Oh yay, we’re on to the fourth instalment in this Zero Waste 3 Ways series! Woohoo! I’m always so excited to come up with something new to share with you in this regard. So far, you can already see 3 ways you can do straws, deodorant and menstrual products.
Now, let’s go ahead with dental hygiene! It is actually one of the earliest zero-waste item I’ve ever known—along with deodorant. At first, my concern was that I had to make my own toothpaste all the time. It is—as I’m sure you will also agree—can be quite tedious and, personally, I cannot see myself DIY-ing my toothpaste every few months. Also, you can always run the risk of making something that is either too strong or in any way unsuitable for your teeth and gums. Again, it’s another one of those items where you need to have a bit of trial and error, but who’s got time for that?
Well, thankfully, with the rise of popularity in leading a more conscious lifestyle these days, we no longer need to make our own zero-waste dental hygiene products. In fact, the products I will touch on in this post are all available for purchase from a variety of brands and stores. On top of that, you can judge from my experience what will most likely suit you.
Natural Toothpaste
How to use: put the paste on the bristles and start brushing
Cons: Let me just start first and foremost with how strong this toothpaste is. Since it uses baking soda, it can leave a tingling after effect in your mouth for several minutes to come. Also, I have found in the past, that if I use it for too long, it can actually hurt my teeth and erode my gums—which eventually goes away when you stop using it, though. Although it doesn’t have any particular smell, it does have a somewhat salty taste to it, which might not be to your liking. It is also quite temperature-sensitive—the consistency can become more solid or liquid depending on the temperature of the room it’s being stored. Depending on where and when you buy it, the oil might rise up to the top and create uneven consistency.
Pro: For one thing: it is cheap. It normally doesn’t cost very much, in comparison to the others on this list, and will last for up to 6 months even with twice-a-day use. It is very familiar and easy to apply—just like your regular toothpaste. During use, it gives off that familiar tooth-brushing foam you know so well—which comes from the baking soda, not detergent like the usual brands. It also definitely leaves your mouth feeling clean after every brush.
Personal Note: This one I have been using for several months before I decided to switch to regular brands for a while, as it was beginning to be too strong for my gums. Usually, I would buy one from Bulksource. I have yet to find another store in Indonesia that provides this option.
Tooth Powder
How to use: put a bit of powder on the bristles, add water and brush
Cons: Since it’s in powder form, it ca get tricky to apply—often just gets in between the bristles and all over the place. It also doesn’t really create any reaction after being soaked in water, so it’s hard to know exactly whether it has gotten washed away. Once you start brushing your teeth, it doesn’t form a lot of foam as well, so it’s a little suspect whether the powder was doing its job or not. Lastly, it doesn’t treat teeth discolouring—as an avid tea-drinker, I take notice.
Pro: First off, you don’t need a lot of it to brush your teeth hygienically. It also leaves off a minty fresh taste in your mouth. It doesn’t form a lot of foam once you get going, which can be something you prefer. At this moment, I have only used it for less than a week, but by my calculation, it can last for quite long—at least for 3 months. Hygiene-wise, it’s pretty good and will keep your teeth clean.
Personal Note: Another way to apply this one, I think, is to smear the powder on your teeth, soak your brush and start brushing. It’s so much easier and definitely more reassuring. As far as I know, this kind is only produced by Segara Naturals, which is where I got mine too. I’ve never seen it anywhere else, to be honest. They are available in numerous bulk and zero-waste stores—and I bought mine from Ekko Store.
Dental Tabs
How to use: put one tab in your mouth, bite on it and start brushing
Cons: By far, this is the most expensive one out of the bunch. This small batch costs almost exactly the same as the other two. It’s pretty wasteful too, since one tab equals one brushing. So, if you want it to last for 3 months, you need 90 tablets. This one also doesn’t form a lot of foam, which can be disconcerting. It’s also kind of tricky to use, as you need to bite it but not swallow it—this ain’t no candy, you know.
Pro: Although tricky, it’s pretty handy as you can just pop the tab in your mouth and go to town. Its solid form makes it pretty easy to carry around for travel as well. When applying, it also won’t go all over the place. Flavour-wise, it leaves a minty aftertaste in your mouth. These tabs contain fluoride, so its hygiene conserving ability is pretty much guaranteed. Not only that, it helps keep your teeth white and tackle discolouring from other substance, i.e. coffee, tea, etc.
Personal Note: You can pretty much find such tabs in all bulk stores. Mine was from Bulksource, but I know for a fact that Naked Inc. and Saruga also have them in store. Feel free to check other bulk stores in your area as well.
Brushing one’s teeth is very important, especially after eating. However, the way we’ve been doing it has always been very wasteful and harmful to the environment, as it contains a lot of plastic—plastic toothbrush, plastic toothpaste tube, plastic cap. If there’s ever a time to change that, it’s now.
So, I know, we’ve already covered the zero-waste toothpaste alternatives in this post, but I urge you to please switch to a bamboo toothbrush as well. Not only is it as comfortable as a plastic toothbrush, it is also compostable—which is absolutely good for the planet. You can get this at pretty much any bulk or zero-waste stores these days, but even name brands have started to try to come up with their own version of a compostable or recycled toothbrush.
You can also check out miswak, which is basically a twig traditionally used to clean your teeth—especially in the Arabs—although I’ve never tried it myself. Whichever one you choose, please do make sure you choose one with the lowest impact on earth possible.
What else do you want me to cover in this series?
