- Dangerous Hidden Ingredients in Toothpaste - Taliesin, Morguefile.com
You know all about fluoride, triclosan, ethanol and silica, but what about the ingredients that aren't listed on the toothpaste tube? The poison warnings on your toothpaste label have just as much to do with the hidden or "inactive" ingredients that don't clean your teeth – things like sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol, sweeteners, artificial flavors, and food dyes which can be equally bad for your health.
Location is Everything: Mucus Membranes in the Mouth
Even if you don't swallow any toothpaste, you're at risk from toxic chemicals. The mucus membranes inside the mouth are one of the most direct routes to the blood, the brain and other cells of your body, since the mucosal lining inside the mouth has about 90% absorption efficiency.
Both conventional and alternative medicines are often applied to the mucus membranes of the cheek or under the tongue for just that reason; it's one of the fastest and most effective way to get chemicals into the body.
Hidden or Inactive Toothpaste Ingredients
Inactive ingredients include chemicals that give toothpaste its color, flavor and texture. Toothpaste manufacturers may not disclose these ingredients on packaging since they aren't intended for ingestion.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) Make Toothpaste Foamy
These chemicals are found in shampoo, soap, hand cream, mouthwash and just about every common personal care product, where they provide a soft, foamy texture. They are also used as surfactants in engine degreaser and in car wash soaps.
SLS is known to cause skin and eye irritation and is a suspected carcinogen. SLS has been attributed with causing mouth ulcers (a.k.a. canker sores) by creating microscopic damage to the oral tissues inside the mouth.
Propylene Glycol Moisturizes
Commonly known as antifreeze, propylene glycol is used as a moisturizer and emulsifier in many personal care products – it's about as pervasive as SLS, and just as dangerous. Propylene glycol is known to cause skin and eye irritation and may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea when ingested. It has also been shown to cause mutations, birth defects, kidney and liver damage and seizures in laboratory animals.
Artificial Sweeteners and Flavors for Taste
Every mainstream toothpaste contains artificial flavors and sweeteners to add the right minty taste. These chemicals can provoke allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, and can cause irritation to the gums and oral tissue.
Food Dye Gives Toothpaste its Stripes
Food dyes, like those used to give toothpaste its red, blue or green stripes, are usually made from petroleum products and coal tar. They have been linked to behavior changes, learning problems, allergic reactions, headaches, asthma attacks and cancer.
Even the supposedly natural and organic toothpastes contain many of these same filler ingredients. SLS, in particular, is very difficult to avoid, so it's vitally important that consumers learn to identify harmful chemicals and avoid them in their purchasing choices.
Many of the active ingredients in toothpaste are also toxic.
Reference
- Baker, Scott, "The 5 Hidden Dangers in Toothpaste," DownWithBasics.com, accessed 25 April 2009.
- Bartelby, "Toothpaste Without SLS: For Frequent Cold Sore Sufferers," AssociatedContent.com, 5 September 2006.
- DeVita, Sabina, Saving Face: The Scents-able Way to Wrinkle-Free Skin, Wellness Institute of Living and Learning, 2003.
- Wright, Will, "The Hidden, Inactive Ingredients in Toothpaste," AssociatedContent.com, 16 November 2007.
Victoria Anisman-Reiner - Victoria Anisman-Reiner is a freelance writer with extensive experience in holistic health care and animal training.
