I'm not the sort of person to worry about every single chemical or additive in my life. I live in New York City, after all, breathing city air and drinking tap water from 100 year old pipes everyday. I do, however, loathe the assault that artificial mint unleashes on my mouth when I use conventional toothpaste, drying it out and leaving a coat of flavor so overwhelming that unless I wait 30 minutes before eating, my breakfast will taste like a science experiment. The solution to my problem is simple: Use natural toothpaste. So now I do, and both Terri and I can attest (and did attest on today's Whole Living) that the options available today are much more appealing than the plain old pasty, baking soda-based models of the past. Here are four that are worth a try. Three more than match the texture and efficacy of conventional brands the natural way, and one we recommend if you really want to take it down to the basics and don't mind using an actual soap to clean your teeth.
1 Tom's of Maine was my favorite: texture as smooth and creamy as any conventional brand, fresh mint taste, recyclable packaging, cruelty-free, 100% natural, and well-priced to boot. ($4.29 for 5.2 oz)
2 The Natural Dentist was Terri's favorite for its efficient packaging, creamy texture, and pleasantly spicy mint taste. ($6.19 for 5 oz)
3 Burt's Bees makes great toothpastes with subtle mint and thick texture, 100% natural without flouride and 99.2% natural with it, all in convenient upright tubes. ($4.99 for 4 oz)
4 For chemically sensitive people who want more than plain old baking soda and water, there are just four wholly non-toxic ingredients in Tooth Soap. It's nothing like toothpaste - it's soap! - but it does work. ($15.95 for 1 oz concentrate)
More natural product reviews:
Detox Your Shampoo - We Give You the Score on 15 Brands
Detox Your Deodorant - A Review of Natural Brands and a DIY Recipe
From: Patricia Alner | 12/1/10 at 4:46 pm
Congratulations Toothsoap! A great product and Martha should love you!
(Following at @trisha71478)
From: Anne | 12/1/10 at 4:49 pm
Congratulations Toothsoap!
From: Anne | 12/1/10 at 4:50 pm
forgot to add above, following @anniemos on twitter
From: Sarah Grace | 12/1/10 at 4:56 pm
I love Toothsoap! Clean shiny healthy teeth and gums!
From: LaTasha Chiosi | 12/1/10 at 4:57 pm
Congratulations Toothsoap! Soon to be a household name as more and more people learn about it.
From: Jenn B | 12/1/10 at 4:58 pm
I've been using toothsoap for quite sometime and it's really amazing. I have to say that I haven't tried any of the others listed above, but after putting toothsoap in my mouth, I've never had a reason to!
The best part about Toothsoap is that it was created by a woman in her kitchen. Karen and $100 brought us this amazing product!
Way to go, Toothsoap and Karen!
From: Chandra | 12/1/10 at 5:23 pm
I really enjoy Tooth Soap. My kids do as well.
From: Debbie Garrett | 12/1/10 at 5:23 pm
Love your product - Congratulations!!!
From: Kelly Keefe | 12/1/10 at 5:27 pm
Just tried Toothsoap and I'm hooked! Can't wait to place my order and get the whole family converted!
From: Jamie Chlystek | 12/1/10 at 5:55 pm
I would love to try this product!
From: lisa greene | 12/1/10 at 6:03 pm
I can not wait to try this sometime! Need something new tired of same poor quality at the store. Seems to be getting worse each time I buy it.Need something new and refreshing!
From: Mitch | 12/1/10 at 7:11 pm
Hey @ToothSoap I follow you on Twitter as @MitchWDriver. I use another toothpaste right now, but if I get to try one of your products I might just have to switch!
From: Kelly | 12/1/10 at 7:20 pm
Tooth Soap, Congrats! I would love to try your product and then tweet about it to everyone.
Thanks for the chance!!
- @PickMePleeease
From: Amanda Collinsworth | 12/1/10 at 7:52 pm
would love to try, sounds like a great product!
From: Amanda Collinsworth | 12/1/10 at 7:52 pm
Especially interested in the Toothsoap!
From: Debby | 12/2/10 at 12:02 am
Tooth Soap® --- brings the squeaky clean on. My teeth have never felt cleaner and I have never felt better about what my children are brushing their teeth with. Non toxic Tooth Soap® = no worries for Mommy.
