Thursday, June 6, 2013

Redmond Earthpaste: Review & Giveaway!

When our family changed the way we eat, one of the natural next steps was to take a critical look at personal care products.  How did the items in our bathroom cabinets add up?  Were the brands we'd always bought beneficial to our health?  Worse, were they detrimental?

One of the changes we would eventually make was to change our toothpaste.  We tried more natural brands, the kind you buy at the grocery store.  And they were alright - but even so, I wasn't thrilled with some of the ingredients on the label.

So I was very  interested when I heard about Earthpaste, made by Redmond.  I was already familiar with Redmond because I use their Real Salt exclusively in my kitchen.

What's unique about Earthpaste?  Here's the main thing: it's made with clay.  Bentonite clay, to be precise.  You can read all about it HERE.  Using clay internally may sound a little odd at first, but the more I learn about it the more I love it.

Earthpaste

Redmond kindly sent me some Earthpaste to review here on the blog.  The flavors I received were Lemon Twist (marketed especially for kids) and Wintergreen.  I have also tasted their Cinnamon and Peppermint varieties.

The Pros
One thing I appreciate about Earthpaste is that is contains no fluoride or artificial coloring, as well as no foaming agents or glycerin. It is completely safe to eat, so I feel good about offering it to my whole family.

Wintergreen ingredients: Purified Water, Food Grade Redmond Clay, Xylitol, Wintergreen Essential Oil, Menthol, Redmond Real Salt, Tea Tree Oil.

Lemon Twist ingredients:  Purified Water, Food Grade Redmond Clay, Xylitol, Redmond Sea Salt, Lemon Essential Oil, Lemon Verbana Essential Oil, Tangerine Essential Oil, Lime Essential Oil.

I have never been a wintergreen fan, ever.  Truly, this experience if the first I've had in my life where I actually enjoyed the flavor of wintergreen!  I suspect it's because it's actually an essential oil flavoring the toothpaste, instead of whatever artificial flavoring those other products used.  But even my sensitive "pregnancy palate" is satisfied. This is significant, trust me.

The Lemon Twist tasted refreshing and slightly sweet.  I liked it, as did my 7-year-old and 3-year-old taste testers.  (My 10-year-old claims to dislike anything lemon, and my younger sons have no interest in messing with toothpaste.)

My favorite flavors are actually their Cinnamon and Peppermint, which were not included in this review package.  But it speaks volumes that I enjoyed the other two flavors as well.  I have always been very, very choosy about toothpaste flavors.

I consider these to be great ingredient lists.  Compared to the mainstream toothpaste I used for years and years, these ingredients are pure bliss - and much more pronounceable.   I love the fact that Earthpaste uses Redmond Clay!  Bentonite clay is a traditional remedy which can greatly help with digestive issues as well as other problems.

The Cons
To be frank, the one item I am less than thrilled about is Xylitol.  I believe the jury is still out on Xylitol, but I would be happier with stevia instead.  Still, compared to the artificial sweeteners (and sometimes outright sugar) found in mainstream toothpaste, Earthpaste wins the day.

As with most natural products, Earthpaste is more expensive than its typical grocery store counterparts.  On Amazon a single tube is between $7-$8 at the time of this writing (there are economy deals available as well).  Other sources offer Earthpaste  as well, all online as far as I have found.   But if you, like me, are willing to pay a little bit more for a higher quality product, Earthpaste is a great way to go. And it really only takes a pea-sized dab on your toothbrush.  Overall I find it to be worth the extra money.

The Conclusion
I enjoy Earthpaste.  I feel great about offering it to my loved ones, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more natural, healthful way to clean their teeth and mouth.


Giveaway
The nice folks at Redmond Trading Company have graciously agreed to give a 4-pack of Earthpaste (one of each flavor!) to one of my blog readers.  To enter, go to the Earthpaste website and then come back leave a comment telling me which flavor you expect to like best.

I plan to post the giveaway winner two weeks from today, June 20th.  Good luck!




11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The travel size packets are a neat idea! The lemon flavor sounds good, but I am guessing I would react to the citrus ingredients. The wintergreen sounds good too. Aimee

Trish said...

Fun! I've never heard of Earthpaste, so thank you for introducing me to something new! My initial reaction is that I'd prefer the wintergreen above the others, since I love wintergreen. But I think the cinnamon sounds great.

Erin said...

Lemon:)

Monica said...

I have never hear of Earthpaste before either, but it sounds wonderful! I think i would like the wintergreen or the cinnamon.

Mom of thirteen said...

I am allergic to fluoride and so I am always looking for good non fluoride toothpaste. I think I would like peppermint the most.

Elena Vo said...

Yay for non-fluoride toothpaste, especially xylitol-based! I think I'd really enjoy the wintergreen flavor.

Ami said...

Hmmm... yes, the xylitol I'm not so sure about, but you're right - better ingredient list than most commercially available toothpastes. I think I'd like the cinnamon the best. :)

Bonny said...

I'm guessing that the cinnamon will be my favorite. Thanks for the introduction.

Christy S. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christy S. said...

I'm guessing I would like the wintergreen the best. Peppermint would be a close second. I guess if I win, I'll find out!

Unknown said...

This is interesting! I would love to try the peppermint or cinnamon.