By Guest Author Heather Dessinger of Mommypotamus
Do You Ever Wonder . . .
About the people who write product warnings? Consider the things they tell us not to swallow:
Okay, on that last one I have a real question: How am I supposed to not swallow for 20 minutes while stuff fizzes out of a plastic tray into my mouth?
The answer, of course, is that I’m not. Package inserts are often more about reducing liability than educating the consumer. Case in point? Printing “may irritate eyes” on a can of pepper spray, and the “warnings” about gum irritation that come with tooth whiteners. If they really wanted to educate consumers, the label would say:
WARNING: This product is likely to contain coal tar, fluoride, aspartame, aluminum and benzene and has demonstrated acute toxicological effects in rats, including but not limited to labored breathing, bloody urine, infertility and incontinence. (source1, source 2)
Fortunately, there’s an easier, cheaper, and completely natural way to whiten your teeth in less than 3 minutes a day. It’s one of the six tooth care recipes I share in my brand new ebook, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes. And like many truly healthy options, the solution seems almost counter-intuitive. Eat fat to lose fat? Check! Brush your teeth with something that looks like squid ink for a dazzling, pearly white smile? Surprisingly, that works, too.
Activated Charcoal: The Secret To Naturally White Teeth
Activated charcoal – also called activated carbon – is made by processing charcoal with oxygen and either calcium chloride or zinc chloride. It was used medicinally by both Hippocrates and the ancient Egyptians, and it is still the poison remedy of choice in modern day emergency rooms. Why? Because it’s highly adsorptive, which in plain English means it attracts substances to its surface like a magnet. Like absorptive substances which work like a sponge, adsorptive materials bind with certain compounds and prevent our bodies from using them.
Fortunately for us, activated charcoal is a bit particular about what it locks onto. It’s not interested in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc and other compounds you probably want to hang onto (including your tooth enamel). It does, however, happen to like tannins – the compounds found in coffee, tea (even herbal tea), blueberries, wine and spices like cinnamon that stain our teeth. As a bonus, activated charcoal also balances the mouth’s pH and is even considered beneficial enough to be used in some tooth re-mineralization formulas.
So, are you ready to give it a try? Good!
No wait, there is something I forgot to tell you. This is really important so I hope you’re scrunched up to your screen nice and close. Ready? Okay! Folks, this stuff WORKS. When you start noticing children in grocery carts and little old ladies hovering in your vicinity, you don’t need to go check your makeup in the mirror. They just want to see you smile again. Okay? As someone who used to pop in whitening trays every day I was skeptical, but give this stuff a week or two and you’ll be amazed. Okay, moving on!
How To Whiten Your Teeth With Activated Charcoal
There is no “right” way to whiten teeth with activated charcoal. Koreans put it in their toothpaste, Crunchy Betty swishes with it, and some people simply brush it on straight. Personally, I prefer the following method:
- Open a capsule (about 1/8 teaspoon) and pour about half into a cup.
- Wet your toothbrush and dip it in the charcoal, then brush gently. Keep in mind that you are not trying to scrub your enamel, you are simply massaging the surface of your teeth with the activated charcoal so that it can attract tannins like a magnet.
- After brushing, hold it in your mouth for 2-3 minutes to allow it to continue to work.
- Spit and rinse thoroughly, then follow with a second brushing using your regular tooth powder/paste.
- Now look in the mirror and smile. You may see a difference with the first application. If not, give it a few days to a week and I promise you will!
Want More Recipes?
In my new 180 page guide, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes, I’ll show you how to boost the whitening power of activated charcoal with a minty-fresh mouthwash. You’ll also discover how ridiculously easy it is to make your own beauty products: Quick yet luxurious gifts for the holiday season, fabulous shampoos, conditioners, body sprays, lotions, deodorants, baby products and more!
* Activated charcoal does bind with iodine and may bind with other vitamins and minerals the body needs, so it is not usually recommended for internal use except when dealing with acute situations such as chemical or food poisoning. Activated charcoal does not work in situations where the material ingested is caustic, such as lye.