Go Tooth Soap® ! You deserve it !
From: Brittany | 12/2/10 at 12:56 am
I love ToothSoap!! A huge congrats to them for being featured.
From: Laurie Moore | 12/2/10 at 8:14 am
I am a ToothSoap® user as well. It leaves my teeth feeling so squeaky clean. Love it.
From: Sheryl | 12/2/10 at 9:00 am
Toothsoap products are wonderful! Would love to win this to give as a gift!
From: lisa ruehl | 12/2/10 at 9:01 am
wow toothsoap sounds awesome!!love to try it!!retweeting @meeyoww
From: Tommy Lane | 12/2/10 at 9:07 am
Toothsoap is all I use for my mouth these days. I'll never go back to regular toothpastes that have those harmful additives in them that hurt your dental health instead of improve them. Toothsoap is great.
From: reva skie | 12/2/10 at 9:24 am
Congrats Toothsoap! Hubby and I are total converts. We <3 us some Toothsoap.
From: Kristi | 12/2/10 at 10:40 am
Very interested in this comparison. Curious as to why some of these products are so much more less expensive than others.
I am thrilled to see that there are alternatives to flouride and other chemicals but how many people are in a position to pay $17 for a bottle of tooth "paste".
From: Eva D | 12/2/10 at 12:33 pm
congrats toothsoap! I havent used your product yet. but I will definitely be buying some now that I know about it.
From: Jennifer Sendrow | 12/2/10 at 3:35 pm
Wow, lots of Toothsoap fans out there!
Kristi, most natural toothpaste brands available nationwide are in the $4-$7 dollar price range, like the three we enjoyed using during this test. Toothsoap is almost three times the price of the Burt's Bees paste, for example, but the manufacturer contends that its concentrated formula means that one ounce lasts users six to eight weeks. Obviously what makes something a good value is in the eye of the beholder, or the mouth of the brusher, in this case!
From: Tooth Fairy | 12/2/10 at 11:48 pm
Sweet Congrats Tooth Soap from the Tooth Fairy tweeting @toothfairycyber ☺ and following you @toothsoap to and of course I like Tooth Soap on facebook!
From: Melissa Bugaj | 12/3/10 at 1:02 pm
We use Tooth Soap and our family loves it! Our 3 and 5 year old beg for the tooth paste dropper.
Following @nightlight08
From: Jo Ann Jeffers | 12/3/10 at 7:23 pm
I recommend Toothsoap to all my friends and family. They all love it, and it is so much healthier than commercial toothpaste! If you haven't tried it...you should!
From: Margaret | 12/5/10 at 5:52 pm
I have been using Toothsoap for many years now & highly recommend it. I just got the new gel & whip - can't decide which one I like the best - but can say that my teeth feel clean like I just came from the dentist and I get great checkups!
From: Margot Morris | 12/6/10 at 4:58 pm
Toothsoap is the ultimate. I will not brush with anything else!
From: Rachel | 12/8/10 at 3:03 am
I love the idea of the toothsoap. When we want to wash our hands or faces or bodies, we use soap so why wouldn't we use soap on our teeth as well. I've tried many varieties of natural tooth cleaning products and I love the concept behind this one. Way to go, ToothSoap, making it on the the Martha Stewart blog!
From: Detox Your Shampoo – We Give You the Score on 15 Brands - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 12/15/10 at 10:36 am
[...] we tackled deodorants, then toothpastes, and now Terri and I have submitted our follicles to endless rounds of essential oil-scented lather [...]
From: Detox Your Deodorant – A Review of Natural Brands and a DIY Recipe to Boot! - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 1/11/11 at 4:48 pm
[...] Your Shampoo - We Give You the Score on 15 Brands Detox Your Dental Care with Our Natural Toothpaste Roundup 3 [...]
From: Detox Your Makeup Bag – We Pick Seven Non-Toxic Liquid Foundations and Tinted Moisturizers - Martha Stewart Living Radio: The Radio Blog | 5/10/11 at 10:29 am
[...] detoxing our deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, and mascara, Terri and I decided it was time to get right up in each other's faces and [...]