Navigating the world of green toothpaste is a little like trying to find a good handbag at a discount store – lots dodging of formidable land mines (aka ladies) who are determined to find that $50 Kate Spade, even if it means blowing up a few people along the way.  

So why bother?  Well, because it's not considered a food, conventional toothpaste contains lots of potentially harmful stuff, including artificial colors, flavors and sweeters that are known to cause cancer in lab animals, like saccharine. Not to mention fluoride, which many natural health advocates insist is bad news. Since 1997, the FDA has required that all fluoride toothpastes carry warning labels.  Don’t believe me?  Check out your tube.  Mine reads “If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.” 

So is it possible to find solace in the green world of toothpaste? Yes, and they taste better too (well, some of them!)

First, weigh the pros and cons of fluoride.  Check out this great article on fluoride, “Protecting Your Kids This Fall: Flouride, Ozone, and Mercury.” Skin Deep also offers a comprehensive database on toothpastes, along with other products.

If you decide to go fluoride free, Herbal Choice Mari offers several natural tooth gels in tasty flavors like cinnamon, clove, and peppermint.  But let’s face it, sometimes these natural toothpastes can leave your breath smelling like something collected off the streets by the city.  Not to worry!  They also carry a breath freshener. 

JASON offers the best-tasting toothpastes overall (some with fluoride, some without) and doesn't use any artificial flavors or sweeteners, but does include a Co-Q10 supplement, which is supposed to be especially good for those with sensitive gums.

Then there’s Peelu.  According to their web site, they “use the soft fibers of the peelu plant to bring you a gentle, nonabrasive toothpaste that works naturally to clean and brighten your teeth.”  They are also sugar-free and use only natural flavorings.

Desert Essence has a natural tea tree oil toothpaste that is fluoride-free, and contains no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, coloring or harsh abrasives.  Apparently it also boasts a unique refreshing taste and ultra clean feeling.

Toms of Maine offers both fluoride and non-fluoride varieties, and a cinnamon flavor that apparently pleasantly burns “but in that way that is a good burn.”  However, internet reviews abound that Toms of Maine can leave you with the breath of “Satan’s sour milk” so use at your own risk.

Dr. Ken’s Maximum Care gets high props, apparently fighting cavities, gingivitis, and all while, whitening your teeth.  Reviewers like the taste and apparently it doesn’t leave you with terrible breath.  But it does contain the questionable fluoride. 

So don’t despair next time you pick up a toothbrush – there are options out there to take the chemicals out of your smile! Look for them at Whole Foods, regular drugstores, supermarkets- many of these brands are widely available now.

Disclaimer: I was born in Indiana. That means I have experienced all four seasons, including the beauty and majesty each one has to offer. Having lived in San Francisco for the past 2 years, many of my friends and family assume that I love being snow-free during the winters. Wrong! At first, the idea of having no snow to shovel or trudge through was refreshing, especially after living in Connecticut for 7 years, where winter happily makes itself known. Slowly but surely, the idea of experiencing the end of the year without snow just felt … alien. Had I grown but in, say, Puerto Rico or Texas, maybe Christmas in short-sleeve shirts would seem completely natural. Instead, I'm a homespun farm girl who love everything nature has to offer. Lately, many say due to global warming (and I agree with them), the weather has gone completely wacko. There has been more rain than snow in Massachusetts and Connecticut; Orlando, Florida was 80 degrees the other day; but the ultimate proof that things have truly gone nutty is that is snowed almost 4 inches in Las Vegas a few weeks back! Snow … in Vegas … something just isn't right about that … that feels alien. Maybe we should all be thankful that the weather patterns are shifting. Soon, central states all across the United States will be able to put away their tire chains and relax in lawn chairs during Thanksgiving, while folks in Vegas, Texas, and Georgia get covered in many feet of snow. It sounds extreme, but that is the way the weather is headed - 2008 is proof of that. Storms will get more violent, summers will be hotter, winters will be colder, and unexpected events will become commonplace.

Read More »

I get it about recycling. How many times do you spend the week carefully separating plastic from your cardboard from your glass, only to bring it down to the containers and find your 90-year old neighbor has dumped a dried floral arrangement from 1976 right in the middle of the bin?

Read More »