Green People Certified Organic Toothpaste review

***STOP PRESS !!! Important message from Green People :

Hi Cheryl,

Thanks for the review,

Much to our disappointment, internal testing and customer feedback has shown that the new flavours do not meet our quality standards. In order to achieve organic certification from Ecocert we needed to introduce a new organic preservative system to the toothpastes, one which it seems has adversely affected the taste, please be assured that products are completely safe for ingestion, it is just the flavours that are not as we would like.

So we are currently re-formulating the toothpastes again, with the Mandarin to be re-launched again next week.

Can I ask to send you a new version when they arrive in with us? The flavour of the one you received certainly didn’t taste that nice so I am not surprised your kids weren’t keen!

Well, there you go !Watch this space for a new review as soon as we've tried it ! ***

Over the summer, Green People announced the arrival of their first certified organic toothpaste. The new formulation boasts certification from Eco Cert and this green option even extends to their children's toothpastes, which come in Mandarin and Spearmint flavours, use gentle formulations designed especially for youngsters and are free from the chemical nasties found in high-street brands.

It all sounds brilliant on paper so when they offered us a tube to try out here at The Madhouse, I was keen to see what the girls would think. We received a tube of the Mandarin & Aloe Vera toothpaste. The girls loved the little green man on the box that they recognised from other Green People Organic Children products and headed off to the bathroom happily to try it out.

Unfortunately, they weren't keen on the flavour. They are used to trying out non-minty toothpastes - Juliette's currently got a strawberry Signal one on the go - but they still didn't like it. Sophie said it was gritty and Juliette thought it tasted of chalk, so I had a taste myself and I must admit I wasn't keen either, although I don't feel like my teeth are clean if I haven't used a zingy minty toothpaste.

All Green People Toothpastes are made without Fluoride, SLS, Triclosan, Sorbitol, Parabens, phthalates, artificial sweeteners, petrochemicals and colourants so they promise to "bring you the purest children's toothpaste that nature can offer". It's safe for brushing babies' gums and milk teeth, even if swallowed, which is very reassuring as the spit reflex is something that takes a while to acquire when you first start tooth-brushing ! It removes plaque and reduces bacterial regrowth, as you would expect with any toothpaste, but it also contains added Vitamin C to help protect gums.

I was disappointed that the girls didn't like the taste, as I love the concept of a 100% natural, totally safe toothpaste, so I will be trying it out on Pierre and also asking them to give it another go to see if it will grow on them.

Having been brainwashed for several decades about the importance of fluoride in toothpaste, I still find it strange and vaguely worrying when a toothpaste is fluoride-free, but I've read the research that says that tap water contains enough fluoride to keep your teeth healthy and even that fluoride is considered a poison in the United States ! I've tried a few eco-friendly, natural toothpastes now and they are all fluoride-free.

The packaging reassuringly tells us that the toothpaste contains several active ingredients to help maintain healthy teeth and gums : Betaine, for its gentle foaming action without harmful detergents ; Aloe Vera, soothing and healing ; Olive Leaf Extract, a protective antioxidant ; Mandarin, Orange and Myrrh essential oils, known for their antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

Another added bonus is that 10% of net profits go to charity, so Green People looks after those in need as well as the planet and your children's health. Can't say fairer than that !

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £3.50 for 50ml

for more information : http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/childrens-mandarin-toothpaste-50ml.aspx

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Forever Bright Aloe Vera Toothgel

Lavera Strawberry/Raspberry Kids' Tooth Gel

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