Are you looking to make your oral care routine more sustainable and planet-friendly? Switching to eco-friendly oral care products is an easy way to reduce plastic waste and embrace natural ingredients. This guide will take a look at the best green alternatives for maintaining healthy teeth and gums while at the same time minimizing your environmental impact.
Plastic-Free Toothbrushes
Let’s start with the basics – your toothbrush. Most standard toothbrushes today are made from plastic that cannot be easily recycled or composted. Fortunately, there are now many affordable eco-friendly toothbrush options:
Bamboo Toothbrushes
Bamboo Toothbrushes
These toothbrushes have handles made from renewable, antimicrobial bamboo with plant-based bristles that biodegrade more quickly than standard nylon.
Toothbrushes from Recycled Materials
Some brands create brushes by recycling things like yogurt containers, corn plastics, and other recycled plastics.
All-Natural Brushes
You can even find brushes with handles made of wood, plant-based starches, or other natural plant-derived materials.
Sustainable Toothpaste Alternatives
Another major source of plastic waste is the toothpaste tubes. Thankfully, natural toothpaste in plastic-free packaging is becoming more widely available:
Toothpaste Tablets
Toothpaste Tablets
These chewable tablets contain concentrated natural mineral cleansers that turn into fresh toothpaste when chewed and mixed with water in your mouth. They are packaged in reusable glass jars or compostable bags.
Toothpaste Powder or Pastilles
Like tablets but in loose powder form to combine with water in your palm or a dish before brushing. They are typically in reusable tins or glass jars.
Tooth Soap or Tooth Suds
These are hard soap-like tooth cleansers made from ingredients like castile soap, mineral clays, and essential oils. They come in paper or aluminum containers or sold unwrapped.
Eco-Friendly Floss
While floss may seem eco-friendly because of its small size, most is still petroleum-derived plastic that isn’t biodegradable. Instead, choose:
- Silk Floss: Made from natural mulberry silk fibers that decompose.
- Bamboo Floss: Plant fibers combined with beeswax or plant-based candelilla wax.
- Charcoal Floss: Bamboo fibers coated in antimicrobial activated charcoal.
Natural Mouthwash Alternatives
Single-use plastic mouthwash bottles can really add up, so consider these sustainable mouthwash options instead:
- Mouthwash Tablets: Dissolvable tablets you mix with water to create fresh mouthwash.
- Mouthwash Concentrate: Highly concentrated liquids packaged in smaller, reusable glass bottles.
- Herbal Mouth Rinses: Homemade mouthwashes using ingredients like aloe, salt, and essential oils.
Other Natural Oral Care
Moving beyond the basics, there are lots of oral hygiene items now being made more sustainably:
- Compostable Dental Lace: Silk or bamboo-based flosser packs and cases.
- Plant-Based Gum: Gum made from natural tree rubbers instead of synthetic plastics.
- Bamboo Tongue Scrapers: Bathroom accessories for keeping breath fresh.
- Activated Charcoal Powder: For natural teeth whitening and remineralization.
- Dental Care Kits: Bundled zero-waste kits with a full routine’s worth of supplies.
Making the Switch to Eco-Friendly Oral Care Products
The folk over at Ecofam have provided some tips as you transition toward more natural, sustainable oral care:
- Take It Slow: Don’t feel you need to overhaul your entire routine at once. Try switching out one item at a time.
- Look for Recyclable/Compostable: Focus on items packaged in glass, metal, paper/cardboard, or certified compostable materials.
- Research Ingredients: Stick to products with simple botanical ingredients you recognize. Avoid artificial additives.
- Adjust to New Textures: Many eco-toothpastes have gritty, powdery, or slick consistencies that may seem unusual at first.
- Consider Costs: Sustainable products may have higher upfront costs than conventional items, but they tend to last longer.
Conclusion
Source: freepik.com
With so many innovative options now available, it’s easier than ever to maintain great dental hygiene with eco-friendly oral care products. Switching to natural toothpaste, bamboo brushes, and other plastic-free items means you’ll be significantly reducing plastic pollution from this routine.
