Toothpaste and I have had a long and arduous history. Starting in high school, I became very intolerant of most types of toothpaste. At that time, my mother would buy whatever was cheapest with a coupon and on sale at the mainstream grocery store. I couldn't stand most of what she bought, so I resorted to brushing my teeth with baking soda for a while. Once I departed for college and was able to get to the store by myself, I bought the plain, original, no fancy frills, cheapest available Colgate. If the toothpaste had tartar control or whitening or any of the other whistles and bells, I couldn't stand it.
Fast-forward 10 years in my life, and I became aware of the issues with fluoride and the other toxic ingredients in many mainstream toothpastes. I was horrified. Thus, my search for a new toothpaste began. After not too long of a search, I found one and only one kind of spearmint Tom's of Maine toothpaste in the gel form that I could tolerate. Anything else was too intense and too disgusting for me to handle. My sensitivity to the toothpaste issue was bad enough that if my ex-husband used the "wrong" toothpaste and then tried to kiss me, I'd reject him until he went back and brushed with the right one. It was amazing to me how often he would forget and use the wrong one!
However, in recent years Tom's of Maine has been bought out by a major corporation and no longer holds to the same high ideals as the small mom-and-pop company it used to be. The toothpaste I used when through at least two formula changes that I noticed; each time I begrudgingly adjusted to the new option though I wasn't thrilled about it. Thus, one day when I was standing in line at Whole Foods, a bin of toothpastes by the conveyor belt caught my eye. I had heard about using clay and salt to brush one's teeth, but I was too lazy to work on creating my own toothpaste out of it. Instead, through suggestive marketing I had chanced upon Earthpaste, a clay and salt based toothpaste. Reading over the ingredients, I was far happier with what I saw compared to the Tom's that I'd been using. Knowing I was very likely buying a product I'd have to push off on my less picky kids (at least when it comes to toothpastes) or my ex-husband, I bought one. What happened was shocking to me: I LOVED the new toothpaste. I greatly prefer the peppermint flavor to the cinnamon; the only other flavor my Whole Foods carries is wintergreen which I've avoided because wintergreen essential oil can be very difficult for the liver to detoxify.
The tube design of Earthpaste is different than most other toothpastes: it is designed to stand on end which forces one to put the cap back on, something I was admittedly bad about previously. The hole which the toothpaste comes out of is much smaller than a standard hole. This is beneficial because it means less toothpaste comes out which means less toothpaste gets used, and the amount that comes out is really quite rational compared to the wide-mouth toothpastes. However, that same narrow hole can get clogged much easier which means on occasion I'll have a wild splurt of toothpaste all across the mirror or the sink.
It's been at least a year now since I switched brands. My last dental checkup was great. Not only did my teeth look great but I'd had two minor cavities that we'd delayed filling spontaneously remineralize. I can't attribute that to the Earthpaste, though, as I'd had one remineralize previously when I was using the Tom's of Maine. I think my immune system, my diet, and my major efforts at healing my body are far more likely to be responsible as I have not done anything to achieve the spontaneous remineralization.
When I began using Earthpaste, my teeth felt fresher and cleaner. Then, the funniest thing happened for a while after I switched brands: I was induced to start flossing daily. I have no idea what about the toothpaste prompted that strange urge, but unfortunately it didn't last. However, I have remained very happy with the Earthpaste. It's nice when a new product not only meets but exceeds my expectations!
© 2015 Elizabeth Galen, Ph.D., Green Heart Guidance, LLC
Fast-forward 10 years in my life, and I became aware of the issues with fluoride and the other toxic ingredients in many mainstream toothpastes. I was horrified. Thus, my search for a new toothpaste began. After not too long of a search, I found one and only one kind of spearmint Tom's of Maine toothpaste in the gel form that I could tolerate. Anything else was too intense and too disgusting for me to handle. My sensitivity to the toothpaste issue was bad enough that if my ex-husband used the "wrong" toothpaste and then tried to kiss me, I'd reject him until he went back and brushed with the right one. It was amazing to me how often he would forget and use the wrong one!
However, in recent years Tom's of Maine has been bought out by a major corporation and no longer holds to the same high ideals as the small mom-and-pop company it used to be. The toothpaste I used when through at least two formula changes that I noticed; each time I begrudgingly adjusted to the new option though I wasn't thrilled about it. Thus, one day when I was standing in line at Whole Foods, a bin of toothpastes by the conveyor belt caught my eye. I had heard about using clay and salt to brush one's teeth, but I was too lazy to work on creating my own toothpaste out of it. Instead, through suggestive marketing I had chanced upon Earthpaste, a clay and salt based toothpaste. Reading over the ingredients, I was far happier with what I saw compared to the Tom's that I'd been using. Knowing I was very likely buying a product I'd have to push off on my less picky kids (at least when it comes to toothpastes) or my ex-husband, I bought one. What happened was shocking to me: I LOVED the new toothpaste. I greatly prefer the peppermint flavor to the cinnamon; the only other flavor my Whole Foods carries is wintergreen which I've avoided because wintergreen essential oil can be very difficult for the liver to detoxify.
The tube design of Earthpaste is different than most other toothpastes: it is designed to stand on end which forces one to put the cap back on, something I was admittedly bad about previously. The hole which the toothpaste comes out of is much smaller than a standard hole. This is beneficial because it means less toothpaste comes out which means less toothpaste gets used, and the amount that comes out is really quite rational compared to the wide-mouth toothpastes. However, that same narrow hole can get clogged much easier which means on occasion I'll have a wild splurt of toothpaste all across the mirror or the sink.
It's been at least a year now since I switched brands. My last dental checkup was great. Not only did my teeth look great but I'd had two minor cavities that we'd delayed filling spontaneously remineralize. I can't attribute that to the Earthpaste, though, as I'd had one remineralize previously when I was using the Tom's of Maine. I think my immune system, my diet, and my major efforts at healing my body are far more likely to be responsible as I have not done anything to achieve the spontaneous remineralization.
When I began using Earthpaste, my teeth felt fresher and cleaner. Then, the funniest thing happened for a while after I switched brands: I was induced to start flossing daily. I have no idea what about the toothpaste prompted that strange urge, but unfortunately it didn't last. However, I have remained very happy with the Earthpaste. It's nice when a new product not only meets but exceeds my expectations!
© 2015 Elizabeth Galen, Ph.D., Green Heart Guidance, LLC
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