What is exactly is in your toothpaste and why you should care
recently come across a list of ingredients in Colgate Whitening Toothpaste currently marketed at AUD2.60. This is the kind of cheap toothpaste I have used for over 30 years so I was immediately drawn to the ingredients list. As a huge advocate for everything organic and natural, I am obsessed with the ingredients that go into what I use or consume and I wanted to compare them to the Zacoli Organic Mineral Toothpaste. And….. here are the ingredients for the Colgate toothpaste!
Water, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Glycerin, PEG12, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Flavour, Cellulose Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Fluoride, Carrageenan, Sodium Saccharin. Contains the equivalent of 1450 ppm FluorideAnd these are the ingredients for Zacoli Organic Mineral Toothpaste;
Extra-virgin cold-pressed coconut oil*^, bentonite clay*^, kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth^, calcium carbonate^, and peppermint essential oil*Certified organic ingredients^food gradeI was speechless for a few minutes… Not one ingredient in the Colgate list looks good to me. I can’t believe this is the kind of cr*p I’ve been putting in my mouth for over 30 years and would have absorbed and swallowed a good chunk of it.So I started digging deep to really understand each and every ingredients on the list. This is what I found after days of research, and I thought you may also want to know. For further information, read the sources belowWaterYou know what this is so I won’t go into details here.Hydrated SilicaMade from a crystallized compound found in quartz, sand, and flint. Primarily used as an abrasive or whitening agent in toothpaste. Sounds harmless? Yes but using this abrasive is like rubbing sandpaper on your teeth, it interferes with the teeth remineralising process and it wears away your teeth enamel. Long term use can pose significant harm to your teeth.
SorbitalA liquid used to keep toothpaste from drying out, is a laxative that can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress if ingested especially in children.
Glycerin – a colorless and smell-less liquid that can be obtained from lard, tallow and usually from other more caustic sources. Glycerin is syrup-like, oily, and remains a fluid. Glycerin is also a main by-product from biodiesel production.Emerging evidence from Dr. Gerard Judd, Ph. D, suggests glycerin, has negative effects in the realm of oral health. He states:
“Glycerin in all toothpastes is so sticky that it takes 27 washes to get if off. Teeth brushed with any toothpaste are coated with a film and cannot properly reenamelise.”PEG12 (polyethylene glycols)Petroleum-based compounds often contaminated with measurable amounts of highly toxic carcinogenic contaminants, ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxanePEG compounds themselves show some evidence of genotoxicity and if used on broken skin can cause irritation and systemic toxicity. Also, PEG functions as a “penetration enhancer,” increasing the permeability of the skin to allow greater absorption of the product — including other harmful ingredients.Sodium Tripolyphosphate
A sodium salt of triphosphoric acid commonly incorporated into toothpastes for stain removal where its mild chelating properties interfere with stained pellicle integrity. However, these chelating properties may negatively impact on enamel surface finish.Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate is an odorless, white powder or granular solid. It is used in household and industrial cleaning compounds, as a water softener, metal cleaner and food additive, and for oil well drilling. For toothpaste, remove calcium and magnesium from the saliva, so they can’t deposit on teeth.
New Jersey Department of Health classified Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate as hazardous.
Acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate including;
- Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
- Inhaling Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate can irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and wheezing.
Chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate and can last for months or years and the exact effect is so to be established.Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
One of the most dangerous ingredients in personal care products used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toothpastes because it is a very effective foaming agent. Originally used to clean floors, sodium lauryl sulfate is a detergent known to cause microscopic tears in the mouth (which can lead to canker sores).
According to a 1983 report by the American College of Toxicology(ACT) SLS is “highly irritating and dangerous”.
Dr. Pal Barkvoll, an oral surgeon in Oslo, Norway concluded after doing a clinical study of toothpastes with and without sodium lauryl sulfate that SLS dries tissues in your mouth that protect against irritants such as acidic foods and drinks. He determined that SLS is a strong denaturing substance, which means it can cause disruption of cell activity, and possibly cell death. This study also showed that SLS can be a leading cause of canker sores and mouth ulcers.Flavour
What exactly is included in this? It could be anything! I don’t like not knowing exactly what is in this.Cellulose Gum
A thickening agent used in all kinds of food and toothpaste products. It comes from the cell walls of plants such as wood pulp and cottonseeds. It is a useful additive that acts as a stabilizing and thickening agent.
This ingredient is not found to be harmful or toxic although it also does not add any benefits to your teeth or gum. It simply makes the toothpaste feel thicker and creamier to make it more marketable.Titanium Dioxide
An insoluble, oxidized mineral found in the earth’s crust. It’s purified and processed into a fine white powder for use. It is most commonly used for its white pigmentation, opaqueness, and its ability to refract light and prevent discoloration. In toothpaste, titanium dioxide is used to provide whiteness to the product, making it more attractive and fresh looking. Titanium dioxide that is non-nanoparticles is generally safe to use topically as it doesn’t penetrate the skin.
However, titanium dioxide that is nanoparticles is dangerous. Nanoparticles are ultramicroscopic in size, making them able to readily penetrate your skin and travel to underlying blood vessels and your bloodstream. Many studies found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles may lead to neurological dysfunction, genetic disorders, and possibly cancer.
Recent studies have found titanium dioxide nanoparticles in many cosmetic products including toothpaste. This is because as part of processing, the titanium dioxide is often broken down into different sizes, including nanoparticles. Given the Colgate toothpaste has not been certified not to be nanoparticles, it is highly likely that nanoparticles are present.Sodium Fluoride
A source of fluoride in the production of toothpaste which has been believed to prevent teeth cavities.
Fluoride is classed as toxic by both inhalation and ingestion. It is a potent poison traditionally used to kill rodents and as a pesticide to kill bugs. The lethal dose for a 70 kg human is estimated at 5–10g.
The Food & Drug Administration in the US now requires that all fluoride toothpastes sold in the United States carry the poison warning. Poison control should be called if you swallow a quarter milligram of fluoride from toothpaste. A tube of fluoride toothpaste, including the child-friendly ones, has enough fluoride to kill an average-weighing child under the age of 9.
Fluoride is more toxic than lead and like lead in minute doses, accumulates in and can be damaging to brain/mind development of children, producing abnormal behavior in animals and reducing IQ in humans, especially in conjunction with deficiencies of key nutrients such as calcium, iodine and vitamins. It can also contribute to many disease processes.
Twenty-three studies from four countries indicate that even moderate exposure to fluoride lowers IQ.
The daily dose of fluoride recommended by the American Dental Association results in the same level of fluoride in the blood shown to cause an 8-point drop in IQ.Carrageenan
A thickening agent suspected of having carcinogenic activity. According to the featured report, food-grade carrageenan is associated with intestinal inflammation that can lead to cancer, even in small doses. Two decades’ worth of independent research has also linked it to:
• Increased free radical formation
• Inflammation (a precursor to cancer)
• Disrupted insulin metabolism
• Insulin resistance
• Glucose intoleranceSodium Saccharin
An artificial sweetener used as a flavoring agent. Saccharin is a known carcinogen in rats. It can also cause coughing, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
So do you still think that conventional toothpaste is safe for you or your children? Do you think that just because a product is widely available in the market, it must be safe?
This is exactly where my thinking was a little over five years ago, before my eyes were opened. It is a long journey to get to this point and it wasn’t an easy journey to take. But I’m so glad we took it and we have never looked back.
Like most people, I trusted that the government has done the hard work for us and wouldn’t allow anything toxic to be sold to the public, young and old alike. I trusted that the manufacturers themselves would care enough not to put toxic or harmful ingredients in their products.
But I was so wrong, blissfully ignorant and simply didn’t want to know because knowing means HARD WORK and EXTRA MONEY. But becoming a parent means I am responsible for the well-being of my children and I can no longer hide behind my ignorance. So the journey of researching and reading and more researching began and landed me where I am today…
We do the best we can with the resources we have to provide the best environment for our children to thrive and we do so by putting health over money and health over inconvenience. There are a lot of sacrifices we have to make to live this way but there is no regret.
Each of us has a journey of our own and this is the journey we choose to take.
——————-
Sources:
https://davidsuzuki.org/…/dirty-dozen-peg-compounds-contam…/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27619007/
https://www.mapleholistics.com/bl…/titanium-dioxide-dangers/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28391168
https://articles.mercola.com/…/titanium-dioxide-nanoparticl….
http://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1837.pdf
https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a…
https://articles.mercola.com/…/dr-bill-osmunson-on-fluoride…
