Hello everyone! I thought I would do a collective post, gathering all information about zero waste alternatives to all things related to dental hygiene, so here goes.
Homemade Toothpaste: The first thing I made when I got into zero waste was toothpaste – see the recipe here, because it was super easy! I was actually quite happy with it at first but soon I grew tired of it and ended up serious dreading that part of the day, as I got nauseous from the mixture. Although I know a lot of people how simply love it, so give it a go before you say no!
Bamboo Toothbrush: I researched many brands and I found that most brands use non-compostable bristles, which is sad. However, I still like my brush, get it here. This is one of the things which makes a huge impact and it is so easy to make the switch to a eco-friendly brush, just do it now!
Dental Tabs: Something I tried recently, but gazed at several times, are dental tabs! As I grew tired of homemade toothpaste, this is just great! I made a video review where I go into mere detail – watch it here! They came from Monomeer.de in a paper bag and they have a great mint taste!
Compostable floss: I never flossed, which is so stupid, but now where there is no excuse and I going to! This floss made from silk and covered in beeswax is amazing, and compostable! What is not to love! So far I have only seen it one place and it is here!
Great tips! I found that switching my bathroom essentials was relatively easy when first starting out. I have floss made from beeswax, too! I find it works better than traditional floss anyway. Thanks for sharing!
Question for your Q/A:
Have you considered that your hairstyle (dreadlocks specifically) is a form of cultural appropriation since you are white? Do you not care, or are you just uninformed? Your zero-waste posts are very inspirational btw.
I would love to go into detail in a video – however ‘uninformed’ is a wrong as it can possibly be – do research, dreadlocks appear in ancient Greece, the Middle East and in Africa – they play importance symbolic roles in both Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity as well, therefore dreadlocks are not restricted and does not belong to ONE culture.
You might be interested in this water flosser, called Pocket Flosser, as an alternative to string floss. 🙂
Water flossers works just as good, or even better, than string floss. It’s basically water pressure pushing food debris (and even plaque) off. What’s great about Pocket Flosser is that it doesn’t need any electricity or even batteries so you don’t have to worry about energy. It only requires easy manual hand pump to accumulate pressure then it’s just as good. While this doesn’t necessarily fit in your pockets (as the name may suggest, the pocket actually refers to spaces in between the teeth), I still think it’s a better alternative to those pricey and stationary water flossers, and it’s still very handy when traveling. This pump is made of BPA-free food-grade silicon. It’s also better because it’s only a one-time purchase and you don’t have to worry about running out or disposing anything. 🙂 Plus, it won’t hurt your fingers and gums!
If you would love to get this product, you can get them here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1781019896/pocket-flosser-flossing-made-simple-and-pain-free/description
They ship for free in the US. 🙂
Spread the word to help this product come to life and go zero waste! 🙂