Oh yay, we’re on to the fourth instalment in this Zero Waste 3 Ways series! Woohoo! I’m always so excited to come up with something new to share with you in this regard. So far, you can already see 3 ways you can do straws, deodorant and menstrual products.
Now, let’s go ahead with dental hygiene! It is actually one of the earliest zero-waste item I’ve ever known—along with deodorant. At first, my concern was that I had to make my own toothpaste all the time. It is—as I’m sure you will also agree—can be quite tedious and, personally, I cannot see myself DIY-ing my toothpaste every few months. Also, you can always run the risk of making something that is either too strong or in any way unsuitable for your teeth and gums. Again, it’s another one of those items where you need to have a bit of trial and error, but who’s got time for that?
Well, thankfully, with the rise of popularity in leading a more conscious lifestyle these days, we no longer need to make our own zero-waste dental hygiene products. In fact, the products I will touch on in this post are all available for purchase from a variety of brands and stores. On top of that, you can judge from my experience what will most likely suit you.
Natural Toothpaste
How to use: put the paste on the bristles and start brushing
Cons: Let me just start first and foremost with how strong this toothpaste is. Since it uses baking soda, it can leave a tingling after effect in your mouth for several minutes to come. Also, I have found in the past, that if I use it for too long, it can actually hurt my teeth and erode my gums—which eventually goes away when you stop using it, though. Although it doesn’t have any particular smell, it does have a somewhat salty taste to it, which might not be to your liking. It is also quite temperature-sensitive—the consistency can become more solid or liquid depending on the temperature of the room it’s being stored. Depending on where and when you buy it, the oil might rise up to the top and create uneven consistency.
Pro: For one thing: it is cheap. It normally doesn’t cost very much, in comparison to the others on this list, and will last for up to 6 months even with twice-a-day use. It is very familiar and easy to apply—just like your regular toothpaste. During use, it gives off that familiar tooth-brushing foam you know so well—which comes from the baking soda, not detergent like the usual brands. It also definitely leaves your mouth feeling clean after every brush.
Personal Note: This one I have been using for several months before I decided to switch to regular brands for a while, as it was beginning to be too strong for my gums. Usually, I would buy one from Bulksource. I have yet to find another store in Indonesia that provides this option.
Tooth Powder
How to use: put a bit of powder on the bristles, add water and brush
Cons: Since it’s in powder form, it ca get tricky to apply—often just gets in between the bristles and all over the place. It also doesn’t really create any reaction after being soaked in water, so it’s hard to know exactly whether it has gotten washed away. Once you start brushing your teeth, it doesn’t form a lot of foam as well, so it’s a little suspect whether the powder was doing its job or not. Lastly, it doesn’t treat teeth discolouring—as an avid tea-drinker, I take notice.
Pro: First off, you don’t need a lot of it to brush your teeth hygienically. It also leaves off a minty fresh taste in your mouth. It doesn’t form a lot of foam once you get going, which can be something you prefer. At this moment, I have only used it for less than a week, but by my calculation, it can last for quite long—at least for 3 months. Hygiene-wise, it’s pretty good and will keep your teeth clean.
Personal Note: Another way to apply this one, I think, is to smear the powder on your teeth, soak your brush and start brushing. It’s so much easier and definitely more reassuring. As far as I know, this kind is only produced by Segara Naturals, which is where I got mine too. I’ve never seen it anywhere else, to be honest. They are available in numerous bulk and zero-waste stores—and I bought mine from Ekko Store.
Dental Tabs
How to use: put one tab in your mouth, bite on it and start brushing
Cons: By far, this is the most expensive one out of the bunch. This small batch costs almost exactly the same as the other two. It’s pretty wasteful too, since one tab equals one brushing. So, if you want it to last for 3 months, you need 90 tablets. This one also doesn’t form a lot of foam, which can be disconcerting. It’s also kind of tricky to use, as you need to bite it but not swallow it—this ain’t no candy, you know.
Pro: Although tricky, it’s pretty handy as you can just pop the tab in your mouth and go to town. Its solid form makes it pretty easy to carry around for travel as well. When applying, it also won’t go all over the place. Flavour-wise, it leaves a minty aftertaste in your mouth. These tabs contain fluoride, so its hygiene conserving ability is pretty much guaranteed. Not only that, it helps keep your teeth white and tackle discolouring from other substance, i.e. coffee, tea, etc.
Personal Note: You can pretty much find such tabs in all bulk stores. Mine was from Bulksource, but I know for a fact that Naked Inc. and Saruga also have them in store. Feel free to check other bulk stores in your area as well.
Brushing one’s teeth is very important, especially after eating. However, the way we’ve been doing it has always been very wasteful and harmful to the environment, as it contains a lot of plastic—plastic toothbrush, plastic toothpaste tube, plastic cap. If there’s ever a time to change that, it’s now.
So, I know, we’ve already covered the zero-waste toothpaste alternatives in this post, but I urge you to please switch to a bamboo toothbrush as well. Not only is it as comfortable as a plastic toothbrush, it is also compostable—which is absolutely good for the planet. You can get this at pretty much any bulk or zero-waste stores these days, but even name brands have started to try to come up with their own version of a compostable or recycled toothbrush.
You can also check out miswak, which is basically a twig traditionally used to clean your teeth—especially in the Arabs—although I’ve never tried it myself. Whichever one you choose, please do make sure you choose one with the lowest impact on earth possible.
What else do you want me to cover in this series?