Whiten your teeth the natural way without harsh chemicals or going to the dentist. This DIY charcoal toothpaste may be black, but funnily, it’ll leave you with whiter teeth!
Not only that, it also remineralises, fights harmful bacteria causing tooth decay and prevents plaque buildup on your teeth. Yup, with 100% natural ingredients!
Contents
When I make my own toothpaste, I usually keep it very basic. Just bentonite clay, coconut oil, and essential oils. But every now and then I love adding some extras (find my complete toothpaste ingredients list in my DIY Toothpaste Guide here)!
In this recipe, we’re adding activated charcoal powder, which is said to whiten our teeth over time. Charcoal has strong cleansing properties and will help you fight and prevent decay as well as get rid of any surface stains.
Ingredients
Affiliate Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission, if you purchase the linked product, at no extra cost for you.
- Activated charcoal powder (food grade)
- Bentonite clay (food grade)
- Coconut oil
- Essential oils
- Xylitol (optional)
(see recipe card for quantities)
A note on the side, I do not use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in my natural toothpaste as I think it's way too abrasive. Particularly in this recipe, it should be avoided since the charcoal is already our active ingredient!
All the ingredients are beneficial for your dental health and are completely natural products. This charcoal-based toothpaste recipe is super easy and less harmful than store-bought toothpaste!
Conventional whitening toothpaste often contains a chemical called hydrogen peroxide[1]. The higher the content, the greater the whitening power. Even though the chemical passes easily through the tooth enamel without harming it, it does cause tooth sensitivities.
Instructions
Step 1. In a bowl (wood, plastic or glass) mix clay, charcoal, and xylitol (if using) with a spoon or spatula (also, wood, plastic, glass or silicone).
Step 2. Now add coconut oil. Add your preferred amount of drops of your favourite essential oils to one of the tablespoons of coconut oil before mixing it in.
Step 3. Mix until everything is well incorporated and no lumps are left. If the toothpaste seems too crumbly, add more oil. If too runny, add more clay.
Step 4. Store in a 60ml / 2oz container. A little glass jar works best.
Activated Charcoal Benefits
- has cleansing and detoxing properties
- binds toxins and metals
- may whiten teeth
Activated charcoal is a natural product that's obtained by burning carbon-rich materials like coconut shells or wood at extreme heat.
It can absorb toxins and metals thus detoxing and cleansing your mouth. This will help to fight and prevent cavities.
Also, as mentioned earlier, it is known to have a whitening effect. It gently removes plaque and other buildups (responsible for discolouration) on your pearly whites over time.
However, keep in mind that some people naturally have yellower teeth no matter how clean they are. These people may not experience the whitening effect.
It may take around 4 weeks until you see some results. And even after this period of time, you might not see any difference.
Smoking, drinking coffee, your diet, your natural tooth colour, maybe even the mineral content, composition, or your general oral health etc. all contribute to the colour.
I recommend trying it out and see how it goes for you! The long-term effects of charcoal toothpaste vary a lot. Just don't overdo it (more on that later)!
I find turmeric powder often works better for my teeth but after having used charcoal in my homemade toothpaste for months now, I finally see a difference.
Bentonite Clay Benefits
- rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, copper, iron and potassium
- remineralises your teeth
- cleansing and detoxing properties
- binds toxins and metals
- antibacterial and antimicrobial properties
I find bentonite clay to be the best clay for my toothpaste. In Europe, you may find that French Green Clay (affiliate link) is much more accessible and cheaper than bentonite.
Both are rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, etc. which will help remineralise our teeth.
Remineralisation means that we strengthen our teeth by fighting harmful bacteria and providing the teeth with essential minerals (especially calcium) to rebuild enamel.
The great thing about clay is that it cleanses (antibacterial and anti-microbial properties) and detoxifies our mouth. I like to imagine that clay acts like a sponge that absorbs all the toxins in your mouth. Once they are absorbed, they’ll stay bound to the clay.
These properties make clay the perfect ingredient to fight cavity-causing bacteria and to get rid of all the other baddies that are often hiding on or between our teeth.
Coconut Oil Benefits
- anti-microbial
- anti-bacterial
- prevents plaque and may even reduce it
- has tooth-whitening properties
- may reduce tooth decay and signs of gum disease
Coconut oil eliminates (or lowers the number of) harmful bacteria and plaque buildup, fights gingivitis, and may even prevent tooth decay.
The reason for this can be found in the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil (lauric acid) which are anti-microbial. They remove harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms and as a slight residue of coconut oil always remains, they make it impossible for those baddies to grow and multiply!
There are many studies on how coconut oil affects our oral health and they found that coconut oil reduces plaque, prevents new buildup and may even help to reverse tooth decay.
