I tried baking soda toothpaste once on a camping trip because I forgot mine at home. Honestly, at first it felt like brushing my teeth with ocean water mixed with chalk—super weird and gritty. But after a couple days, it wasn't too bad. I get what you mean about herbal toothpastes though... I once bought one that promised "natural freshness," and it tasted exactly like chewing on pine needles. Took me forever to finish it because, like you, I couldn't justify tossing out a nearly full tube.
Has anyone experimented with charcoal toothpaste? I've seen it everywhere lately but keep hesitating to buy it. Something about brushing with black paste feels counterintuitive to me, haha. Curious if it's worth the hype or just another trendy gimmick.
"Something about brushing with black paste feels counterintuitive to me, haha."
Definitely agree with you on that feeling. Charcoal toothpaste can indeed help remove surface stains temporarily, but it's important to be cautious—some brands can be quite abrasive, potentially wearing down enamel over time. If you're curious, I'd suggest checking the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) rating before purchasing. Lower ratings (ideally below 70) are safer for daily use. Personally, I think it's an interesting occasional addition, but probably shouldn't replace your regular toothpaste altogether...
Haha, same here, the first time I tried charcoal toothpaste, I legit thought I'd ruined my toothbrush forever. It does feel weird brushing with something that looks like it belongs in an art class rather than your mouth. But honestly, I've found it works pretty well for occasional coffee stains. I just make sure not to use it too often—maybe once or twice a week tops—to avoid enamel issues. Regular toothpaste still feels safer for everyday brushing though... old habits die hard, I guess.
Haha, I had a similar mini panic attack when I first tried charcoal toothpaste—thought I'd permanently stained my sink too. Quick tip though: if your toothbrush stays a bit grayish, soaking it in a mix of warm water and baking soda usually does the trick. Charcoal's decent for occasional stain-lifting, but you're right to stick with your usual toothpaste daily. Enamel doesn't grow back, sadly, and we definitely wanna keep that stuff around... coffee stains or not.
"Enamel doesn't grow back, sadly, and we definitely wanna keep that stuff around... coffee stains or not."
Haha, yeah, I learned that the hard way after a dentist visit—turns out aggressively scrubbing with charcoal toothpaste every day isn't exactly enamel-friendly. Who knew? 🤷♂️
Speaking of toothpaste hacks though, has anyone tried the whole toothpaste-on-pimples thing? I keep seeing it pop up online, but I'm skeptical. Seems kinda harsh for skin, right? I mean, if charcoal toothpaste can stain sinks and toothbrushes, what's regular toothpaste doing to our faces? 😂
Also, quick question about the baking soda trick—does it work for whitening toothbrush bristles that got stained from turmeric toothpaste too? (Yeah, I went down that rabbit hole once... don't judge.)