About Heather
Heather Dessinger, aka The Mommypotamus, is a wife, blogger and mom to two amazing kiddos, both waterborn at home. She loves all things fermenty, talks to sock puppets, and dreams of owning her very own flock of backyard chickens. She is the author of two ebooks. Nourished Baby is a simple guide to introducing real food to little ones, and DIY Organic Beauty Recipes is a collection of 50+ beauty and personal care product recipes that really work.
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{ 91 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this tip, the last time I had a cleaning the hygenist cleaned off the stains on the underside of my lower front teeth, but did nothing for the stains on the outside of my teeth, the aspect that’s actually visible. I did notice that the office was big on promoting their teeth whitening services. I drink a lot of herbal tea, and my herbal mouthwash can be staining. I will definitely give this a try, one more tool in my self-care tool-kit.
How often should I do this? Once a day?
Thanks so much!
Started doing this DIY natural remedy Wednesday of this week, I saw results on my first try! I do it twice a day and follow it by a regular brushing, its works!
Sounds good! But where on earth can we buy activated charcoal? Thanks for your help!
You can buy it at any health food store, such as local co-ops, or the bigger, Whole Foods, etc.
If you have a Shoprunner account, there’s a few stores you can buy it from through them to get free shipping. It’s cheaper through Amazon, though, if you have Prime.
Our Walgreen’s had it!
If you’re in Tennessee, you can get it at http://www.BulkNaturalFoods.com during a “dry goods” order.
Hi Erin!!
So glad to find out that you read Sarah’s blog!
Loving the Fuji apples we got, too!
Stacey Simpson
Nope, I use baking soda!
How often do you use baking soda? and how well does that work?
You can buy it at walgreens, or the grocery store, too generally. I found mine in the section by the “antacids” and stuff for indigestion or gas.
i do oil pulling, too.
I am SO going to try this! I’ve been looking for an effective and natural teeth whitener. I tried the baking soda + hydrogen peroxide, but that irritated my gums.
Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance\’s last post: Here’s $10 at my favorite online health store!
This totally works. Do it just as Heather suggests … works better than swishing I think. Plus, your teeth get whiter but don’t get that fake white that screams “I WHITEN MY TEETH” to everyone … they look natural, healthy, and whiter but not snow white which I think looks fake.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Whiten Your Teeth Naturally With No Dangerous Chemicals
It does look fake! I wondered if people were trying to make their teeth the same white as their eyeballs.
Tiffanie Beaumont you have to try this Tiffanie. It works way better than baking soda.
Where can I purchase good quality activated charcoal pills?
that’s funny! i’ve had a bottle of unopened activated charcoal capsules that i never used for traveling. great idea to out it to use!
great tip! thanks.
emily duff\’s last post: Fish ‘n Chips
Thank you Heather for this posting. This topic is so timely since I have been giving a lot of thought on what I can do to whiten my teeth. I recently started using tooth chips (soap for teeth) and Herbal Tooth from Rose of Sharon Acres which I really like.
I have some activated charcoal for mascara recipe so I will have to give this a try. I’m glad I didn’t throw out the activated charcoal because the first mascara recipe I tried did not work but I came across another recipe which I’m going to try. I asked my husband for your book so I hope I it will be under our Christmas tree!
Gissel Delvillar Orellana The healthfood store has bottles for about $10
All you need is to rinse with peroxide for 1 min before brushing! It’s great to fight gum disease too and costs 89cents a bottle. I’m a Dental Hygienist.
Yes, but if you have mercury amalgam fillings won’t it cause more mercury loss with the H2O2?
That is correct. You shouldn’t rinse with peroxide if you have amalgam fillings in your mouth.
Good Job Jean Market!
what is hydrogen peroxide is unsafe to put in the mouth like that?
Food grade peroxide?
our Goga Studio has “sole” and it works wonderfully to whiten teeth and help the gums!!
what is ‘sole’??
I always encourage people not to use whitening strips. I used them for one week, got a huge cavity on my front tooth, and had to have a root canal. This, of course, was before I knew about the dangers of root canals. Before I used the strip, there was not even a hint of decay on the tooth, and then so quickly a huge cavity developed. I know it was the strips.
Activated charcoal works wonderfully. Been using it for a while myself.
