeaky clean mouth. now you can say "happy healthy hippo" within an inch of the nearest bystander + experience only positive repercussions.

dental floss

eco dent provides a vegan waxed floss using vegetable waxes. rice bran for the win. this floss really works and it comes in a paper box so we have a plastic-free option here. i've been using this floss for some time, and if you're a flosser like me, who revels in healthy gums, then you've found a product that works just as well if not better than conventional flosses. unflavored, mint, cinammon + cranberry flavors on the menu.

teeth whitener

smart ash is an all natural + organic teeth whitener that safely lifts stains using activated coconut shell charcoal. it's a very black powdery product that does work, however it's a highly messy process though. you've been warned! my sink looked a little jackson pollock-esque post cleansing, but does it work? it really, truly does! another fantastic option that produced super fast results is dr. brite's teeth cleaning pen. it's a compact product, and i'm hoping they'll introduce refills, because i would absolutely love to continue using these little miracle workers. look no further for polishing teeth and lifting stains.

bamboo toothbrush

choose a biodegradable bkind bamboo toothbrush over plastic toothbrushes. 4.7 plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills and oceans every year. that's per year, boys + girls. bamboo toothbrushes are widely available at local markets and easily available online. they keep hazardous waste out of our oceans and landfills - and away from animals who mistake them for food and digesti them. smile squared is another favorite of mine with a social mission as well. this is an easy and inexpensive switch for a greener + kinder smile!

diy

i admit, i am not a diy-er, as soon as i hear the words tablespoon or teaspoon, i fall into a deep coma. however, this is the first time i decided to try and the ingredient list had only, well, about 3 ingredients listed. use 2-4 tablespoons of baking soda with sea salt + 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. mix it up, brush it up! it's inexpensive, and if you go easy on the sea salt, it's completely palatable! 

i did receive product for review for this post. all views are honest + my own.