Your guide to eco-friendly toothpastes

Looking for more ways to incorporate an eco-friendly lifestyle into your daily routine? How about when it comes to keeping those pearly whites nice and clean? Maybe it’s time to think twice about the long list of ingredients in your toothpaste and make the switch to a greener alternative. Here is a guide of some of the best and worst eco-friendly toothpaste options, as well as a step-by-step guide for your transition.

toothpaste on a green toothbrush

Baby steps to clean, green teeth

Eco-tips blog Paws and Pines recommends a phased approach to switching to eco-toothpaste. Otherwise, the new flavors and textures might leave your mouth feeling strange and unclean– just because it’s something unfair. Try following their recommended steps at your own pace:

1. Look for mainstream and conscious brands that you can find at most stores, like Toms of Maine and Hello Oral. These are mostly vegan, cruelty-free produces but are widely available.

2. Head to a natural food store for more options. Even Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have a larger section of “natural toothpastes” to choose from, including Jason, Dr. Bronner’s, Kiss my Face and Desert Essence. Do some research (see below for reviews) and select the brands you want to try.

3. Take some time to get used to the different tastes and textures of natural toothpaste. Without chemicals and additives, they won’t be exactly what you’re used to. If you hate something, try a different brand before giving up.

4. If you’re really serious about being environmentally friendly, explore zero-waste options like products that come in glass jars. Even plastic containers are better than aluminum tubes because they can be more readily recycled.

What ingredients to look for

There are a lot of options out there, and packages often make sweeping claims. Try looking for products that are sodium laurel sulfate free as evidence shows there is no clinical benefit.

Also, keep an eye out for Fluoride free products. Although fluoride helps prevent tooth decay, it also has been linked to brain, kidney and gum toxicity, so it is up to you to weigh your preferences and make an informed choice!

It’s also a great idea to consider products that are vegan, cruelty free, certified organic and free of artificial sweeteners or colors.

charcaol toothpaste on someone's finger

Popular eco-friendly toothpaste options

Tom’s of Maine

This brand can be found in most stores and promises anti-cavity and whitening properties, with an official American Dental Association seal. Their Whole Care Gel offers tartar control and whitening benefits without artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors or flavors.

Hello Oral

Their Sensitive Relief Fluoride toothpaste uses aloe vera and potassium nitrate to help calm sensitive teeth.

Dr Bronner’s

This is a popular and widely available brand that also makes biodegradable soaps and cleaning products. Their toothpaste is natural, fluoride-free, vegan and cruelty free and has recyclable packaging. It also utilizes 70 percent organic ingredients and fair-trade ingredients when possible. It is available in three flavors: peppermint, cinnamon and anise.

Jason

This company’s tea tree and cinnamon toothpaste is fluoride-free and certified organic. Their packaging promises healthy teeth and gums, but Grist’s reports that the spiced cinnamon taste is “absolutely disgusting.”

Dr. Ken’s

This brand’s maximum care paste is anti-everything: anticavity, antibacterial, antigingivitis, antiplaque, anti-tartar and antioxidant. It does still contain sodium fluoride but has a nice minty flavor that will remind you of your ex-toothpaste– in a good way.

Radius

This brand makes recycled material toothbrushes and has a certified organic toothpaste made from chamomile and coconut oil. It is natural, cruelty free and comes in BPA-free packaging. The Good Trade reports that their products are delicious and they even have a coconut-banana flavor for children.

Nature’s Gate

This brand’s whitening gel is fluoride-free with no artificial colors or sweeteners. According to Grist, the texture is more like a paste but quite difficult to squeeze out of the container.

Kiss my Face

Their whitening toothpaste is fluoride free and certified organic. Its ingredient list contains an intriguing surprise bonus of Iceland moss, but that might be what earned it an “incredibly awful” and “wretched” review in Grist’s decidedly unscientific study. It also contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which is discouraged by the Environmental Working Group.

Desert Essence

Their Natural Tea Tree Oil Toothpaste is fluoride-free with no artificial preserves and sweeteners. It also has a surprise ingredient of seaweed extract and though it is has been described as having a refreshing taste, some find it a bit too salty.

DIY toothpaste recipe

Not satisfied with the store-bought ingredients and packaging? Try to make your own toothpaste out of three simple ingredients. Combine coconut oil and baking soda and at a 2:1 ration (twice as much coconut oil as baking soda) and then add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, like peppermint. That’s it!

two bamboo toothbrushes inside a glass mason jar

Other eco-friendly tips while you’re brushing

There are other ways to be a more eco-friendly brusher besides just the paste you use.

