Homemade Tooth Powder

I love a challenge. I love trying to replicate items we use in everyday life that I can make instead of spending money on, penny-pinching runs in my blood. When people went through the Great Depression and struggled to survive it gave them such wisdom, they had to be creative with what little they had. We live in America, the land of plenty, and I fear because of that we now live in a land of waste. I think it's time we learn to be wise again with what we have and be content with what we've been given.

Along with the love of challenge and frugality, I also have studied and become aware of the many unnecessary and harmful ingredients in everyday items we use. I'm talking toxins, chemicals, GMO's and the like. The Lord has given me one body and one life to live, and I want to be wise so I can live my best for Him.
Can we just talk Stevia for a minute? Not all stevia is created equal. The stevia I recommended years ago was the white powder you can get from the grocery store. After more research I now know that green stevia is best, it's whole and unrefined. But if white is all you can get your hands on, by all means use it. I personally use ground stevia that I purchase at my local health food store in the bulk section. Which means it's super cheap, because you pay by the pound, and powder weighs practically nothing. You may not have a local health food store that carries ground stevia, but good news, there's always the world wide web. I have ordered from Bulk Herb Store before and trust their products. I've also ordered from Mountain Rose herbs, who have great bulk herb prices. And I'm sure Amazon is always an option (don't forget to use AmazonSmile!). I finally found stevia plants this past summer and still have one growing in a pot I brought in the house to winter-over.

Toothpaste was one of the first home items that I ventured to make and I think it's one of the easiest personal care products to start with. Years ago I posted a homemade toothpaste that we used for a while, it maintained a paste-like quality because it contained coconut oil.

After brushing with my paste I wasn't getting that "really clean" feeling you should have after just brushing your teeth. I liked the paste but wasn't fully satisfied, I had also read controversial articles by people saying coconut oil puts a film on your teeth. I've read enough to know there are MANY benefits of coconut oil for oral health; that's why I'm trying to incorporate oil pulling into my diet this year.

A few months back I saw a recipe for tooth powder on Pinterest and that caught my interest. Tooth powders go way back in history, I mean I bet even George Washington used tooth powder on those dentures. You mean you didn't know about Washington's dentures? I'm pretty sure they were made of wood if I remember right. Anyway, hence the need for tooth powder for our own pearly whites.
I read the post by Quinn at Reformation acres and made what she suggested but when I tasted it I felt it was WAY too sweet. And I'm one girl who has a sugar addiction problem(which I'm trying to work on). So I tweeked it to our liking. I truly am blessed to have a husband who's willing to jump on the health bandwagon with me. He's the best guinea pig. I even had my sister try it it too and she liked it better that the homemade paste too.

So here's my adapted version of Minty Tooth Powder

1/2 c. Baking Soda

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. stevia

10-15 drops Peppermint Essential oil

Mix your dry ingredients together and then add your drops of oil and cut in with a fork. Taste and adjust accordingly. Sometimes I add more baking soda if I feel like it's still too sweet. Suggestions

Because it's a powder you will want to lightly wet your toothbrush before dipping into the jar. And if it's too weird for everyone to dip our of the same jar, you could let everyone have their own small jar. I personally use a mason 1/2 size jelly jar. I believe they hold 1/2 cup. And I have one-piece screw-on lids from jars of coconut oil. As a sidenote bonus - some peanut butter lids fit on mason jars (yay for free lids!). I recommend using a container that unscrews because it's a powder. Can you just picture little hands trying to pry open a plastic snap-top lid and it flies open and dusts everything with tooth powder? Yeah, me too. That's why I'm recommending a screw-on lid. And from a personal standpoint use that lid for only toothpowder, because if you use it forsomething else, it will taste like mint too. Despite multiple dish washing sessions. Just do yourself a favor and designate it as the tooth powder lid. You'll thank me when you go to drink your coffee with homemade pumpkin spice creamer that is pumpkin spice spiked with peppermint. Weird.