Homemade Toothpaste for Kids (Safe, Natural & Easy to Make)

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Looking for a safe, simple way to keep your kids’ teeth clean — without all the questionable ingredients? This homemade toothpaste is kid-safe, effective, and made with just a few gentle, natural ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

As part of our Thrive Beside Me wellness series, I’m sharing more clean living swaps that help families simplify health without stress. Toothpaste is a great place to start!

Why Make Your Own Toothpaste?

Many store-bought toothpastes — even ones for kids — include ingredients like:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) – can cause mouth irritation or canker sores

• Artificial sweeteners & dyes – unnecessary and potentially harmful

• Triclosan (in some pastes) – a banned antibacterial linked to hormone disruption

• Fluoride – controversial in early childhood or if swallowed

While there’s debate about fluoride, many parents choose a fluoride-free option for babies, toddlers, or kids who haven’t mastered spitting yet.

This homemade version is gentle, affordable, and safe if swallowed — making it ideal for younger children or families who want to avoid synthetic ingredients.

Homemade Toothpaste (Earthpaste Copycat)

• 2 Tbsp Redmond (bentonite) Clay
• 1/4 c. Water
• 4 drops Tea Tree Oil
• 1/4 tsp xylitol (optional, but my kids won’t use it otherwise!)
• 10-15 Drops of essential oils (peppermint, citrus or cinnamon are our favorites)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 capsules of Activated Charcoal (adds a whitening element!)

Mix it all up and taste to make sure it is to your liking. You can add more oils or sweetener to make it taste good. I like mine peppermint flavored, the kids like a citrus mix (orange, lemon & grapefruit) and my husband prefers cinnamon.  There are lots of flavor options. Avoid using essential oils for children under age 2.

Just one note, when using bentonite clay, you are not supposed to use metal utensils when making or storing. It does something to it to make it less effective.

I found these awesome silicone squeeze tubes that we put ours into. It tends to dry out and get hard to squeeze after a little while, so I just open the top, add a tiny bit more water and massage it around a bit. It moistens it right back up perfectly.  This recipe filled one tube.

So what do you think? Would you use homemade toothpaste?

See all of my healthy living posts as I develop my new Thrive Beside Me series!