Opt for a wooden or bamboo toothbrush and avoid plastic flossers. There are also silk floss options that are biodegradable. Make sure you turn the water off while you are brushing to conserve fresh water.

Finally, use less paste. Just about a pea-sized amount will be sufficient and avoid swallowing it.

Via Grist

Images via stevepb, superkitina, marco verch, thegreenj,

from INHABITAT http://bit.ly/2W4qmSG
via IFTTT

Comentarios

imagenes del medio ambiente para dibujar

5 Benefits of Drip Irrigation Systems

If you want a stunning yard and a low water bill, a drip irrigation system could be for you. Image: Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images If you live in one of the parts of the country that’s been struggling with drought (or you just don’t want to spend a fortune on your water bill), you’ve probably felt that you face a choice with your outdoor areas. You can either be water conscious or have a beautiful, lush yard, right? When you’ve opted for traditional irrigation systems like sprinkler heads, that’s often true. But, good news, that’s not your only option as far as types of irrigation systems go. If you want a beautiful yard without the high water usage — and resulting bill! — a drip irrigation system could be just what you need. What is a drip irrigation system? This way to water your plants uses dripped water. A drip irrigation system runs either a perforated hose or drip emitters (connected by a hose) under the soil throughout your planting bed. Water drips through sma...

New riverside development in China will be an urban renewal

Architects VenhoevenCS have won a major riverside redevelopment in Shenzhen, China . They hope to protect large areas of land from flooding while also creating a vibrant new urban identity for the Bao’an district. The Pailao River Blueway Project constitutes a new biodiverse landscape along the central Pailoa River, an area under rapid urban development where rainfall intensity is increasing. Architects are using this project to design with the water instead of against it. It includes elements such as ponds, green roofs, urban farming plots, wetlands and soft banks, contributing to a natural sponge effect to absorb excess water from the river . Related: 100-year-old railway yard turned into a green space VenhoevenCS also has their sights set on integrating urban regeneration in the area. They have planned cultural and social spaces, including pavilions and parks for cyclists and pedestrians. The design illustrates their nature-inclusive approach, reshaping how human...

Say hello to the new Toyota electric vehicle, the bZ4X

Toyota is trying to win the electric vehicle game with a stylish new SUV loaded with techy features. The all-electric bZ4X will be rolling onto the lots of U.S. auto dealers this spring. If the name doesn’t immediately strike you as catchy, it might help to understand that “bZ” stands for “beyond zero.” The bZ4X is the first of seven in Toyota’s new line of bZ vehicles. That’s seven out of 15 BEVs, to throw another acronym at you. BEVs are battery electric vehicles, as opposed to HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) or PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). Related: Consider these factors before buying an electric vehicle All these Vs will help speed Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Already, Toyota has more than 20 million models on the world’s roads. The company has pledged to invest another $70+ billion in EVs over the next nine years. So, back to the bZ4X. According to Toyota, the new “BEV-dedicated platform, a first for Toyota, was developed wi...

NASA to test the world's first electric airplane

NASA has shared details of its new all-electric plane that is set to take off to the sky this fall. The plane is designed to run fully on electric batteries , departing from the tradition of fuel-powered planes. If all goes well, this will be the first step toward achieving a cleaner, cheaper, and quieter future for aviation. Known as the X-57, the plane is lightweight compared to traditional planes . Its weight helps it use less power over the same distance compared to its equal fuel-powered planes. Further, the plane produces less noise as compared to fuel-powered options. According to NASA, the plane is currently being prepared for initial tests, which will be conducted in the desert east of Los Angeles. Related: Rolls-Royce unveils prototype for world’s fastest electric plane The plane borrows its design from a four-seater plane constructed by the Italian Tecnam corporation. The main reason for this is to help in comparison of the two models of the design. The experts at NA...

Biomimicry house hints at a solution to the climate crisis

Houses separate us from nature. At least, that’s the idea we’ve had until now. Architecture that uses biomimicry , permaculture and related practices to keep nature in our building spaces offers a green alternative. B+H Architects Director of Biomimicry Jamie Miller is an advocate of sustainable building practices like biomimicry to help with the climate crisis. Biomimicry creates an architectural option that keeps us connected to nature, without removing the biodiversity from the spaces where we live and work. Now the B+H Architects’ newest residential project shows us how a home can blend right into nature itself. Related: It looks like a shark fin and helps urban river flooding A house that disappears into the landscape “Imagine stepping inside a house that disappears into a forest all without ever leaving the city,” B+H said. A landowner in Bengaluru, India wanted to achieve just that, connecting his home to nature within a dense urban area. He didn’t ju...

