You Use It Twice a Day. Do You Know What’s In It?
Toothpaste is one of those products most of us have never really questioned. It’s just… there. On the shelf. In the bathroom. Part of the routine since childhood.
But think about it for a moment. You use it twice a day, every day, for your entire life. You put it in your mouth, the gateway to your gut, your bloodstream, your brain. And most of us have absolutely no idea what’s actually in it.
When ohGiGi®️ founder Karen started auditing the products in her home as part of her low-tox health journey, toothpaste was one of the last things she looked at. What she found stopped her.
This is what she discovered, and what you should know too.
The Ingredients Worth Knowing About
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
SLS is a synthetic foaming agent, it’s what creates that satisfying lather when you brush. The problem? It’s also a known irritant that can disrupt the soft tissue lining of the mouth, potentially contributing to mouth ulcers and gum sensitivity. It’s also what strips the natural protective layer of your oral mucosa, leaving your mouth more vulnerable after brushing.
It’s in most regular toothpastes. It’s even in some “natural” ones.
Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Yes, really. Many toothpastes...including brands marketed as natural or organic contain sweeteners like sorbitol, saccharin, xylitol, or even straight-up sugar derivatives to make the flavour more palatable.
Karen’s lightbulb moment came when she found sugar listed in her “healthy” toothpaste. But her concern wasn’t just about cavities. It was about what brushing with sugar twice a day was doing to her brain. Was she giving herself a sugar hit first thing in the morning and last thing at night? What was it doing to her cognitive function, her cravings, her focus?
It’s a question worth sitting with.
PEGs (Polyethylene Glycols)
PEGs are petroleum-derived compounds used as thickeners, solvents and moisture carriers. They’re found in everything from toothpaste to skincare. The concern isn’t just what they are, it’s that the manufacturing process can leave behind contaminants like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, both classified as possible carcinogens.
Triclosan
An antibacterial agent that was widely used in toothpaste for decades. While it’s now banned in some countries, it’s worth checking your labels, particularly older or cheaper brands. Triclosan is an endocrine disruptor, meaning it can interfere with hormone function.
Artificial Colours and Flavours
The blue stripe. The white gel. The minty freshness that somehow tastes like lollies. These are almost always synthetic and entirely unnecessary for a product designed to clean your teeth.
Microplastics
Tiny plastic beads were used as abrasive particles in some toothpastes for years before being phased out in several countries (though not everywhere). Even without intentional microplastics, plastic packaging itself degrades over time, and traces can end up in what you’re putting in your mouth.
Fluoride...What You Need to Know
Fluoride is more nuanced. It’s been the gold standard in dental care for decades and does have evidence supporting enamel protection. However, there are growing conversations about fluoride’s systemic effects at higher doses, and many people particularly in the low-tox community are choosing fluoride-free alternatives.
At ohGiGi®️, we use non-nano (micro) hydroxyapatite as a natural fluoride alternative. It remineralises enamel using the same mineral your teeth are already made of, without the concerns around systemic exposure.
What About “Natural” Toothpastes?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: “natural” on a label means almost nothing. It’s not a regulated term. A product can call itself natural and still contain synthetic sweeteners, SLS, artificial flavours, and plastic packaging.
This is exactly what Karen discovered when she started reading the labels on the brands she thought were safe. Even the organic-looking ones. Even the ones with green packaging and botanical imagery.
The only way to know what’s in your toothpaste is to read the ingredients list... every single ingredient, not just the ones highlighted on the front.
What to Actually Look For
When you’re reading a toothpaste label, here’s a simple framework:
Look for:
✅ Recognisable, food-grade ingredients
✅ Mineral-based remineralising agents (calcium carbonate, hydroxyapatite)
✅ Essential oils for antimicrobial support
✅ Transparent, complete ingredient lists
✅ Plastic-free packaging
Avoid or question:
❌ SLS or SLES (sodium laureth sulphate)
❌ PEGs
❌ Artificial sweeteners or sugar derivatives
❌ Triclosan
❌ Artificial colours or flavours
❌ Vague terms like “flavour” or “fragrance” with no further detail
And Then There’s the Tube
It’s not just what you’re putting in your mouth, it’s what you’re throwing away.
The average person uses around 300 toothpaste tubes in their lifetime. Each one takes up to 500 years to break down in landfill. Most recycling facilities can’t process them because they’re made from mixed materials - plastic and aluminium laminated together.
We throw them away without thinking twice, every single month, for our entire lives.
At ohGiGi®️ we made a decision from day one to package our toothpowders in reusable glass jars with compostable refill sachets. We’re on a mission to divert 1 million toothpaste tubes from landfill.
We’ve diverted over 120,000 so far and every jar is a small act of change.
So What Did We Do?
We couldn’t find a toothpaste we felt good about using.
So we made one.
ohGiGi®️ toothpowders are made from pure, food-grade mineral rich Australian clays, bush botanicals and essential oils. No sugar. No SLS. No PEGs. No synthetic anything.
Just ingredients your mouth, and your whole body will actually thank you for.
Because what you put in your mouth twice a day, every day, matters more than most people realise.