Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A Change Of Paste



A common ingredient in toothpastes, shampoos, facial cleansers, etc. is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, a surfactant that is known for it's effective cleaning and more recently it's drying effects on human skin and hair and it's rumored dangers.





Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste in Empowermint (below, left) contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and Sodium Flouride among other things. It gets a rating of 6 out of 10 on the Cosmetic Safety Database (1 is the safest, 10 is the least safe). The majority of toothpaste brands that can be found in most households score in the mid-range on the database. So why should you buy something that contains known irritants and chemicals when there are various natural toothpaste choices at your local drug or grocery store (yes, there are. You just have to look for them)?


We all know how expensive "natural" and "organic" products can be, but there are some that are around the same price or cheaper than what's on the drugstores' shelves. So below is a list I've put together of affordable natural toothpastes that score a pretty reasonable 3 or less on the Cosmetic Safety Database:

1. Miessence Mint Toothpaste, $8.95, gets a CSD score of 0. It comes in three different flavors, and contains no chemicals whatsoever.

2. Weleda Calendula Toothpaste, $6, gets a 2, and contains no peppermint oil.

3. Peelu Mint-Free Toothpaste, $5, scores a 1 and uses special cleansing fibers of the Peelu tree to effectively clean teeth.

4. Jason Natural NutriSmile Toothpaste, about $6, gets a 2, prevents decay and tartar and naturally helps whiten teeth.

1 comment:

  1. Wow! This is solely informative, I can't believe how dangerous brushing your teeth can be to one's health! Thanks to Earthly Alternatives I'm switching to Miessence Mint Toothpaste and for $8.95 it's WORTH IT!
    p.s. Great Post!

    ReplyDelete