My Dental Floss Is Made From WHAT? - Low Tox Life

Dental Floss. A teensy weensy innocent little bathroom cabinet item, you’re thinking, right? I was thinking along the same lines, thus never having really investigated it. One day though I wondered… and as I typed “What is dental floss made with?” into my google search window, I  wondered where the curiosity would lead. Jaw dropped. Information digested and here’s your typical list of ingredients in the ‘big brands’ we all know:

• Nylon – Plastic / Petroleum based. Takes forever to break down in landfill and we globally use enough dental floss to circle the earth several times, per year!
• Teflon – Yikes. If you’re not sure why teflon is a big no no, read my post on Teflon here. Basically, we’re getting right in there with these harmful, hormone altering PFCs, into our gums and leaching into our blood stream, with a big fat notorious carcinogen – Fabulous! Not…
• Synthetic Wax covering made from more, you guessed it, petroleum. Our bodies don’t know how to break this stuff down and neither does our planet. Enough said.

Before you decide never to floss again, don’t! Flossing means smaller dental bills, playing a super important role in dental health, and that can only be an excellent thing! I can tell you that Oral B honestly answered my hubby’s question on their facebook page, confirming Teflon coating of their floss – 10 points for transparency, I s’pose!

There are great, natural flosses out there! If you’re in the States or Canada – There are loads on Amazon like this one! and you can now buy in Australia online too through Nourished Life in a biodegradable container to boot!

Dr Tung’s Natura Dental Floss is also a good option –  yes there’s still plastic involved by there is no Teflon nor petroleum wax coating – we’re moving in the right direction!

Same goes for this Dental Floss with Activated Charcoal from Nourished Life is made of Bamboo charcoal filament coated with plant-based wax and Coconut Oil.

This dental lace is a plastic-free option through and through complete with a mini tall glass jar – Bet you didn’t have a glass jar in this shape yet?

For a vegan-friendly option, try this plant-based dental floss from The Eco Floss. It’s made from PLA, a bioplastic made from cornstarch and coated in candelilla wax.

If you’re not in Australia, you’ll find a favourite of mine – RADIUS, Natural Silk Floss – on iHerb.

So, by making the change to a sustainable, natural, beeswax or uncoated coated silk floss, you are avoiding a scary carcinogen or 2 AND making a difference to our planet – I believe that’s what we call a win-win. Please hit one of the share buttons on this piece. I think if everybody knew, they’d make the switch for sure, don’t you?

Low tox – Vote with your dollar for a cleaner Planet!

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