The UK Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Brands To Know

Brush up on the best fluoride-free toothpaste available right now, with my tried, tested, and rated recommendations.

I’ve covered a whole host of sustainable toothpaste brands on the blog – from those offering plastic-free packaging to those offering compostable packaging.

However, if you are looking for fluoride-free options, you’ll be pleased to hear that the market in the UK has expanded to offer a variety of choices. To help you out, my partner and I have tried out a heap of fluoride-free toothpastes and rated them on their effectiveness and eco-friendliness.

The Backlash Against Fluoride

First up, you might be wondering what’s wrong with fluoride. While decades of dental health research support the benefits of fluoride in preventing cavities, there are three main reasons why many people are seeking out alternative oral care solutions:

A Desire To Prioritise Natural Ingredients

There is some speculation that fluoride may be linked to certain cancers or other diseases. However, there’s no rigorous scientific evidence supporting those speculations, which is why it’s allowed in toothpaste.

Some people prefer to take a more cautious approach. Instead, motivated by a broader interest in holistic health, they are opting for fluoride-free toothpaste as part of a lifestyle that prioritises natural ingredients.

Taste Or Texture Sensitivities

For others, the switch to fluoride-free is driven by the taste and texture of the toothpaste. Some people find that fluoride-free options have a milder taste and avoid the strong, minty flavours commonly associated with fluoride toothpaste. Meanwhile, some people like the fact that natural fluoride-free toothpaste doesn’t foam up in their mouth in the same way.

Allergies

And then, for others, avoiding fluoride is a must due to sensitivity or a (thankfully rare) fluoride allergy. As a result, they opt for fluoride-free alternatives to sidestep potential adverse reactions and prioritise a gentler approach to oral hygiene.

Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Guide

To help you find the best fluoride-free toothpaste out there, here’s a rundown of all the different brands we tried – including mine and my partner’s thoughts on each.

Use the quick links to jump to a specific section, or keep scrolling for the full post:

Sarakan Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

• Reasons To Buy: Vegan-friendly / Flavoured with natural flavourings / No parabens or sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) / Unsweetened / Palm oil free / Not tested on animals
• Reasons Not To Buy: Not organic / Expensive compared to other brands / Feels watery / The taste may be off-putting to some

Sarakan was the very first fluoride-free toothpaste we tried in our foray into the world of fluoride-free. And I’ll be honest – I straight up hated Sarakan Toothpaste.

I didn’t like the smell or the watery texture, as much as I tried to get used to it. And I found the taste of geranium a bit too overpowering. I also detected a definite hint of parsley – my least favourite herb. I’ve gone through the ingredients, and parsley isn’t listed on there, but I feel like there’s something in there that’s similar to parsley.

My partner said it smelled like a greengrocer (I think it was the mystery parsley-like ingredient). However, he loved the taste. As such, as soon as it ran out, he wanted another tube. I vetoed that. It’s now banned from our house.

Kingfisher Fennel Toothpaste

• Reasons To Buy: Vegan-friendly / Not tested on animals / Paraben and SLS free / Flavoured with natural flavourings / Unsweetened
• Reasons Not To Buy: Not organic / Contains palm oil / Taste may be off-putting to some

I struggled to find a Kingfisher mint-flavoured fluoride-free toothpaste locally (they do make a fluoride-minty one, so do look out). In the end, I settled for their Fennel fluoride-free toothpaste from Ethical Superstore.

My partner again loved this. He said it was like, in his exact words, “a lovely big liquorice“! I, on the other hand, wasn’t so keen. I didn’t think it tasted as bad as Sarakan. However, by this stage, I had come to realise that I prefer traditional minty tubes of toothpaste and the clean and fresh feeling they impart, over anything herbal tasting.

My partner says this was his absolute favourite fluoride-free toothpaste. For me, it was the second worst.

Green People Peppermint & Aloe Vera Toothpaste

• Reasons To Buy: Certified organic / Uses Fairtrade ingredients / Vegan-friendly / Not tested on animals / Flavoured with natural flavourings
• Reasons Not To Buy: Quite expensive

After trying the other two fluoride-free kinds of toothpaste, I did not have high hopes. Even with the promise of peppermint, the sound of the aloe vera in this Green People peppermint and aloe vera toothpaste didn’t exactly fill me with joy or anticipation. Nor did the putty colour.

