Did you know it’s insanely easy to make healthy kids toothpaste at home… one that your kids will love?
It is, and today I’m going to show you how.
Not only is it healthier than store-bought (and some natural) toothpaste, but it’s cheap and fun. Your kids will love helping you, and they’ll look forward to brushing their teeth with their yummy creation.
Homemade Healthy Kid’s Toothpaste (Made Three Ways)
Below you’ll find one of my kid’s favorite toothpaste recipes. This toothpaste can be made in a variety of ways. With clay. Without clay. Thick. Thin. The choice is yours!
Try one version. If you like it, stick with it. If you don’t, try a different one.
Ingredients: (for all versions)
- 3 TBSP. coconut oil
- 1 TBSP. grapeseed oil (or as much as you’d like)
- 2 TBSP. bentonite clay (kaolin works great too)
- 2 TBSP. baking soda
- 1.5 TBSP. xylitol* (powdered well)
- lemon and lime essential oils (or any kid-friendly EOs of your choosing)
* I always grind my xylitol into as fine of a powder as I can so that it’s less abrasive on the teeth. I use a mortar and pestle, but you could use a coffee grinder if you were grinding a lot at once.
Directions: (with clay and thick)
- Combine coconut oil, clay, and powdered xylitol in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add essential oils to taste.
- Transfer to a glass jar for easy dipping.
Directions: (without clay)
- Combine coconut oil, baking soda, and powdered xylitol in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add essential oils to taste.
- Transfer to a glass jar for easy dipping.
Directions: (with clay and thin)
- Combine coconut oil, grapeseed oil, clay, and powdered xylitol in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add essential oils to taste.
- Transfer to a glass jar for easy dipping.
See how easy that was?
And, you have options, mama! I like options. Don’t you?
Be sure to check out my herbal remineralizing tooth powder/paste recipe here and my easy DIY tooth oil recipe here, and don’t forget to check back in this week for a new series of posts about fluoride and your kiddo’s teeth!
Oh, and if you’re concerned about lead in bentonite clay, CLICK HERE to find out why I’m not worried about it.
This post was originally written on January 15th, 2013 and has been updated.
Nice video! What exactly is stevia? It’s sounds like a type of sugar.. but I’m not too sure.
Yes, sort of. Stevia is a plant… it’s an herb actually, and the juice is sweet. When the plant dries the juice dries into a sweet powder that can be used in place of sugar, but on a much smaller scale. It’s super sweet, and a lot of people don’t like it because it has a funny aftertaste to it. It has no calories, and it doesn’t affect your blood sugar. I like it, but I’ve made myself get used to it.
It’s a bit pricey, but I get mine from Vitacost because it’s much cheaper there.
Be sure to get Stevia extract if you’re going to try it. If you get plain “stevia” like they have in Wal-Mart, it will contain fiber fillers and additives that aren’t good for you. Plus, be aware that it will take some time to get used to it. If you try to replace the sugar in your coffee, you’re most likely not going to like it since your coffee won’t taste like it’s supposed to. What helped me the most was to use it in new, unfamiliar recipes so that I didn’t have that “this doesn’t taste right” thought. Good luck!
I thought I read that Stevia has been linked to reproductive issues in both males and females. Is it safe to be giving it to children?
There’s a lot of back and forth on that issue Mellissa. Stevia is a plant… an herb, and when it’s used in whole form it’s sweet, but it has a strange flavor (kinda like a sweet grassy flavor) which is why most people use the more processed white powders so it only tastes sweet and not grassy. I’m trying to transition away from the more processed powders and into using stevia extracts where the whole plant is extracted in alcohol, making it sweet. Like a stevia tincture. This way, there’s no unnatural processing going on with it and I can still use it to sweeten things as needed. I’m still working on perfecting it though.
As far as stevia and reproductive issues, that fact/rumor/myth (I’m not sure what it really is) came out because of a bad study done that said a certain people group used it as birth control. From my understanding it was used in HIGH HIGH doses, and it wasn’t completely effective. Now I’m not certain about any of this because there haven’t been any really great studies done on it, and I’ve not read of any other info (other than the one study) that shows a similar conclusion. Personally I’m not convinced or worried about it enough to not use it occasionally.
Unfortunately no sugar, even sugar-free sugars, aren’t that great for you. I try to go with honey or maple syrup mostly, but if I’m making toothpaste I like to use the xylitol because of its help with keeping bacteria from adhering to teeth. For other sugar-free uses (like my morning coffee), I use the stevia extract instead of the processed powder and it works great. They all have their pros and cons. For me, I just try to stick with real foods God created from nature, and use the others sparingly. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help… just do what you feel most comfortable with.
My son just turned one and I was wondering if this was a good recipe to use for him? My husband and I use it but didn’t know age appropriateness?
You could use it with him, but I’d leave the essential oils out until he learns to spit pretty well… then you could add them in the toothpaste in small amounts.
I’ve made homemade toothpaste and my kids did not care for it – going to try your recipe next. 🙂
I’ve found that the baking soda is a big turn off because of the taste. I can get past it, but it can be hard to get kids to do something just because it’s good for them. I think using the clay instead makes a big difference. If you want the benefits of the baking soda, then maybe try a batch with a small amount of it instead. The clay will still polish their teeth, but their mouths won’t be as alkaline… which helps to decrease cavities. Can’t wait to hear what your family thinks! There are soooo many recipes out there. I modified this one to fit my families preferences. I don’t think there’s a real science to it. Thanks for your comment Jill!
THANK YOU for this post, Meagan! We typically use just plain baking soda (wet toothbrush and dip in to the soda) – but the kids mostly hate it and my husband and I aren’t really crazy about it either. 🙂 I’ll be making this asap. Looking forward to your post of flouride.
Oh my oldest & I love it, but my youngest and my husband doesn’t care for the baking soda so they get the one with clay. It’s fun, it lasts a good while, and we have like 5 different flavors around the house. Good luck, and let me know if you all like it!
Oh, do you have a recipe for sensitive teeth? After I went to the dentist for fillings, one of my teeth was very sensitive to hard foods. The nurse gave me sensodyne toothpaste but I thought it was only for sensitivity to hot and cold foods. Maybe she didn’t understand, but eating any foods that are hard, hurts. Maybe that is a whole different issue 😉
Yeah… I’m not sure what makes Sensodyne work, but this is just to replace regular toothpaste. You’d have to look into that a bit more. It could be that the enamel has worn on those particular teeth too much and the nerves are more exposed. I’m not sure. A great book about natural teeth care is called Cure Tooth Decay. You can get it on Amazon, and it’s about healing your teeth through nutrition.
My two year old son has teeth decaying to the extent that his front four teeth need extraction according to doc. I don’t want him to lose his teeth and has eliminated sugar and acidic foods from his diet. Now I want to make a healthy toothpaste for him as the usual kids toothpaste doesn’t seem effective. The receipe I have in my mind after reasearching from different websites is coconut oil. Bentonite clay. Salt and might be xylitol. He can’t spit out and I am excluding baking soda as his enamel is already bad and wearing down. Need you advice.thanks
Hi, Nayyer. First off, I’m not a dentist. My advice would be to find a holistic dentist (one that focuses on diet and other natural methods to care for teeth before opting for meds or more invasive techniques), and get their advice. Next, if your child’s teeth are too far decayed, I’m not sure if healthy lifestyle changes will be enough to help, but maybe. I know many people have restored decaying teeth with diet alone. If you want to go that route, I assume it doesn’t hurt to try it, as long as your child isn’t in pain from the decay. As for toothpaste goes, the whole purpose of brushing teeth is to clean the teeth from food and bacteria. Your brush does this best, but toothpaste helps to polish the teeth, discourage bacteria from adhearing to then, and freshen your breath. Adding essential oils to the toothpaste can discourage bacteria and freshen breath, but if your child won’t spit his toothpaste out, you may be better off skipping the EOs and having him rinse his mouth with a diluted sage tincture afterwards (1-2 ounces of water and 5-10 drops of sage tincture) to discourage bacteria. Best of luck with this, and I’d love to know how it all works out for you in the end!
Sensodyne works by providing your teeth with potassium nitrate. Those with a potassium deficiency (like me) will have sensitivity to hot and cold foods. Eating lots of dark green vegetables helps to build the body’s potassium.
If it is a wearing away of the enamel a Weston A. Price diet is highly beneficial. Heather Dessinger of Mommypotamus talks about rebuilding teeth enamel here.
http://www.mommypotamus.com/can-a-weston-a-price-diet-reverse-tooth-decay/
Yes! Heather is amazing. She’s the one that got me looking into remineralizing teeth. I’m reading Cure Tooth Decay right now and it’s fascinating. Have you read it?
It’s the very next thing on my long reading list lol. I have several small cavities I need to reverse and want to prevent them in my son, so I’m really looking forward to reading it!
It’s great, and the best part for me was that so many people have taken his advice and have seen results. Actions many times speak louder than words!
[…] How To Make Healthy Kids’ Toothpaste […]
Do you use bentonite clay or kaolin clay?
You can use either, but I like to use kaolin clay. Bentonite gums up too much for my taste… kaolin is more smooth.
Hi, Can’t wait to try this! I get so angry when I go to the stores and they offer nothing like this for kids. I’ve had to resort to buying toddler toothpaste for my 6 yr. old. I did find something on Amazon but it is $7 a tube (lemon flavor) so I don’t think we can keep that up. She does not like the Tom’s strawberry so I’m sure this is going to be great for us. Just one question, how many drops of the essential oil do you use in this recipe?
Thanks!
I add it to taste, but I will say to expect this to harden up if it gets cold like coconut oil does which doesn’t work well for the go tubes. It does work to put it in a glass jar though. My kids love it! I’ll also be sharing a new toothpaste recipe soon as well! Be sure to subscribe to the blog if you aren’t already so you don’t miss it. –
Wouldn’t it help the hardening problem if you whipped it instead of just stirring with a fork?
I don’t know Amy, I’ve never tried whipping it. I’m sure that would make it light and fluffy at first, but I’m not sure it would stay that way. I’d think it would just harden back up. I’ll definitely try that and see though because that’s an interesting thought. Thanks for sharing!
[…] Kids Friendly Toothpaste […]
When using Bentonite Clay you are not to use any metals (including measuring spoons, forks to stir etc.. ) as it pulls out the nutrients from the product.
You are absolutely right Carissa. It basically deactivates the clay as it causes the the clay to bind to the metals in the utensil, but that’s only with the clay that comes into direct contact with the metal… and I’m sure that also depends on the length of time there is contact and whether or not the clay was wet. However, from my research, stainless steel does not react to clay the way other metals do so that’s a plus. In fact, that’s what bentonite clay is mined with… stainless steel. Thanks for your helpful comment!
Thanks for this post! My husband and I were just discussing making our own toothpaste for our two year old since we can’t find a commercial paste without glycerin. I’m going to whip up a batch this weekend!
Hope you enjoy it Kari! I love you site BTW! Good stuff!
Can you add the spirulina to this recipe?
You definitely could Vinesa. Great idea!
hi, should this only be used with kids that are good about not swallowing? Thanks
No, it’s fine for kiddos that swallow their toothpaste. There’s nothing in it that is toxic. Hope that helps, and thanks for your comment!
Hi! I”ve been making your toothpaste for about a year now, my kids love it and I use it too! What I do, is I measure out the clay first. Then I heat up a bit of filtered water and coconut oil together, about 45 seconds, then dissolve himalayan salt into the hot mixture. I then add it to the clay, mix together, then add food grade peppermint & orange extracts. Even in small amounts, I’m uncomfortable with my babes ingesting EOs (they’re only 3 and 23 months) so that’s why I use food grade. I also add xylitol. They go nuts for it! My 3 year old just had his first dentist’s appt last week and he said everything looked great 🙂 Thank you for your work!
Oh awesome Sarah! Thanks for sharing! I love how you dissolve the salt. I’m sure that ensures the salt doesn’t scratch their teeth. And I totally respect you on the no internal EO thing. Do you mind sharing where you get your extracts at. I’d love to get some and try your method!
The only clay I have is French Cosmetic Clay. Is this okay to use?
I’m sure you can Emilie, but I’m not sure if it works the same way as bentonite does.
Hi. Do you use virgin or refined coconut oil?
Either. It really depends on whether you want the coconut flavor in your toothpaste. I normally use unrefined, but refined would work just as well.
Hi there!
Thank you so much for sharing this! How long does this toothpaste last? Does it go bad if you leave it sitting out on the counter?
No, this toothpaste doesn’t go bad if you leave it out… as long as there’s no water added to it. We use ours up within a month, but I’ve had some last 6 months or more. Hope that helps AT.
Do you have to use xylitol? I’ve been making a tooth powder for myself with bentonite clay, baking soda, salt, and peppermint. However, I want to make something my 18 month will use, too. I like the idea of adding coconut oil and a lemon extract (nervous about essential oils for kids in toothpaste they will most likely swallow).
You don’t have to use xylitol, Kat, but I’ve found that if I want my kids to use it, the sweetness combined with the lemon or orange flavor really helps. And yes, I suppose lemon extract would work just as well for littles!
Hello, how many drops of essential oil do we use?
If it’s citrus oils, Melissa, I do it to taste. They’re fairly safe for toothpaste and you shouldn’t need much. There’s no recommended drop amount since everyone will have a different preference.
Is this edible toothpaste? My 3 year still can’t spit out toothpaste.
If you kid swallows a little, it won’t hurt them as there’s nothing toxic in it. However, it’s not something you’d want them to swallow a lot of. It does contain essential oils and xylitol can upset some people’s stomach. Hope that answers your question, Kristine!
My holistic dentist tells me never to use baking soda in toothpaste, as it scratches the enamel of teeth, eventually wearing them down. I’m wondering what you’ve uncovered about that in your reading of the books you mentioned? Also, I agree with others that I wouldn’t put EOs in anything that young kids will use if they will swallow, so I’m wondering if you’ve found out anything about where to get the flavor extracts? I’m not even sure what this is! Thanks so much for your recipe… I am so weary of trying things like this I read on blogs, and most are just basically copying another blog, they are all the same, and often based on a lot of hype. But I respect you as an herbalist, and hope that this will work out, as I’ve only been using coconut oil so far for my 21 month old. Thanks!!
Hi, Jennifer. I’ve not read anything about baking soda scratching teeth, but your holistic dentist would be more knowledgeable on the subject than I am. With that being said, I do not brush my teeth (or my kid’s teeth) with baking soda alone. I almost always mix it with some form of clay. This would definitely help it not be so abrasive. Instead, it would be more polishing.
As far as flavorings go, you could try vanilla extract, orange extract, or peppermint extract in place of the EOs. You can buy them or make them yourself. However, I’ve never tried them so I don’t know how they would turn out, but it’s worth a shot!
3
Hi and thanks a lot for sharing!
Is there a replacement for natron as I cannot stomach it?
Best wishes,
Britta
If you want to skip the salt you can simply double the clay. Hope that helps!
5