Marrakchi S, et al. (2006). Sodium lauryl sulfate-induced irritation in the human face: Regional and age-related differences. DOI: Animal testing is obviously a key issue for any personal care products. The following brands received our best rating for animal testing policy because they were either certified by Cruelty Free International (Leaping Bunny) or they had a fixed cut-off date for animal testing:

Bondi CAM, et al. (2015). Human and environmental toxicity of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): Evidence for safe use in household cleaning products. DOI: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Some research indicates that use of this ingredient is safe and the fear of it is overblown. However, some people find SLS irritating to the skin and gums, and there’s also some scientific evidence to substantiate that claim. While the company has made some improvements since we last updated the toothpaste guide such as bringing out a vegan and organic certified toothpaste and removing triclosan from all its products, with a score of 3.5 it still has a long way to go.However, two studies ( one from 2014 and another from 2017) designed by the same lead researcher found that tooth powder was more effective than toothpaste for removing surface stains from teeth, as well as controlling plaque-induced gingivitis. In 2017 Time magazine described Colgate as the only brand still using triclosan in its toothpaste. Despite continuing to insist that triclosan is safe, Colgate stopped using triclosan in its products in January 2019 (although be aware that the last of the old formula still seems to be available in some shops). Both toothpaste and tooth powder have benefits for tooth health. Both may also contain ingredients that may be of concern for people when it comes to overall health. These include: The term organic can become a bit vague, especially in cosmetics where you don’t need to certify your product to describe it as organic. Its not uncommon to see products generally described as natural and organic without it being that clear what this means, which can make it confusing for consumers. Lush Toothy Tabs – (Lush Cosmetics uses palm oil but get a best rating for palm oil sourcing overall)

In terms of marketing and advertising, the brands that dominate the market portray their products as scientific and technological with unique, specialised ingredients purportedly conferring proven health benefits. For example, in 2018, a Colgate advert was banned by the Advertising Standards Agency for making misleading claims that a product “repairs teeth instantly”, according to the BBC this is the fifth dental product advert Colgate has had banned in the last seven years. The UK market value for toothpaste is estimated at about half a billion pounds, and while there are hundreds of toothpaste products easily available the market is dominated by three main companies, Colgate taking by far the largest share. Tooth powder is thought to have originated many thousands of years ago. Ancient people may have used ingredients such as myrrh, burnt eggshells, crushed animal bone ash, and oyster shells to create powders able to remove mouth odor, plus clean and polish teeth. Treatments Find every kind of best treatment near you, We British Chemist UK online pharmacy retailer and registered pharmacy with the MHRA and GPhC. Truthpaste - vegan company with all products approved by the Vegan Society. Nothing Wasted - vegan company in the process of getting its products certified by the Vegan Society.

Top 5 Tooth Powders

The devastating effects the global demand for palm oil is having on our rainforests and the wildlife and people that live there has made it a highly controversial ingredient. It is also commonly found in toothpaste but it is possible to avoid it or choose companies that have better sourcing practices. Fluoride is a common ingredient found in both toothpaste, which dentists recommend for maintaining good dental hygiene. It's excellent at fighting and preventing cavities, and improves your teeth's resistance to acidic foods and drinks. This is because, when fluoride is absorbed into the enamel coating of your teeth, it attracts minerals which help to strengthen them and improve overall dental health.

It’s also worth saying that while Truthpaste’s toothpastes as a whole were not certified, it did provide full ingredients lists with its products and the majority of these were marked as certified organic. To use Eucryl Toothpowder, start of by wetting your toothbrush, then shake off the excess water. With your dampened toothbrush, press into the Eucryl Toothpowder, then simply brush your teeth as per your normal method. We’d recommend completing this process once or twice a week for best results. Taking these variables into account, the dosage of fluoride achieved by this route of administration is highly unpredictable. Since an excess of fluoride causes mottling of teeth (dental fluorosis) and has been linked to brittle bone disease (skeletal fluorosis) we believe that a more carefully controlled dosage is required. We advise that people who are concerned about fluoride deficiency should consider taking fluoride tablets or drops from a pharmacy. JASÖN, Weleda, Lavera, Kingfisher, Georganics, Truthpaste, Nothing Wasted, A.Vogel*, Green People*, Colgate*Lavera (company group Laverana GmbH), Sarakan (company group G.R. Lane) , Urtekram (company group Midsona) Some toothpaste ingredients have raised intense debates and controversies on their effects on human health and the environment, such as triclosan and Sodium Laurel Sulphate (discussed below). SLS is a foaming agent, that dissolves and disperses dirt, widely used in toothpastes. Its use has been controversial as a number of consumers have voiced concerns over its alleged effects on human health.

Tooth powders also don’t contain ingredients that remove intrinsic and extrinsic stains. Neither do many toothpastes. Intrinsic stains are those which originate within the tooth, instead of on its surface.When rating companies for their policies on toxic chemicals, we looked specifically at policies relating to the use of triclosan, parabens and phthalates. Rating