Your Toothpaste Is Probably Toxic: 2 Reasons Why
with Kori Estrada, Co-Founder of RiseWell
They say you are what you eat, but does this apply to your oral care? In Kori Estrada’s opinion, the answer is a resounding yes. In my conversation with the RiseWell Co-Founder on the Live Purely Podcast, she gave our listeners an interesting fact: our gums are like sponges. Some of the ingredients found in your toothpaste will find their way into your bloodstream (hopefully twice per day!), whether they are good or bad.
Kori also shared when she was starting RiseWell, this fact led to the realization that we need to treat the ingredients in our toothpaste the same way we treat food. Below, we dive into the two biggest problems she encountered when formulating RiseWell’s products and why you should care when it comes to your toothpaste.
PROBLEM #1: FIND AN EFFECTIVE, SAFE INGREDIENT TO REPLACE FLUORIDE
We know fluoride has been in our toothpaste for over 65 years, but how safe is it really? Fluoride works by hardening the existing enamel on your teeth, which ultimately protects you from getting cavities. According to Kori, fluoride was being added to toothpaste beginning in the 1950s as a result of an EPA order to dispose of vast amounts of the substance. Since then, studies have shown fluoride can be toxic even at low doses, hence the poison control warning on the back of the tube.
RiseWell’s solution? Hydroxyapatite. After a trip to Japan and noticing this ingredient pop up over and over again in toothpaste, she found it a safe, natural alternative to replace fluoride. The substance is already present in our bodies, making up 70% of our bones and tooth enamel. It also works as a natural anti-cavity ingredient and works just as well as fluoride with no perceived safety issues.
PROBLEM #2: HAVE CLEAN, SAFE-TO-EAT INGREDIENTS
When starting RiseWell, Kori’s number one priority was to create products that are safe enough to eat (even though we know you won’t be eating your toothpaste) because like we mentioned earlier, some of the ingredients are making their way into our bloodstream. She didn’t want to include foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) because in her research, she found that these are too harsh for our gums.This is also where hydroxyapatite comes in: since it is naturally occurring in our bodies, if it’s accidentally ingested, it’s completely harmless! RiseWell also has xylitol in their products, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in plant material, which starves harmful bacteria in your mouth and allows the good, helpful bacteria to continue into your bloodstream.
All in all, chatting with Kori made me remember how important it is to think twice about what ingredients we consume on a daily basis (even if we don’t eat them!)
Want to learn more from Kori Estrada and keep up with the latest at RiseWell? Listen to the full episode below!
Listen to the full episode here to learn more:
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