Whoot! Can’t WAIT to try it! I’ve been thinking there must be a healthy solution for whiter teeth but I didn’t know what it was. Thanks Sarah!
Yes I use it too and it has helped whiten so much
Could someone please post the mascara recipe. My current tube is about done and I don’t want to buy another commercial product. Thanks. Love your blog Sarah!!
Thanks for the tip – trying it today!!!!
Here is the mascara recipe. I haven’t tried it yet so if you try it Deb, let me know how it goes.
2 tsp coconut oil
4 tsp aloe vera gel
1/2 tsp grated bees wax (grate then measure)
1 – 2 capsules of activated charcoal
a clean mascara container (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGVIQ4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005UGVIQ4&linkCode=as2&tag=than01-20)
1. Put coconut oil, aloe vera gel, and grated bees wax in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until beeswax is completely melted.
2. Open 1 – 2 capsules of activated charcoal (depending on desired color, about 1/4 – 1/2 tsp) and pour into oil mixture. Stir until completely incorporated. Remove from heat.
3. Pour into a small plastic bag, pushing the mixture down to one corner. Then cut a very small hole in the opposite corner of the bag.
4. Fold the corner with the cut whole until you have a small tip that you can push into the empty mascara tube. (It’s much easier if you have an extra set of hands nearby to hold the tube in place!) Make sure the tip goes far enough into the tube or you’ll have a big mess on your hands!
5. Keep the small-hole-end securely in the tube (or get your helper to hold it in place). Begin pressing the mascara mixture toward the tube. Don’t move too quickly or it will come out and you’ll have mess to deal with. (I highly recommend doing this with a paper towel or napkin underneath.) Keep moving the mixture into the tube until it’s all in.
6. Place the inner cap in place and then twist the wand on tightly.
I saw this recipe online a while ago. I want to try it so badly but I’m allergic to coconut. There doesn’t seem to be any decent substitute for coconut oil in most recipes because it thickens at room temperature unlike most oils or butters. I haven’t worn any makeup in over a year now, I miss it.
You can wear mascara again…use a frozen blackberry that has set for about 3 minutes( they are juicier than fresh and easier to store), rub a q-tip to get berry juice on it and then dip into some spurlina powder to make it a litte darker then put in lashes
Will have to try this as I already have sensitive teeth.
I use 3 T baking soda, 1 tablet charcoal and 2 tablets probiotic, mix. dip braush and brush. works great for bad breath whoiteing and cleanig. add essoil kif you want fovor. 1or 2 frops befoe you mix
Amanda Silver, read this!!
I use bananas. It naturally whitens as well.
How timely! Just noticing my son’s yellowish teeth a few minutes ago. Thanks!!
So excited to try this!!! I’m a dental hygienist and feel like I need to have a dazzling smile, but I refuse to use the whitening gels. Thanks!!!!
Activated charcoal works way better than swishing with hydrogen peroxide in my experience. Like, tons better.
Oh this is so cool! I have had a bag of activated charcoal for a year and had not dared to try it on anything! Thank you! I usually use baking soda..so, I am anxious to try this! Also, if you go to bulkherbstore.com and look around, they have other uses for activated charcoal. (:
how fabulous. love when the thing you think NOT to do is the very thing that works, ie eat fat to lost fat, use activated charcoal to whiten teeth. thanks so much and i’ll definitely try this!
thanks niki,charcoal is a great benefit. i forgot
I found that once I switched from store bought milk to raw milk my teeth got noticeably whiter in 3-4 weeks. It was a dramatic change. I’m guessing that the calcium in raw milk is much more absorbable than in pasturized milk.
I just tried this and I could easily notice a difference. I guess my toothbrush will be black by the end of the week, but I can already tell my teeth will be nice and white. Thanks!
Small grammatical error but “it’s” when used possessively does not have an apostrophe. Otherwise you are saying “it is”. I noticed one someone in the article. Otherwise, thanks for the tip!
I noticed one “somewhere” in the article. LOL. Guess we all make those errors.
Ha! Love this! – just though I’d pull my too scents in!