However, I put my scepticism to the side, and gave it a go, and I was actually quite surprised to find that I actually really liked this toothpaste. So much so that I have since gone through a further two tubes since first trying it out.

Sometimes I have to load a bit more toothpaste onto my brush halfway through a clean. However, my teeth always feel squeaky clean. I also really like the gentle and clean minty taste.

I don’t notice the aloe vera until after I’ve cleaned my teeth, but in a bit of a shocking revelation, I found that I quite liked the aftertaste. My partner, conversely, straight out hated this toothpaste (two peas in a pod we are!). He said he could taste the aloe vera quite strongly as he was brushing his teeth and did not like it.

Green People Minty Cool Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

• Reasons To Buy: Certified organic / Uses Fairtrade ingredients / Vegan-friendly / Not tested on animals / Flavoured with natural flavourings / Classic minty taste
• Reasons To Not Buy: Quite expensive

After trying the Mint & Aloe Toothpaste from Green People, I expected only good things from this classic minty toothpaste. And I was not disappointed. I loved this Green People Minty Cool toothpaste.

Again, it’s putty-coloured. And like all SLS-free toothpaste, it doesn’t foam up in the way more conventional types of toothpaste do. However, once you get used to that, it’s great. It’s minty in the way that all great kinds of toothpaste are (in my opinion!). What’s more, my teeth feel clean, and my mouth feels refreshed after brushing.

Again, like the peppermint and aloe vera toothpaste, I sometimes have to add a little bit more toothpaste onto my brush halfway through brushing, but I don’t mind that too much. I just wish it was a little bit cheaper to help justify this.

My partner’s also a fan of this one. It’s the only one we agreed we both liked! Result!

Lush Toothpaste Tablets

• Reasons To Buy: Comes in a recyclable and returnable bottle / Vegan-friendly / Not tested on animals
• Reasons Not To Buy: Taste may be off-putting to some / Texture may be off-putting to some / Not organic / Expensive

I really wanted to like Lush Toothpaste Tablets – I’m really into the idea of toothpaste tablets. However, we hit a big stumbling block. We both found that the tablets tasted absolutely disgusting – like bad salty soap. As I said, I wanted to like the toothpaste tablets. In fact, I wanted to love Lush’s toothpaste tablets. But we just couldn’t get on board with them.

Rather than a paste, you chew on a tablet. Once the foam develops, you start brushing. Unfortunately, we found the tabs tasted like chewing on a particularly horrible aspirin. The salty, soapy taste and gritty texture made us both heave, and we had to spit it out within seconds.

You can buy them in different flavours. I went for ‘Dirty’ as it’s a traditional minty flavour, with some added lavender and neroli oils. However, who knows, the other, less conventional flavours might taste better.

To Conclude

So, to conclude, if you’re in the market for fluoride-free toothpaste and like things minty, I’d recommend the Green People Minty Cool toothpaste. 

If you’re feeling adventurous and into different flavours, I’d try out the Kingfisher Fennel Toothpaste or Sarakan. If you like the feeling of chewing on a soapy aspirin tablet (you do you!), opt for Lush!

Do you have a favourite fluoride-free toothpaste that I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below.

What About Toothbrushes?

A note on toothbrushes. I decided to switch toothbrushes to something more environmentally friendly. I tried bamboo toothbrushes, but couldn’t find one I got on with.

At first, I found the sensation of brushing my teeth with what felt like a lolly stick in my mouth uncomfortable. Once I got used to it after a few weeks, the brushes started to fray really badly, and nylon bristle after nylon bristle were washing down the sink. Even though bamboo is a more sustainable option, it didn’t feel particularly sustainable or eco-friendly to wash bits of plastic down the sink with every brush.

In the end, I switched to using a Preserve toothbrush. These are made from recycled plastic. Once you’re done, you can send the toothbrush and packaging back to Preserve for complete recycling. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve also heard good things about the Suri electric toothbrush. The body is made from aluminium, and the heads can be returned to Suri for recycling.

More Ways To Go Green In The Bathroom

If you are looking for other ways to green your beauty routine then I’m here to help: