Are you looking for a vegan toothpaste that whitens, cleans, caters to sensitive teeth, or is good for children? Then we’ve got some of the best vegan toothpaste brands in our cruelty-free toothpaste guide.
Best toothpaste for whitening
Here are our top five picks for the best vegan toothpastes for keeping your teeth nice and white.
This brand has the most options when it comes to vegan toothpaste. For whitening, it doesn’t get better than this as it uses biodegradable or mineral ingredients. It’s not tested on animals either. While this Luminous White toothpaste is vegan (and gluten-free) the only downside is that not all Tom’s of Maine toothpastes are. So, avoid Propolis and Myrrh and the Botanically Bright toothpastes.
This is one of the best vegan toothpaste options. It is an all-in-one paste that has no synthetic foaming detergent agents, is vegan and leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean. 70% of the ingredients are natural. The downside, if you’re looking for a fluoride toothpaste, this is fluoride-free.
This brand claims to whiten your teeth by six shades in just five days. It is an excellent option to get that gleaming white smile. It’s vegan, cruelty-free and kosher too.
This toothpaste contains activated charcoal which many have found brightens the smile. It’s natural too, as well as being vegan certified. However, charcoal toothpaste isn’t for everyone.
Available in many shops, this toothpaste is vegan-friendly and gluten-free. It uses natural ingredients to give you a more polished smile and even neutralizes bad breath. It’s earth-friendly too due to the biodegradable packaging.
Best toothpaste for sensitive teeth
Having sensitive teeth can be a painful issue. Here’s our top four vegan toothpastes to help deal with it.
If you suffer from sensitive teeth, then this is a good place to start. Vegan and cruelty-free, this US-made toothpaste works against cavities and strengthens the enamel. It’s also gentle which means you can use it daily.
USA-based, this toothpaste uses natural ingredients to repair sensitive teeth and protect enamel. It’s not just vegan, but earth-friendly too thanks to the recyclable metal tube and packaging. However, it can be a little on the pricier side.
Made from tea tree oil, echinacea and Aloe Vera, this is a sensitive tooth’s dream. Not only is it vegan, but it comes with a fresh orange mint taste. It is fluoride-free though, which isn’t ideal for all users.
This Canadian company is fully vegan. This cruelty-free toothpaste is perfect for sensitive teeth. It uses potassium nitrate, is SLS and is triclosan-free too.
This saltwater-based toothpaste avoids any peppermint and menthol to avoid any form of irritation of already sensitive teeth. It is the perfect choice for a gentle yet thorough clean.
Children & best of the rest
As children grow, they have different requirements for toothpaste. We’ve found a couple of really good vegan toothpastes that are suitable for them. Our other three options are suitable for any age group.
This vegan and gluten-free toothpaste comes in a range of different flavors. These include strawberry, banana, blackcurrant, milkshake and more. It’s mild and good for everyday use.
This is a fluoride-free kid’s toothpaste that uses the natural ingredient, cacao, to provide good dental hygiene. It’s tasty too, so kids will be encouraged to brush their teeth daily.
Available in three different flavors, these tabs are a great option if you don’t want to use a paste. They’re vegan, fluoride-free, SLS-free and paraben-free. Better still, they come in convenient travel-sized aluminum tins.
Vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly, these tablets contain the exact amount you need to keep your teeth clean. They can take a bit of getting used to if you’re not used to a tab. But, they can be used as a mouthwash, and are a great way to reduce your plastic waste.
This brand is a Certified B-Corp that’s eco-friendly. It doesn’t just sell toothpaste, but also a range of tablets and powders as well. All of the packaging is recyclable or can be composted. Ingredients are 99% natural too.
What to consider when buying toothpaste
While this may not have been something many of you ever considered, there are typically animal-based products in toothpaste. If you’re aiming to be more ethical in your purchases, then you should consider vegan toothpastes instead. You may also want to start things off by looking for cruelty-free options, which simply means they’re not tested on animals. But, when doing so, there are some other requirements you might have as well.
For instance, you need to determine whether you want fluoride or non-fluoride toothpaste. Maybe plaque or tartar control is important, which means checking out vegan brands with high levels of oral hygiene.
You may also be considering whitening toothpastes. These are gentler on your teeth than bleaching and, while they use abrasive particles to whiten, they’re no worse on your enamel than other toothpastes.
Finally, you may have sensitive teeth. Choosing one with higher levels of potassium nitrate can help. Luckily, there are vegan toothpaste options for all of these.
Is toothpaste vegan?
Actually, typically, no it is not. Some toothpaste actually uses animal-based glycerin and calcium phosphate. These are derivatives of either ground-up bones or propolis from bees. However, these products can now be made synthetically, so if you’re looking for an ethical toothpaste alternative, they’re out there.
Synthetic options are derived from plant sources. But, you will need to double-check the ingredients before you dive into using the toothpaste. A good rule of thumb is to assume a toothpaste is not vegan unless it clearly states that the ingredients are plant-based or synthetic.
Another factor to consider here is that there are still a number of toothpaste brands that continue to test on animals. As such, these are not vegan (even if they use plant-based products) as they’re not cruelty-free.
How to find vegan toothpaste
These days, it’s actually surprisingly easy to find the best vegan toothpaste. More and more brands are aware of the need to provide ethical, animal-friendly products. As such, if you head into any mainstream supermarket, Superdrug or Walmart, you’re going to be able to find at least one or two vegan toothpaste brands.
Just remember, if the toothpaste doesn’t specifically say it’s vegan, it probably isn’t. You can check the ingredients for yourself on each tube. Or, you can check out our list of the best vegan toothpaste options above so that you know what to look for.
Summary
It may seem like a lot to switch your toothpaste to a cruelty-free or vegan option, but actually, it’s pretty easy. While toothpaste does contain glycerin, there’s no reason for this to remain an animal-based product. Now, there are synthetic or plant-based glycerin options too.
This means that it’s becoming increasingly easy to find an ethical vegan toothpaste alternative to regular toothpaste brands. By putting together this list of cruelty-free toothpaste, you can find one that works for both you and your kids.
And, by supporting cruelty-free brands, you’re helping to end animal testing for cosmetics and health products. Better still, these vegan toothpastes look after your teeth in exactly the same way as animal-based toothpastes, which means everyone wins, including the animals.