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Mrs Green shares some green links!
I’ve found some great posts on the Internet this week from eco warriors across the globe.
From home made toothpaste to challenging climate deniers; have a browse and enjoy!
Home made toothpaste recipes
On Naturally Cheerful this week Sarah shared two recipes she had for home made toothpaste.
She made these for her children so they are suitably mild flavoured: orange and vanilla flavoured! 9which would also be great for people using homeopathic remedies who have to avoid mint).
Climate Reality Project
Good Girl Gone Green has been exploring climate change deniers and introduced her readers to The Climate Reality Project where Al Gore along with 23 other speakers will be discussing climate change and dispelling false claims made by its deniers.
Live stream at the Climate Reality Project begins tomorrow, so be sure to follow and let me know what you think of it.
Decluttering books
Over on not easy to be greegn, Jen has been decluttering her books.
It’s been a difficult time because she has a sentimental attachment to many of them.
She’s now ready for the next step and has ascertained 8 ‘bad’ reasons she’s been holding onto books to help her release some of them; check them out and see if they resonate with you.
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I am so thrilled that you like my toothpaste recipe.
My dentist was upset when I told him I was using baking soda. He said baking soda would remove tooth enamel, thinning it, because it is too abrasive for teeth. He told me not to use it more than once a month. Your dentist may feel differently.
Hi Mrs Green,
Used toothpaste tubes are a particular annoyance, like much of the leftover pharmaceutical type packaging, and home-made toothpaste is therefore worth investigating to end this recurring waste outcome. Thanks for the recipe link. Some points to consider are – the best way to prepare mint (spearmint in my case) for the mix, the length of storage (including freezing) for the paste, and the paste’s effect on teeth and gums. Since Zero Waste accounts for most of my toiletries already, this will get particular attention.
On the issue of climate change, and the possible human contribution, there is a lot of heat in the internet debates. My advice for anyone interested is to visit climatologist Judith Curry’s website Climate Etc… (http://www.judithcurry.com). There, all aspects of the science, politics and advocacy involved are covered. My interest is purely scientific and I am hopeful that climatology will become a great science from its controversial, early beginnings.
Why are toothpaste tube boxes made out of silver plastic covered cardboad and why do the tubes need them anyway?
I make it a months worth at a time, it store just fine in the jar and we use a new spoon every time to put it on our brushes. I have stored it in the fridge but it didn’t make any difference.
I have been making it for going on 6 years now. And we go to the dentist every 6 months. We have never had any cavities and no gingivitis or other teeth problems.
As far as spearmint goes (I make it this way for my husband who prefers mint). Make some strong tea 1-2 oz of very hot but not boiling water, and then use that in place of the water. It adds a light minty taste and a bit of green color to the paste.
@Sarah: Thanks for sharing your experience and your recipe Sarah; I’ve heard people worried about baking soda too, but others say it’s fine. I’ve even seen commercial toothpaste with baking soda in it, so it can’t be all bad! Thanks too for answering John’s questions; it was really interesting.
@John Costigane: John, thanks for the link to Judith’s site…
@Jane: I know! There is no need for the cardboard as much of the time it only repeats what is stamped on the tube anyway!
@Practical Parsimony: Yes I’ve heard this too, but as I mentioned to Sarah; I’ve also seen brands using baking soda and it’s a great advertising point – I’m not sure what to believe!
For what it’s worth, my dentist says baking soda (bicarbonate of soda??) is fine once per day. For the second brushing we use plain water. Neither of us has ever had a cavity and we have been doing this for a few years now (maybe 4?). I’ve never used fresh mint before…I use extract. I am about to start some extract using fresh mint from my garden, though, so maybe that counts. 🙂
We do baking soda (1/4 cup or so), a little glycerin (not too much…maybe a teaspoon…it coats your teeth and may prevent them from remineralizing, although that’s not proven), a very little dash of mint extract, and water mashed in with a fork to make it pasty. I don’t buy baby food, but it stores really well in spice jars.
@Kate: thanks for sharing your experiences about the baking soda, Kate. I’ve heard the thing about glycerin too – it’s a minefield isn’t it?!