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Sian Victoria © - Woman in bathroom brushing teeth

Vegan Cruelty-free Oral Hygiene Brands

Although many mainstream household brands are not fully committed to being sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free. Positive change is happening across all industries to respond to consumer demand for kinder products.

Unfortunately, changes to all product ranges are not going to happen overnight. But in the meantime, purchasing only ethical products will make all the difference and reduce the demand for unethical products. Eventually, this should encourage companies to change their formulations, practices and the materials they use, sooner rather than later.

A staple product we use daily is toothpaste. So, it makes sense to swap this for a kinder alternative as it’s something we consume often. Most kinds of toothpaste contain animal-derived ingredients such as calcium phosphate that has been extracted from bone char, propolis from bees and Glycerin. Glycerin can be extracted from animals, plants, vegetables and petroleum. The source isn’t always stated so unless it says vegetable derived, I’d assume it’s not a friendly source.

If you consider how much toothpaste the world gets through daily. You’d be shocked to find out that most tubes cannot be recycled because they contain multiple types of plastic sandwiched between an aluminium layer to keep the ingredients fresh.

So, what sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste is there to try?

1. Ecodenta

Sian Victoria © - Ecodenta natural toothpaste, Organic Sensitivity Relief & Triple Force

Ecodenta is a Lithuanian brand founded by biochemists who have created innovative natural and organic cosmetics enriched with plant-based, herbal, bio-technological and synthetic active ingredients for over 30 years. The science-led brand is against animal testing but is not fully vegan.

My favourite vegan product from them is the Ecodenta Organic Sensitivity Relief Toothpaste with Salt. It is formulated without fluoride and helps to prevent tartar and plaque formation. Alongside Potassium citrate, Aloe Vera juice and Peppermint essential oil to create a protective barrier around sensitive teeth.

In the UK Ecodenta can be found in Boots, Savers and Holland & Barrett. However, there are many stockiest of the brand in most parts of the world so they should not be difficult to find.

2. Colgate Smile For Good

Sian Victoria © - Colgate Smile for good toothpaste & bamboo tooth brush

If you’re not too sure about using an unfamiliar brand of toothpaste. You’ll be pleased to know Colgate the leading toothpaste brand launched two Certified vegan tubes of toothpaste made in recyclable packaging.

Despite Colgate not being a cruelty-free brand, they have registered with the Vegan Society to certify that these two products do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and they have not been tested on animals.

The Colgate Smile For Good toothpaste comes in two varieties, whitening and protection. Despite being 99.7% natural and containing fewer ingredients than the non-vegan kinds of toothpaste. A tube does cost considerably more, as I paid £5 for this. As well as £4 for the bamboo plastic-free toothbrush which I later discovered was coated with beeswax.

Although it seems that they may be taking advantage of ethical consumers at that price. They have invested into launching the first-ever recyclable toothpaste tube and have also shared how to produce the High-Density Polyethylene tube with its competitors, to encourage the mainstream adoption of using recyclable toothpaste tubes.

Plus, they have partnered with Terracycle to launch the Oral Care Recycling Programme, with there being 757 participating locations in the UK alone to recycle all oral care products and packaging. So, for that reason, I’m happy to pay a premium price, although to be honest, I do stock up when it’s on offer.

Nonetheless, let's hope more brands start to use recyclable tubes and start to sell more vegan, natural and cruelty-free oral hygiene products. In the meantime, these brands are good options to buy and the Recycling Programme is a great service to use. My nearby drop off is at a city church so I have no excuses not to recycle.

3. Biomed

Sian Victoria © - biomed sensitive toothpaste

Now back onto a lesser-known dental brand that’s just as effective as Colgate but has products that are all cruelty-free and vegan. biomed toothpaste is not only plant-based but is also gluten-free and contains up to 98% natural ingredients. Besides toothpaste, they have mouthwash too and are available at Boots, Holland & Barret, and Sainsbury’s to name a few.

My Biomed toothpaste of choice is the biomed Sensitive toothpaste which helps with enamel strengthening and sensitivity reduction. Which are the two main dental problems I have. So, not only is it natural it is effective at reducing the pain I can often feel in my teeth too.

The fluoride-free formula contains fifteen key natural ingredients such as red grape seed extract to protect against tooth decay while promoting healthy gums and calcium and L-Arginine to strengthen and restore tooth enamel while reducing sensitivity. Plus, there’s an extract of oak bark, plantain, and birch leaf to aid in soothing gums.

To conclude

So there we have it for now. I will be adding to this list everytime I try something new I like. So, let me know if there is a brand I need to try out. If I find them effective to use, they’ll be added to my list of vegan and cruelty-free dental recommendations.

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