Rainbow Fresh Toothpaste

ROY G. BIV takes on homemade toothpaste...and it's glorious!

Baking Soda

Vegetable Glycerin

Hydrogen Peroxide

Peppermint Oil (or any flavor you want)

Food coloring

7 small bowls

Used toothpaste tube

Stapler

Scissors

Additional Items: Spoon and Cup

1. Cut off the end of the tube.

2. Squeeze out the remnant toothpaste into a separate container. Waste not, want not ;)

3. Wash out the tube.

In each bowl, add:

4 parts baking soda

1 part hydrogen peroxide

1 part vegetable glycerin

1-2 drops peppermint oil.

For my specific recipe, I used a teaspoon as my "part." So there would be 4 teaspoons baking soda in each bowl, 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin, 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide, and 1-2 drops of peppermint oil. I found it easiest and fastest to put each ingredient into all seven bowls one at a time.

TIP: If, when you stir the mixture together, it's too chunky (and not a toothpaste consistency), then add a little more vegetable glycerin until you get the correct consistency.

Add one color of the rainbow to each bowl. Make sure to rinse your spoon after mixing to keep each color individual.

TIP: To make indigo from a set of four food colors (red, yellow, green, and blue), I simply added more blue and less red then I used to make the purple (which was equal parts red and blue).

To fill the toothpaste tube:

1. Put the lid on again securely.

2. Hold the tube at an angle to keep each color in it's spot.

3. After you fill each color, turn the tube slightly to add the next color...and so on.

TIP: Use a cup with warm water in it to quickly rinse the spoon after adding each color. It's also ideal to fill-in each color and move on as quickly as possible (so the colors don't blend and mix together).

4. Once the tube is filled, fold over the end and staple it closed.

Now your Rainbow Fresh toothpaste is ready to use! Enjoy :)

Q & A:

Q: Does it stain your teeth from the food coloring?

A: No.

Q: What does it taste like?

A: It is actually quite good. The only "different" taste it really has versus a regular toothpaste is the little salty flavor, especially noticed when it's time to spit. This comes from the baking soda. Other then that, it's just like normal toothpaste.

Q: Can my kids help make it?

A: Yes! It's a great project to do together :)

Q: Can I put the different colors of toothpaste into squeeze bottles? Will it be easier to put into the tube this way?

A: I have seen others try to do this approach with homemade toothpaste, and it doesn't usually turn out too well. But if you find success with it, please share below.

Q: Will the vegetable glycerin harden over time? And where can I get it?

A: The vegetable glycerin stays a "wet" texture overtime, unlike a coconut oil or the like. It's typically found at big box stores like Walmart (in the "home" or "pharmacy" section, not the food section). It can also usually be found at speciality stores (aka "health food stores"), or maybe at drugstores.

Q: Do all 7 colors show with each use?

A: Yes and no. Unless you can find a way to put all seven colors in simultaneously together, you will probably get a solid red color that comes out in your first squirt (because that's the first color you put in). But then it will be a mix of individually noticeable colors until you get to the end of the tube.

NOTE: The fun part is that the different colors present themselves as you work your way through the tube. For instance, the first few uses may be more of the first three colors, and then a mix of 5 to 6 colors in the middle, then more of the last three colors toward the end. It's always fun to see what color you'll get next!

Q: Do the colors mix together and make one color after awhile?

A: Kind of. Food coloring only holds it's color for so long (especially when in different circumstances, like a change of climate etc--for example: did you just take a steamy shower?), so it's natural to get some mixing. You can experiment using gel food coloring instead, or something other then the kind I used here and see what happens, or if it holds for longer. You can try making smaller batches, or saving the fun Rainbow Fresh (food colored) toothpaste for weekends and use uncolored toothpaste (of this same recipe) for the week? Let me know what works best for you!

Q: How do I store it?

A: This, too, you can experiment with. I would say a cooler, darker place (aka: a bathroom or kitchen cupboard). You can try the fridge and let me know how that goes (I haven't tried that yet).