This past December marks five years since I first switched to glycerin free toothpaste, so it seems timely to share my experiences with several different glycerin free options today. There’s a lot of information out there about the negative effects of
glycerin in toothpaste and other oral care products, and while I've realized that concrete evidence is questionable – and can mainly be traced back to a single book on the subject
– I still choose to avoid glycerin in my oral care products. The theory is that glycerin creates a film or coating on the teeth that prevents them from
remineralizing, thereby leaving them weaker and more susceptible to decay. Proven or not, anecdotally I can tell you that
I was dealing with a lot of cavities shortly before making the switch to glycerin free products, and when I eliminated glycerin, the majority of those issues stopped almost
immediately.
There aren’t a ton of glycerin free toothpastes on the market right now, but there are a lot more to choose from than when I first started
looking 5+ years ago! Since glycerin is a large component of what gives toothpaste its usual texture, most of these have quite a different mouth feel to conventional products. They're also, for the most part, not white, and they don't lather. Keep reading
for all the details…
To me, Earthpaste will always be the original, OG glycerin-free toothpaste. (I first reviewed it way back in 2013!) I used exclusively Earthpaste for
at least three years, so I’ve gone through countless tubes and tried every
flavour except the newest charcoal one. Made
by Redmond, the same people who make Redmond Clay and Real Salt, Earthpaste is made
with just six to eight (depending on the flavour) basic ingredients: purified
water, food grade redmond clay, xylitol, Redmond real salt, and essential
oils. Earthpaste is brown, looks like
clay, and it doesn’t lather at all, but it does do a good job cleaning the teeth
and, at least with the minty flavours, leaves my mouth feeling fresh. The consistency is a little thin once you start brushing, so I find you need to use a little more paste than you would with a more standard toothpaste. My two favorite flavours are the Wintergreen
and Unsweetened Spearmint, which are the two mintiest. I’m not a big fan of the Lemon as I found it
didn’t leave my mouth feeling fresh enough.
Another one with minimal ingredients, Miessence’s toothpaste is
made with just aloe vera juice, baking soda, sea salt, stevia, non-GMO xanthum
gum and essential oils. It’s white and, despite containing no lathering agents, it seems to foam up a tiny bit as you brush. It's ultra minty, so if you’ve ever complained
that natural toothpastes aren’t minty enough, this is the one for you – it’s super
fresh and the mint taste is strong -- to the point that I catch a big whiff of spearmint every time I
open my bathroom cabinet! (If mint isn’t
your thing, there are a couple other flavour options too.) I found this toothpaste tasted very salty at first, but after a couple weeks, I got used to the taste and stopped noticing any saltiness. The main downside to Miessence is that you need to order it online and directly from the company.
Deodorant in a pot doesn’t make me blink anymore, but toothpaste in a
jar did take some getting used to! According
to Uncle Harry’s you’re safe to dip your brush right in the jar, but I don’t
like the chance of introducing water, so I prefer to scoop out a small amount
with a separate utensil instead. Similar
to Earthpaste, the Uncle Harry’s toothpaste is clay-based and contains no lathering
agents. Instead of regular water,
however, the formula uses colloidal silver water, which offers extra antibacterial
benefits, and ionic minerals to nourish the teeth.
In terms of taste, Uncle Harry’s is quite potent. In addition to the spearmint, the paste also
includes peppermint, eucalyptus, clove, wintergreen, and oregano and the hotter
essential oils are definitely noticeable.
I can only brush with a tiny amount of toothpaste or else it burns my tongue. Similarly, I do my best to keep the paste
from touching my lips as it has a tendency to burn there too. The toothpaste performs well in terms of how
it leaves the teeth, but because of the extra caution needed to avoid burning/discomfort, I do sometimes find it a bit of a chore
to use.
I’ve also been using Uncle Harry’s Liquid Remineralization for Tooth Enamel, a rinse made from ionic minerals, sea salt, and essential oils, which I
feel offers the benefits and good parts of the toothpaste, minus any downsides. The liquid is supposed to be swished around
the mouth for five minutes after brushing and is intended to protect tooth
enamel by neutralizing acids and bacteria in the mouth, supplying calcium,
magnesium, and phosphorous for strong teeth, and promoting an alkaline pH in
the mouth. The process reminds me of oil
pulling, though obviously not with an oil, but I find it both more pleasant and
satisfying than dealing with an oil. The rinse tastes strong and a little salty, but I don't experience any of the burning I get from the toothpaste. I can’t speak to definite
results here, but I’m sold on the ingredients and the rinse leaves my mouth feeling nice and clean.
My Magic Mud is a whitening toothpaste made with coconut oil, bentonite
clay, diatomaceous earth, and activated charcoal and I like it a lot. I’ve used powdered activated charcoal for
tooth whitening before, but I’ve never been diligent enough to notice much in
the way of results. Adding the charcoal
into toothpaste makes it super easy to use and I do think it’s had a
slight whitening effect on my teeth.
I’ve only used the Peppermint flavour so far – although I’ve got
Spearmint and Wintergreen waiting in the wings – and it’s very nice and
minty. The paste is black, as you might
expect from the activated charcoal, and, as such, it takes a little more thought and effort than lighter
colored toothpastes, so it's one I typically only use at night. If you drip any on your clothes, it will leave
a grey mark. It also takes a little
extra effort to clear your mouth (and sink!) of any and all black residue.
Beyond the messiness, my only complaint is that My Magic Mud has an unfortunate tendency to
separate in the tube. With my first
tube, I’d periodically get a squirt of clear liquid before the paste, and
cracking into my second one just today, I needed to shake it A TON to remix
everything together.
In terms of texture/consistency, Coral White reminds me the most of
conventional toothpaste. It’s beige and
pasty and, since it's the only one of the five with a lathering agent (sodium cocoyl glutamate), it definitely foams up the most. Like the Uncle Harry’s, Coral White’s
approach is based on the idea of neutralizing acidity in the mouth, feeding calcium
and minerals to the teeth, and restoring a more alkaline pH. The formula claims to whiten teeth and includes coral calcium, rich in
ionic coral minerals, as well as hydrogen peroxide, goldenseal, ginkgo biloba,
echinacea, and ginseng for overall mouth health.
I like how the Coral White performs, but I wish it had a stronger mint flavour. The taste is very sweet and, as you've probably figured out by now, I typically prefer
something a little fresher. It would probably be great for kids or anyone preferring
a milder mint flavour. I'm about halfway through the tube now and I'm also not convinced the Coral White has had any whitening effect on my teeth.
The Bottom Line
It’s great to see glycerin-free toothpaste options becoming more widely
available! None of these are bad -- I think all five are decent options for anyone wanting to forgo glycerin -- but my two favorites at the moment are the Miessence and My Magic Mud. They’re
the two mintiest and also the ones with the best texture/consistency in my
opinion. I’ll always have a soft spot
for Earthpaste too, which I largely credit with turning my mouth health around all those years ago, and I'm sure I'll cycle back to it again in the future.