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move?

What are stellar earthquakes that make stars move? The Gaia mission of the European Space Agency revealed the earthquakes that occur thousands of light years away. Argentine astronomers explain the scope of this space telescope and its discoveries. In 2013 the European Space Agency (ESA), launched a unique space mission: the Gaia space observatory, a spacecraft designed specifically for astrometry: the science that measures the positions, distances and motions of stars with a precision never seen before. Scientists say the mission aims to build the largest and most accurate 3D space catalog ever made of the observable universe, with a total of approximately two billion astronomical objects, mainly stars, but also planets, comets, asteroids and quasars, among other fascinating objects in the vastness of space. This week, ESA released a new update of data collected by Gaia in the last three years, after having observed 10 million stars and space objects, which led to the publication of s...

Bananatex launches a sustainable material revolution at Milan Design Week

A party of three has collaborated to create a multi-purpose material sourced entirely from banana leaves. Swiss bag brand QWSTION, a yarn specialist from Taiwan, and a Taiwanese weaving partner spent four years developing the new material, which is being revealed at the 2019 Milan Design Week. The strong, flexible material, called Banantex, offers a new universal option in the search for sustainable materials . Beginning at the source, the banana leaves come from a natural ecosystem of sustainable forestry in the Philippines. The banana trees grow naturally without the use of pesticides or other chemicals. Plus, they do not require any additional water. The banana plants are a boon to an area previously eroded by palm plantations, bringing back vegetation and a livelihood for local farmers. Related: See how banana trees are recycled into vegan “leather” wallets in Micronesia With a long history of creating materials from sustainable resources, QWSTION saw the strength and ...

Iconic Farnsworth House gets a conceptual, sustainable redesign

As a design exercise, California-based architecture firm Jeff Barrett Studio has reimagined Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth House for the modern times with a sustainable redesign that includes onsite renewable energy and modular construction. Conceived as a case study for sustainability that would still pay homage to the original architectural style, the proposed design follows the same building footprint while introducing a new materials palette and energy-saving features. Located in Plano, Illinois, about an hour west of Chicago, the Farnsworth House is recognized worldwide as a masterpiece of International Style of architecture. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed and constructed the 1,500-square-foot structure between 1945 and 1951 as a country retreat for his client, Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Built with two slabs, a series of steel columns and expansive floor-to-ceiling glass throughout, the minimalist home was created to usher the natural landscape indoors. The building was ...

Dibujos de como cuidar el medio ambiente

Dibujos de como cuidar el medio ambiente Hola a todos, ¡bienvenidos a mi vlog! En este episodio, quiero hablar sobre algo muy importante para mí y para nuestro planeta: el cuidado del medio ambiente. Como muchos de ustedes saben, la situación actual del medio ambiente es crítica, y es necesario que todos hagamos nuestra parte para protegerlo. Una de las formas más divertidas y creativas de concienciar sobre este tema es a través de dibujos. En este post, les mostraré algunos dibujos que pueden inspirarlos a crear su propia obra de arte y, al mismo tiempo, a difundir mensajes sobre el cuidado del medio ambiente. Algunos de los temas que podemos abordar en nuestros dibujos incluyen la importancia de reciclar, de no contaminar el aire y el agua, de proteger a los animales y de reducir nuestra huella de carbono. Además de ser una forma divertida de pasar el tiempo, los dibujos pueden ser una herramienta poderosa para sensibilizar a otros sobre este tema tan importante. Así que les animo a ...

Eco Vlog News

Welcome to my Vlog about the environment and general news related to it. The advancement of technology and the expansion of the human being are inevitable and an essential mark left by progress as a race, but it is important in the process not to lose respect for the environment and the world in which we live. Become aware of its deterioration as an initial measure to begin to become aware of how to take care of it. For these reasons, our little grain of sand as a contribution to an ecological blog in which we offer you the latest Internet news as a reference so that you can inform yourself and become aware of it. In the articles you can find the respective news sources and most current magazines on which the subject in question is being addressed.

Eco-Vlog

Buscar este blog