Wow! Thanks Lel. Can’t wait to try this. I’ll need to collect the supplies. Maybe over Christmas vacation.
This sounds awesome…I will definitely give this a try. My son’s adult teeth have started to come in and they are noticeably much more yellow then the baby teeth the dentist whitened when he was 5 while fixing his cavities. I didn’t know anything about Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil back then. His adult teeth also have white spots…I believe from fluoride. Does this taste bad? He is nine now and I am trying everything to undue what has been done…thanks!
Wow awesome, thanks! Love your work
This is another excellent use for activated charcoal, I hope everyone tries it! Charcoal is such an essential part of the home “real medicine” cabinet…it is wonderful for nausea, diarrhea, toxicity (great for GAPS detoxing, too), even sore throats! (check out my recent post for more on that) You can buy it in bulk. Never wanting to be without it, I buy charcoal by the bucket from: http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/medicinal_charcoal
gabi\’s last post: Radically Natural Healing for Coughs and Sore Throats
Is this safe to do while pregnant or breastfeeding?
I think I will try it.
You could put some in my Christmas stocking, you know.
Yippy!!! Two of my favorite blogs together!! Thanks for the great info.!!
I’ve been wanting to try this! Maybe I should hope for some activated charcoal in my stocking (the only kind of coal I’d be excited about!)
I have to remember to check the health foods store next time I’m there…
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen\’s last post: Bittersweet Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
What does the charcoal taste like. Doesn’t sound good.
I didn’t see an apostrophe error, and I usually notice those things! Thanks for the great tip, Heather!
Hmm I will give it a try… but I am pretty sure that I just have naturally yucky coloured teeth
Sure they may be a bit stained… but honestly as far as I remember my teeth have always been yellowish (two of my kids are the same… so I have to assume it’s just an inherited yucky colour?!).
But yeah… it’s always worth a try! (And I don’t bother with trying to bleach my teeth as it’s never worked… I’ve always sort of figured I’d need to save for veneers in order to achieve pretty teeth)!
I did this last week and it worked really well. My teeth were yellow and have some embarrassingly dark stains on them. My boyfriend mentioned something about buying a store bought tooth whitener but I wanted to try a more natural route first. They were noticeably whiter after just one application. It didn’t even make a big mess which I had been worried about. Does anyone know if it’s safe enough to do every day until they are white enough or should I give my teeth a break and only do it once a week?
Ok I gotta try it – ordered from Vitacost and we’ll see! Seems backwards to brush your teeth with something black but hey, whatever works and isn’t toxic! Thanks for the great tip.
Would this activated charcoal work in a detox situation? My doctor says I have a fatty liver and to cut back on fats and take 2-400mg vitamin E pills a day. I have no plan to stop my traditional fats or cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil. I believe the problems with my liver stem from the 3 hydrocodone pain pills I take every day with tylenol. I want to find some way to detox my body and see if this helps me. I also want to find some program to get off the pain pills period.
Wendell, have you considered doing a series of liver cleanses? An excellent author on this subject, as well as other health topics, is Andreas Moritz. One of his books is called “The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush.” Except that he promotes a mostly vegan diet (he does approve of butter), which is what worked for him. the book is very educational. I’ve done the flush 5 times and will continue until I see no more stones. There’s a wealth of information on his website. Here’s an article specifically about Fatty Liver Disease and a lack of choline: http://www.ener-chi.com/fatty-liver-disease-choline-provides-a-nutritional-solution-for-a-silent-epidemic/
Here’s his general website: http://www.ener-chi.com
i wanted to know if you have porclean crowns can you use this method, i made the mistake of having dental work done before i discoverd your website and nourishing traditions approach. also i have been usoinf artic cod liver liquid for 2years from whole foods had and you mentioned not to get store bought so where to you get your cod liver oil from ?
