Page 293 - The Lost Ways

If you don’t have a toothbrush, use a finger with toothpaste on it, or create a brush from
a soft twig; chew on the twig ends to create a frayed edge, and use that as your brush.

The main ingredient of any toothpaste is an abrasive substance. This is usually baking soda
but could potentially be any inert material, even clay.

Here are two basic recipes that you can use as a starting point depending on what you
have available:

Basic Baking Soda Recipe

Baking soda is a great basic ingredient for toothpaste because, being abrasive, it can be
used to rub off any plaque buildup. To make this toothpaste, you’ll need the following:

❖ A cup of baking powder (abrasive)

❖ Pinch of salt (anti-bacterial)

❖ Water

Optionally, you can also add some tastier ingredient such as mint, which you can make up

yourself from mint leaves by finely chopping or grinding.

You then simply mix the baking soda and salt, adding the mint leaves if you wish. Add
water to the mix until you get the right consistency for your toothpaste.

Clay Toothpaste

If you can’t get a hold of baking soda, you can use clay. However, be careful as it can be
highly abrasive, so use carefully.

Ideally, grind the clay down as fine as possible before using.

As with the basic baking soda recipe, add a pinch of salt and some mint leaves or
peppermint oil, if you can get it, then mix in some water to the right consistency.

To Taste

You can also add any other ingredient to create a tastier toothpaste, this includes coconut
oil, herbs, orange or lemon peel, and fennel.

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