Time for another crunchy DIY!
I am sure you’ve all seen the ads on Instagram and Facebook revolving around “activated charcoal toothpaste” or “activated charcoal teeth whitening” etc..
WELL I found a SUPER easy recipe to make your very own from home rather than spend a ton of money on pre-made tubes or tubs!
But first, let’s explain what makes charcoal so great in regards to whiting teeth!
Activates charcoal actually absorbs and traps toxins and chemicals because it is very porous. It also has a negative charge on its surface thus pulling the positive toxins and gasses form a surface. Much like a magnet. In regards to our teeth, it works the same in pulling up plaque and tiny bits that stain our teeth. It also helps with overall oral health by preventing cavities, bad breath and gum disease. And of course my favorite it balances oral pH!
This recipe ALSO calls for baking soda which is also used in most store bought toothpaste brands and is a great safe and natural cleaning and whitening product! And again- baking soda is naturally alkalizing which is SOOO great for overall health!
Lastly the even better part about this recipe is it calls for coconut oil. Which as we all know- coconut oil is the magical remedy and ingredient for all the needs you can possibly dream of!! But coconut oil for teeth???
There is a tactic called “oil-pulling” that is essentially swishing coconut oil around in your mouth and then spitting and rinsing. The theory is that the fatty molecules attract and bond to the molecules containing unwanted bacteria. So when you swish and spit the oil, the bacteria goes with it! Again this helps fight bad breath, gum disease and promotes overall oral health!
Warnings: it’s recommended to only use this 1-3 times a week. Activated charcoal is different than grill charcoal! You can find capsules of activates charcoal easily on amazon! Activated charcoal can stain fabric and grout so use with caution!
Here is the recipe! I found this particular recipe here https://thecoconutmama.com/charcoal-toothpaste-recipe/
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon of activated charcoal
2 tablespoons of baking soda
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1-2 drops of SAFE TO CONSUME essential oils (I didn’t have the oil I wanted so I left it out!)
Directions:
Step 1: Melt the coconut oil down in a small pan.
Step 2: Add the baking soda, activated charcoal and essential oils to the melted coconut oil
Step 3: Store in a small container in cool dry place!
How To Use:
Using your regular tooth brush, dig bristles of toothbrush into the solidified oil mixture and brush as normal. Swish with water and spit. Use 1-2x a week
This recipes seriously took my MAYBE 5 minutes! So incredibly easy since coconut oil melts down so quickly!
The activated charcoal I used came in capsules. So I just broke open the capsules into my teaspoon! It was def messy but wipes up easily with a wet paper towel!
RESULTS after some use: Doesn’t taste great.. pretty bitter… but I still use this stuff probably once every other week! I def plan on adding some essential oils next time! It doesn’t show black on your teeth like some of the videos on social media do. The coconut oil lessens the blackness of the charcoal on your teeth, but it still does the trick!
Happy Brushing!
PS- Rowan was not a fan..
