About two years ago I stopped using toothpaste. But stay with me here….in its place I began brushing me teeth with a baking soda and a squirt of mint castile soap from a foaming pump. Does it taste great? No, not really. But it does the job – and without any plastic packaging or waste. In fact, during my last cleaning at the dentist (which was way overdue) the technician noted that I had virtually NO plaque.

My husband didn’t mind the switch too much, but he did mind not having mouth wash. We used a “natural” brand. But it meant another plastic container every month or so. Plus, the stuff was plain expensive. I decided to take a stab at making my own and after many tweaks, this is the recipe I use today:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda (preferably from bulk section of a natural store)
• 1 cup aloe (Fresh leaf or natural brand like lily of the valley)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 once vodka (astringent and preservative)
• ½ cup witch hazel
• 2-3 droppers of mint stevia drops
• 2-3 droppers of mint flavoring
• 2-3 droppers of cinnamon flavoring
• Filter or distilled water

Instructions:

Use a funnel to pour baking soda, salt, aloe, vodka, with hazel and stevia and flavor oils into a swing top bottle top with filtered or distilled water. Seal the top and give a vigorous shake. Before use, shake again (baking soda will settle).

In a pinch, I’ve used lemon flavoring or cinnamon if I’d run out of mint. Feel free to use whatever you prefer!