Toothpaste. Yes, Toothpaste.

I've come a long way in my journey of ridding dangerous chemicals from my life. It started with food, then moved on to toothpaste, and from there it spread to all other personal care products I use every day.

I'll get right down to it: I absolutely love my Now Foods Xyliwhite Toothpaste Gel. The most unfortunate thing is that it isn’t found in the farmer's market grocery stores closest to me. So I would consider you lucky if your nearest store carries this. The taste is fresh and minty, and the consistency isn't too thick. It foams just enough without being overwhelming. My favorite thing about it is the tiny bit of grit, which makes me feel like it's really scrubbing my teeth.

If you're not looking for grit and want a smoother consistency, try Spry by Xlear. This also has a nice minty taste, but is much thicker and foams a lot more. Like, a lot. For me, the thickness and the foaminess tend to be a bit overwhelming and it dries out my mouth. This may be a problem only for me though. Still, buying Spry is sort of a second choice.

I think Nature's Gate Crème Toothpaste is also in a tie for second place. It's the same sort of minty refreshment I like, but it isn't as thick as Spry, nor is it as creamy as it looks. I've squeezed a big glob onto my toothbrush only for it to disappear into a minty, thin liquid. The foaming action is a little dull because of this transformation. After brushing with Nature's Gate, my teeth feel...waxy? Polished? Almost like there's a smooth film over them after brushing. I don't like the feeling of something still on my teeth after I brush them, so I usually switch back and forth between buying the overwhelming Spry and underwhelming Nature's Gate.

I know it may seem odd that I haven't mentioned Tom's of Maine on my website, since they're seen as an alternative to the commercial Colgate or Crest, but I have a bit of a dilemma with them...As much as I admire their humanitarian aid efforts, environmentally responsible manufacturing, and a history of implementing alternative ingredients, I think they take advantage of the popularity they gain by these elements. Even though they offer Fluoride free formulations, there are still an alarming amount of toothpastes they make that have Fluoride, considering they're aiming to be a "natural" company. An even rarer thing from them; toothpaste that is both Fluoride free and SLS free. It's similar with their deodorants; a battle to find something Aluminum free and Propylene Glycol free. I suppose this sort of contradiction can be found in some of the other brands listed on this site, but I think the popularity of Tom's and the use of harmful ingredients make me hesitate listing them as a good alternative to use.

For now, this is how far I've gone in exploring toothpastes. Much like everyone else in the world, once you find something you like, you strive to obtain it and would go out of your way to get what you like. That's Xyliwhite for me. I guess another reason this exploration may seem limited is because all these usually sell for under $6, compared to some that sell for $6+. And honestly, I don't think I can bring myself to spend more than that on toothpaste.

Published 8/20/2014 by Victoria