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Author:
September 20, 2024
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she’s held beauty roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Image by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy
September 20, 2024
Making the switch to sulfate-free anything can feel strange for those who have spent their entire lives using high-lathering, squeaky-clean-feeling formulas. For many of us, we’ve been trained to equate that tight, scrubbed sensation with effectiveness.
Of course, many clean and natural beauty lovers realized that maybe—just maybe!—It wasn’t good to strip our bodies of their natural oils and hydration and disrupt our balance on a daily basis. And so, sulfate-free shampoos, body washes, and facial cleansers returned to the mainstream.
But even for the sulfate-free devotees, making the switch to oral care has proved to be a challenge. So many people I talk to say they just can’t make the transition to natural toothpaste—even if they’ve done so in other aspects of their routine: They’re just too attached to a deep clean sensation, and they feel they just can’t seem to get it outside of traditional pastes. Well, I tried the new Wellnesse Charcoal Toothpaste, and I think I’ve found the new product I’ll be recommending to those people.
How this toothpaste gives you a deep clean feeling—without the sulfates
Like many natural toothpastes, the base of the blend is a botanical-derived surfactant. In place of sulfates, natural brands often use coconut-derived surfactants that are much gentler (and better for you) than their counterparts. This is true of shampoos, washes, cleansers, and yes, oral care. But then this option folds in an activated charcoal powder, the star ingredient that gives your mouth that oh-so-fresh feeling.
Charcoal has long been used in beauty for its detoxifying properties. Now, whenever you bring up “detox” in the beauty space, things can get a bit suspect—but there’s proper science here. Allow me to explain: activated charcoal is a very porous material that quite literally soaks up the things around it.
That’s why you may see it used in pore-clearing masks and washes, as it sucks the gunk out of your pores. Or it’s sometimes an ingredient in scalp masks or clarifying shampoos to effectively lift up debris on the scalp or buildup on the strands. When used in oral care, it removes particles in the gums and mouth and can even lift stains from the teeth. And it does it without being too harsh or stripping: The charcoal is a fine powder that’s blended with emulsifiers, so it doesn’t grate teeth or act as an abrasive.
But the formula isn’t just about cleaning or whitening, it also infuses actives that strengthen the enamel and improves your overall oral health. They blend in a naturally occurring mineral called hydroxyapatite, which is what your own enamel is made out of. When used topically, it can help strengthen and protect your teeth.
There’s also green tea powder, a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals in the mouth, is an anti-inflammatory (very important for gum health), and can even help deal with bad breath. The formula is then sweetened with stevia and freshened with mint because the sensorial aspect of the formula is just as important: You won’t use it if it tastes or feels bad, no?
Seriously, If you’ve tried and failed to make the switch to natural toothpaste, this Wellnesse Charcoal Toothpaste might be your game-changer.