Make Your Own Toothpaste!

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm into making my own stuff now.  Stuff -- you know, the things that cost exorbitant prices out in town, but are relatively cheap when made at home.  If you know how!

I ordered a really awesome book called Homemade published by Reader's Digest.  It has hundreds of recipes for making your life more natural and saving money.  After browsing through the book and looking for key ingredients the recipes have in common, I purchased a few of them in the hopes of getting down to the homemade business asap.

If you're interested in starting this endeavor, I will encourage you to have these staples on hand:

Baking Soda

Arm & Hammer's Super Washing Soda

Borax

Vinegar 

Ammonia

Glycerin (available at health food stores)

A few essential oils -- I have on hand peppermint, tea tree, lemon and lemongrass

You will be amazed at the products you can make at home with just these inexpensive ingredients.  And don't buy the expensive brands.  House brands work just fine.

This morning I decided to make my own toothpaste.   I had a small container on hand, and decided to make just half of the recipe, in case I didn't like it or it wouldn't all fit in the container.

To make your own toothpaste you need:

• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons glycerin
• 5-8 drops of peppermint or wintergreen oil
• Warm water

Mix the baking soda and salt together in a bowl.  Add the glycerin and mint oil.  Add the warm water drop by drop, stirring until you get the consistency that suits you.  Stores in an airtight container indefinitely.

That's it!  Here's the best part:  The Cost.

Baking Soda:  $0.12

Salt:  $0.01

Glycerin:  $0.30

Peppermint Oil:  $0.15

Total Cost of homemade toothpaste:  $0.58! 

Ingredients, instructions and the little canister of toothpaste I made

Can't beat that!  And you really only use a little bit, so who knows how long that little bit will last?!