If you haven’t yet considered making the switch to natural toothpaste, riddle me this: If you use a sulfate-free shampoo and face wash in the name of hair and skin health, why treat your pearly whites any differently?
See, traditional pastes often contain sodium lauryl sulfate (or SLS), which is what gives them that quintessential, foamy mouthfeel. And just like how sulfates can strip your skin and hair of precious moisture, they can potentially irritate your soft oral tissue1 and disrupt the microbiome—some experts say this can even lead to chronic bad breath in the long run!
Another common toothpaste ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which you can find in plenty of traditional whitening formulas, as it’s been clinically shown to brighten up teeth (just like the solution can bleach fabrics).
However, many people claim it can make your teeth sensitive, and preliminary research has found that it can penetrate the enamel and potentially degrade the proteins in this layer (which may explain the sensitivity). It also has the ability to disrupt your oral microbiome, as it’s incredibly antibacterial.
For these reasons, Cocoshine remains completely sulfate- and peroxide-free. But that doesn’t mean it won’t result in a brighter smile: Rather, the formula calls on nanocrystals of hydroxyapatite (n-HA), a mineral that makes up 97% of teeth’s enamel.
Studies have shown that n-HA can penetrate below the tooth’s surface2 to effectively remineralize and strengthen teeth (as opposed to fluorides, which remineralize on the surface). And guess what? Stronger teeth and gums appear way less dingy.
But n-HA has some specific whitening properties3 as well: “n-HA deeply repairs microcracks and defects in your teeth4, filling them with opaque, white hydroxyapatite crystals, so your enamel is smoother, more lustrous, and more reflective to light,” says dentist Chrystle Cu, DDS, co-founder of Cocofloss. “The result: a whiter, shinier, more radiant smile from the inside out.”
In other words, the ingredient helps restore teeth and prevent sensitivity while whitening the surface—perfect for someone like me with weaker enamel. And Cocoshine contains a whopping 3% of n-HA, one of the highest concentrations in the oral care game.
In addition to that MVP ingredient, Cocoshine includes microbiome-balancing xylitol, coconut oil, and aloe vera—which boasts natural brightening abilities. It also relies on baking soda and silica to gently buff and remove surface stains, instead of coarser abrasives that can damage enamel.
