Lavera (company group Laverana GmbH), Sarakan (company group G.R. Lane) , Urtekram (company group Midsona) Alternative toothpaste brands tend to avoid fluoride in their formulations. Why is this? We asked the opinions of three different parties in this recurring debate about whether fluoride should be added to toothpaste. In favour of fluoride: The British Dental Health Foundation Lush Toothy Tabs – (Lush Cosmetics uses palm oil but get a best rating for palm oil sourcing overall)

In terms of marketing and advertising, the brands that dominate the market portray their products as scientific and technological with unique, specialised ingredients purportedly conferring proven health benefits. For example, in 2018, a Colgate advert was banned by the Advertising Standards Agency for making misleading claims that a product “repairs teeth instantly”, according to the BBC this is the fifth dental product advert Colgate has had banned in the last seven years. While many companies now offer at least one type of vegan toothpaste, the entire range of the following toothpastes are clearly labelled or certified as vegan. We also state whether the whole company group is vegan, vegetarian or neither. Company typeIt’s worth remembering that fluoride is a poison and needs treating with respect. There are many poisons that we use to our benefit that are harmful if misused. So the topical use of fluoride might be viewed as good by those who feel that the fluoridation of water is not.

The devastating effects the global demand for palm oil is having on our rainforests and the wildlife and people that live there has made it a highly controversial ingredient. It is also commonly found in toothpaste but it is possible to avoid it or choose companies that have better sourcing practices. Pearl Drops*, Sensodyne*, Aquafresh*, Arm & Hammer*, BlanX*, Clinomyn*, Theramed*, Superdrug*, Macleans*, Corsodyl*, Eucryl*, Sarakan*, Polygrip*, Dr Organic*, Biotene*, Boots*.Toothpastes that may contain palm oil but are made by companies with our best rating for palm oil sourcing Triclosan is an anti-bacterial agent, first used by surgeons to sterilise their hands, which is still in use in health settings. Triclosan and other antibacterial agents have been in widespread use in a surprising array of consumer products including sports clothing, children’s clothing, soft toys, mattresses, deodorant, make-up, skincare lotions, chopping boards, pencils, and kitchen tools. It’s also worth saying that while Truthpaste’s toothpastes as a whole were not certified, it did provide full ingredients lists with its products and the majority of these were marked as certified organic. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ In November 2016, Amnesty International reported serious human rights abuses on the plantations of Wilmar, one of the world’s largest processors and merchandisers of palm oil products. Colgate-Palmolive was said to have been sourcing palm oil from refineries where the palm oil had been directly supplied or, at the very least, had been mixed with palm oil produced on plantations where there were severe labour rights abuses.