Essential Oils
- 100% natural (preferably using high quality (therapeutic grade) oils)
- promote fresh breath (peppermint and clove in particular)
- anti-bacterial
- anti-microbial
- anti-inflammatory
Essential oils are always a good idea to incorporate into your oral hygiene routine. They soothe little inflammations, fight bad breath, cleanse, etc. (depending on what oils you want to use).
It’s important to know that you always need to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil as they are highly concentrated (in this recipe, it’s coconut oil—or your alternative). Some oils are stronger (cinnamon, clove) than others and you’ll notice that you won’t need many drops (rather 5-10 than 20)!
For my DIY charcoal toothpaste, I often just use peppermint essential oil (15 drops max) or a combination of cinnamon and clove (2-4 drops each). But of course, there are more oils that you can use (you can find a whole list of them in my homemade toothpaste guide).
Xylitol Benefits
- helps fight cavities and tooth decay
- may even reverse cavities
- a natural, sugar-free sweetener
Xylitol is not necessary for your DIY charcoal toothpaste but it’s a great ingredient to use when you also want to fight cavities! Although it’s sweet, it’s not actually sugar!
So, yes, it won’t damage your teeth! In fact, it actually does the opposite—it does not cause tooth decay but reverses it!
Studies have shown that xylitol prevents harmful bacteria to grow and expand. And, when used for some time, it slowly reduces the number of decay-causing bacteria so much so that your teeth are able to heal themselves and reverse tooth decay.
Substitutions
Bentonite Clay: French green clay (food grade or superfine), Healing clay (that is not bentonite, available in some countries), Calcium Carbonate (if you don’t want to use clay).
Coconut Oil: fractionated coconut oil (if you need a liquid oil), olive oil, sesame oil (has a strong taste though)
Storage
Keep your DIY charcoal toothpaste in the cupboard or medicine cabinet away from direct sunlight, especially when you use a clear container (essential oils are light-sensitive).
I prefer small 2oz./60ml glass containers (like these ones, affiliate link), preferably tinted for protection from sunlight.
The toothpaste is usually used up within 1-2 months, but has a general shelf life of approximately 6-9 months. The essential oils may lose their power over time.
Top Tip
There are so many more natural ways to whiten your teeth! And you learn a few of the techniques in my Holistic Oral Care Guide, if you want to check it out!
Safety & Warnings
Activated Charcoal is a very active ingredient and needs to be handled carefully. Meaning, be very precise with how much you want to put in your toothpaste!
I do not recommend using more than 1 tsp (better less!) in this recipe because too much charcoal may cause damage to your tooth's enamel.
Also, do not use this toothpaste for an extended period of time! Even though it's safe to use for everyday use, I wouldn't do it all year round!
Make one batch (which will last you 1-2 months) and then make a different toothpaste (like this turmeric toothpaste for whiter teeth) for the next 2 times, before making this black toothpaste again.
A word of caution
Unfortunately, there’s a downside to using charcoal in your DIY toothpaste: it stains and it can be messy!
You have to be careful not to spill while brushing your teeth otherwise, you need to change your shirt. But don’t freak out when this happens, you should be able to wash it out.
This toothpaste may also stain your toothbrush and towels (if you use them to wipe your mouth afterwards). And you might feel like you need to clean your sink more thoroughly, too.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Preferably, don't use any metal utensils because of the clay’s and charcoal’s absorptive properties. Wood, plastic, or glass bowl and spoon are better.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp bentonite clay food grade
- ½-1 tsp activated charcoal (better to use less)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 10-15 drops essential oils see notes
- 1 tbsp xylitol optional
Instructions
- In a bowl (wood, plastic or glass) mix clay, charcoal, and xylitol (if using) with a spoon or spatula (also, wood, plastic, glass or silicone).
- Now add liquid coconut oil. Add your preferred amount of drops of essential oil to one of the tablespoons of coconut oil before mixing it in.
- Mix until everything is well incorporated and no lumps are left. If the toothpaste seems too crumbly, add more oil. If too runny, add more clay.
- Store in a 60ml / 2oz container. A little glass jar works best.
Notes
- clay: it's fairly important to use a fine grade (food instead of cosmetic grade). Otherwise, your paste will rather feel like sand and might cause damage to your enamel.
- activated charcoal: don't use more than recommended in this recipe. Activated Charcoal is an active ingredient and may cause damage to your enamel when used too often or too much. Make this toothpaste only 3-4 times a year! Also, be aware that it likes to stain everything. You should be able to wash it out if you spill, but just to keep in mind.
- essential oils: I usually use 15 drops max (equals a 1% dilution). For this toothpaste, I love using peppermint. If using strong oils like cinnamon or clove, only use 5-8!
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