Special guest post by fabulous STYLE Editorial Intern Autumn Dalton!
Doesn’t it seem a bit backwards to brush your teeth with black toothpaste in order to make them whiter? I thought the same thing…until I tried activated charcoal toothpaste.
The product I had the pleasure of trying was My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Whitening Toothpaste in the peppermint flavor. As someone who doesn’t use toothpaste with fluoride, I was eager to try an alternate to my usual Tom’s toothpaste. (Some doctors have said fluoride can cause several health problems, but some studies have also been debunked. Since I have a chronic illness, I like to play it safe. I don’t use deodorant with aluminum, either!)
Magic Mud is all-natural, comprising diatomaceous earth, bentonite clay, activated coconut shell charcoal, and coconut oil. I know what you’re thinking–brushing one’s teeth with dirt and Fourth of July-esque charcoal? Seems a little gross, right?
Long story short, no. (But please don’t go grab a charcoal briquette and a handful of dirt and brush your teeth with it–I can guarantee that you won’t be pleased with your results.)
To understand the slightly strange ingredients, let’s break them down.
Bentonite clay: draws toxins out from the body and kills bacteria
Coconut shell charcoal: whitens teeth and absorbs plaque
Coconut oil: prevents gum disease and tooth decay
Still a bit wary? It doesn’t taste like any of the above. The toothpaste has a unique, sweet taste to it, with xylitol, stevia, and vanilla extract combined with a slight, refreshing taste of peppermint. The peppermint flavor is much more subtle than it is in traditional toothpaste.
As for efficacy, I found that I had to scrub a little longer and harder to get that clean feeling with this toothpaste, but doing the full dentist-recommended two minutes gave me smooth pearly whites.
A word to the wise: The toothpaste is a very dark gray. I was horrified when I smiled in the mirror and saw a black coating on my teeth that looked like something straight out of “Stranger Things,” but that was nothing compared to the horror when I spit out the toothpaste.
When you have the strong contrast of black toothpaste against a white sink, you see where every single drop of toothpaste goes–and if you have a white sink, it will adorn it with gray spots like a killdeer’s egg. I did discover a workaround, though–spit with the water running on full blast
My final verdict? I haven’t really noticed a difference in the brightness to my teeth, but I do get a kick out of seeing my black smile, and I like the taste. I’ll try it for a few more months and see if there’s a change, but I definitely recommend it for those who may want to try a new, all-natural product.