Lynn, a lot of people in the Traditional Foods, Nourishing Traditions circle get their cod liver oil in fermented form (is said to be the best) from Green Pasture.org. You can get just the fermented CLO or in a mixture with High Vitamin Butter Oil (found by Weston A Price to be the most nutritious form of butter). http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/ButterCodLiverBlend/index.cfm
Anybody have a recipe for making activated charcoal at home? I remember looking online sometime ago for how to make it myself and was disappointed by what I found online as none of it leant itself to my trying it out at home…
So, I have an entire large can of activated charcoal and perpetually stained teeth, so I thought I would try this. Not unpleasant, though I felt massaging the charcoal around with my finger was more effective than the tooth brush. I can notice a difference! Awesome! That said, I have black charcoal residue stuck in my gum line. That isn’t to assume everyone will have this issue… But to be safe maybe don’t do this before a date or a job interview. I think it should go away, we’ll see what the morning brings. I think I’ll keep it up, being mindful of doing it on a few day at home stretch.
I am very interested in trying this but have one question. I have a tooth (right in front) that was cracked when I was young but never had a root canal done on it. The root and whatever else is on the inside is dead and has turned dark. I tried to have it bleached but it wouldn’t take the bleach. Do you think using the activated charcoal would help or just make that tooth look darker compared to the other teeth?
This is so great! I was just thinking about finding a natural way to whiten teeth since I drink black tea every morning. Thanks for the great post!
Hannah Healy @ Healy Real Food Vegetarian\’s last post: How to Stay Full in the Morning: Power Breakfast Parfait
Supposedly my teeth are discolored because my mom took tetracycline when she was pregnant with me. Will it work on my teeth?
Anyone heard of http://toothsoap.com ??
Good Post and great tip with charcoal. Also Rinsing your teeth with Lemon juice can help to whiten your teeth and help dissolve the free radicals overall!
Definitely going to try this.
We also brush occasionally with Black Walnut Powder, which helps get rid of cavities & also helps with whitening too. However one day my oldest son had dark stains on his two front teeth – maybe from drinking a lot of tea, and the Black Walnut Powder didn’t help to get rid of it, neither did our homemade toothpaste (baking soda, real salt, coconut oil). After looking for quite awhile to try and find a solution, I finally came across someone who suggested Peppermint Essential Oil on a q-tip, dipped in a small amount of banking soda, then rubbed on the teeth. It worked!!!
I’m a facebook fan and have been a reader for quite some time, but never really comment. Well, I have to say that I tried this on my teeth today and WOW! It’s just what I needed -such amazing results (my teeth were not yellow at all, but had yellowed some after years with out using bleaching systems). I am overjoyed at finding something simple, inexpensive, non-destructive and natural that truly gives results (it’s the little things, right?…) Thanks for sharing this!
Can I use this while pregnant??
My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right.
This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this information!
Thanks!
the fatty liver solution book\’s last post: the fatty liver solution book
I was wondering if you make your own infant/toddler/children’s toothpaste? I have been using a toothpaste with Xylitol in it and am finding out that Xylitol isnt so great to use daily! Any information you could pass along would be greatly appreciated.
I have used this many times. It is the only thing that has gotten some specific dark spots out of my teeth that reappear every once in a while. A few people asked how it tastes. There isn’t really a taste, just the sensation of dry powder in your mouth.
I haven’t tried charcoal for tooth whitening, but we use it for upset tummies. It doesn’t taste like much, just feels a bit gross. And it’s safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.
I was thinking that iron WAS one of the few desirable nutrients it will adsorb, though?
Oh dear! that sounds truly fantastic! Seems way, way better than a baking soda. How much does this charcoal capsule costs? Is there some of these here in US?
Love the activated charcoal tip! I will be sure to try that!
Interesting! Thank you for sharing.
I wonder if this can be used to absorb toxic food.
I personally use therapeutic grade essential oils mixed with salt, olive oil, and clay. I don’t rinse my teeth right away and swish the mixture mixed with my saliva for as long as I can. Therapeutic grade essential oils whiten my teeth and penetrate into the bones, killing germs.
Great stuff, here’s also a good read on how to whiten your teeth at home: http://dailyweighin.com/beauty/5-natural-ways-to-whiten-your-teeth-at-home/
I’ve never heard of this nor would I have ever thought to try this. Thanks for sharing. Really interesting! I’m looking forward to trying it out.
I’m 17 weeks pregnant. Is it okay for me to use either charcoal or the clay?
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