Written Assignment #2 - Story of Cosmetics

Product: Jason Natural Cosmetics Powersmile, All-Natural Whitening Toothpaste

Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1) ,Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract ,Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract , Silica, Sodium Bicarbonate

(1) Certified Organic Ingredient

Skin Deep score: 1

Ingredient of Focus: sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

I had heard about using baking soda as a toothpaste and also as an ingredient in homemade teeth whitening kits, and I'd also heard negative things about it, such as its ability to wear away tooth enamel. Collective Evolution featured a chart showing that, by FDA standards, baking soda is actually way less abrasive to enamel than most toothpastes on the market. Its a more natural, and less chemically harmful alternative to mainstream toothpaste ingredients.

You could say I got lucky on this one; the one product I choose to research happens to have a Skin Deep score of 1? How convenient. The truth is, I actually use EWG's Skin Deep database all the time. For a previous class I was required to create a list of every cosmetic product I used on a regular basis and analyze their scores on Skin Deep, aka my "body burden". Body burden refers to the toxic cocktail of harmful chemicals and other substances found in our bodies from our food, vehicles, and household products; its just another name for what the Story of Cosmetics video was talking about. Since compiling my body burden I began to use Skin Deep for as many of my household cleaning and cosmetic products as I can, so it's not really that surprising that my toothpaste had such a low score: thats why I bought it. I chose to research my toothpaste because its something that I use at least once a day without fail. I will not be eliminating toothpaste from my Personal care ritual, but I'm sure there are some gooey hair products and nail polishes that I could do without. It was interesting digging deeper into baking soda as an ingredient in oral health care. I have heard people wax poetic about it and heard others condemn it as being bad for your teeth. I'd say it's a great substitute for more toxic toothpaste ingredients, and I will definitely continue to use my Powersmile toothpaste, and to do my research before buying a new product that could potentially add to my body burden. 

Source: -http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/11/is-baking-soda-a-good-alternative-toothpaste/

-http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-benefits-of-using-baking-soda-toothpaste.htm