Alternatives to conventional toothpaste

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Aug 1, 2024 - Cosmetics

Alternatives to conventional toothpaste

Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are striving for a more sustainable lifestyle. This is also the case in the field of cosmetic products, so consumers are now also opting for dental cleaning alternatives in the form of powders, tablets, salts, or similar.

Due to the use of organic (e.g., cellulose, activated charcoal) or mineral components (e.g., kaolin, bentonite) as abrasives in these products, naturally occurring heavy metal contamination can occur.

The heavy metals arsenic, antimony, lead, cadmium, and mercury are prohibited according to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 in cosmetic products. For these elements, only technically unavoidable and harmless concentrations may be present in cosmetics. Regarding the concentrations considered technically unavoidable for these five elements, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) in its statement dated 07.11.2016 has defined corresponding guideline values.

As part of a nationwide monitoring program, the CVUA Karlsruhe examined dental cleaning alternatives for their heavy metal content and found heavy metals in 70% of all analyzed samples, some of which were also above the BVL guideline values.

Would you like to have your dental cleaning alternatives or other cosmetic products tested for heavy metals? Contact us, we will be happy to assist you.