DIY Toothpaste Tablets Recipe

A convenient and eco-friendly alternative to traditional toothpaste, these homemade toothpaste tablets are easy to make and can be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

Over the years, several people have asked me to formulate something quite interesting: toothpaste tablets. They wanted a zero waste toothpaste recipe from someone who had studied dentistry (and having some knowledge in cosmetic formulation was a plus). Despite my history in dentistry, I hadn’t even heard of toothpaste tablets at the time of the first request. I hadn’t ever seen them in a store here in Spain, not even in the natural supermarkets.

Fascinated by the idea, I ordered a couple of types of toothpaste tablets online to give them a try. One had surfactants to give a bit of foaming. Another used bentonite clay and activated charcoal. Other common ingredients were baking soda and calcium carbonate. In the end, though, the ingredients were similar. After trying them both, I had a good idea of what I wanted in my DIY toothpaste tablets.

Why make toothpaste tablets?

There are several great reasons to give making toothpaste tablets a try. 

Like toothpaste powder, toothpaste tablets don’t need a preservative because there is no water in them. While the tablets are made with water, it is evaporated away, leaving none in the final product. Developing a toothpaste recipe that contains water can pose a challenge in estimating its shelf life. Also, it’s unclear if there are any preservatives for home formulators that are safe for an oral care product.

Another great benefit of toothpaste tablets is that they are environmentally friendly. You can make them with reusable molds and store them in a glass jar or metal tin. This means that can keep the plastic waste from traditional toothpaste tubes out of the landfill. 

Super convenient, they are light and easy to travel with. Just take as many tablets as you’ll need for your short trip!

If you’re already in love with toothpaste tablets, you’ll know that they can be a pricier alternative. By making your own, you can also save a lot of money!

Ingredients

I decided to make the main base of my recipe from calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is great for toothpaste because it has a gentle abrasive effect that helps get rid of plaque and stains on teeth. Additionally, it has a pleasant texture and mild taste. The minerals in calcium carbonate may also help with remineralization of the teeth.

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, is another natural polisher that I decided to add to my diy toothpaste tablet recipe. It has an alkaline pH that helps to neutralize acids in the mouth and has antibacterial properties that can help to prevent bad breath.

Optional ingredients

To make a more professional quality toothpaste tablet, I incorporated a couple of grams of a natural surfactant that I’ve seen used in many commercially sold toothpastes, sodium cocoyl glutamate. It helps mildly cleanse while adding a foaming quality to the paste. One of the tablets I bought used way too much and foamed excessively when used. I love being able to control the amount of foaminess achieved in my homemade tablets. (If you don’t want to use it, there is absolutely no need, and you can eliminate the surfactant completely!)

To add a bit of sweetness and cavity-fighting power, I also included xylitol, a natural sweetener that has been shown to prevent cavities. To give my toothpaste tablets a refreshing flavor, I add a few drops of essential oil. While I generally use peppermint oil, clove oil is another popular choice.

While xylitol is safe for humans to consume, it can be toxic to animals, especially dogs. So, don’t make toothpaste products for your animals with xylitol, and make sure you keep it out of their reach.

What I didn’t use

Although numerous toothpaste tablets available for purchase contain bentonite or kaolin clay, I opted to steer clear of these ingredients for my latest creation. For one, I’ve decided that I don’t like the mouthfeel of clay-based toothpaste. It didn’t use to bother me, which is why my first homemade toothpaste was clay-based. My other concern, though, is not knowing if the clays I buy are contaminated with heavy metals or other toxins like arsenic. As I won’t be spending the money to lab test my toothpaste, I decided to err on the side of caution and avoid using clay this time!

Instructions

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To make your own toothpaste tablets, simply weigh out all of your dry ingredients and stir them together. Little by little, add in filtered or distilled water until you achieve a thick paste.

Press the mixture into small silicone molds and let them dry. I brought mine out in the sun, covered with a net to protect it from insects. (I’m not sure if it’s really necessary as they didn’t seem to want to go near my peppermint mixture anyway!)

If you live in a cool, humid environment, you can speed up the drying process by placing the filled mold in an oven set to the lowest setting.

Once you notice they have dried enough to unmold them, pop the tablets out of the molds and store them in an airtight container.

How to use toothpaste tablets

Now that you have your tablets ready, you might be wondering how to use them! Simply put one tablet in your mouth, chew it up until it becomes paste-like, and brush your teeth as usual. You can use a regular or electric toothbrush. Brush in a circular motion, including the line between the teeth and gums. Don’t forget to brush your tongue too! When finished, spit out the excess.

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