I ran out of my cruel Crest toothpaste a week ago (finally!), and was all set to buy a new cruelty-free toothpaste, but then I found a tube of Tom’s of Maine wintermint sensitive toothpaste I bought a while ago but forgot about in my medicine cabinet. (Tom’s of Maine is cruelty-free, but it is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, which is not, so it’s debatable whether it’s really cruelty-free or not.)

Anyway, I like the toothpaste a lot, though I think I prefer Eco-Dent toothpowder, because buying it doesn’t profit Colgate-Palmolive in any way, and Eco-Dent is much more economical — it has no glycerine or water in it, you’re just paying for very concentrated active ingredients. The Tom’s of Maine toothpaste is nice though because it has 5% potassium nitrate, so it’s good for sensitive teeth. It also doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners or preservatives, colors, or flavors, and it is vegan, and has one organic component. It comes in “wintermint” or “black currant” flavors — I picked the wintermint, which I thought had a nice minty flavor/fragrance. It’s a paste, though it doesn’t have the same consistency as Crest paste — it’s a little softer. It comes in an aluminum tube, which I like, because it’s far prettier than a plastic tube (though it does become misshapen when you’re low on toothpaste, unlike a plastic tube), and you can squeeze all of the toothpaste out of it, which you can’t do with a plastic tube. It’s also not as white as Crest toothpaste — it’s a grayish-white. I don’t mind that actually, though it took a little getting used to — I figure it’s not filled with chemicals that keep it gleamingly white the way Crest is.

Tom’s of Maine describes the sensitive toothpaste as a toothpaste that has been formulated to help soothe the pain of sensitive teeth using potassium nitrate, a naturally occurring, clinically proven active ingredient. “We also use the natural ingredient glycyrrhizin (frm purified licorice root) to create a patent-pending natural foaming experience for ingredient dispersal without SLS. Glycyrrhizin needs no additional processing and is gentle on gums. We’ve also added xylitol (from birch trees or corn), gentle glycerin, and organic aloe for their soothing properties, and delicious natural flavor oils that leave your mouth feeling clean and fresh.” “It builds increasing protection against the painful sensitivity of teeth to cold, heat, acids, sweets, or contact.” It has a score of 4.3/5 on MakeupAlley.

Tom’s of Maine Sensitive Toothpaste (3.5 oz) is available for $4.99 from Drugstore.com (or any natural drugstore, and Longs, I think, as well).

Ingredients:

Natural Sensitive Care SLS-Free Toothpaste, Wintermint

Natural Sensitive Care SLS-Free Toothpaste, Black Currant

Tags : 4/5 stars, dental, Tom's of Maine, toothpaste
Categories : 4/5 stars, Tom's of Maine, cruelty free, cruelty free companies, slightly organic, vegan