Best SLS-Free Toothpaste

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a detergent. This means it has a foaming action. As an ingredient, it is added to lots of different things, from house cleaning products or shampoos to toothpaste.

There is some debate regarding the use of SLS in toothpaste, and some people prefer to avoid it.

In this post I therefore give some recommendations for the best SLS-free toothpastes, but also go into more detail about why it is included in some toothpaste products in the first place.

Why is SLS included in toothpaste?

Before you decide to exclude SLS from your toothpaste, it might be useful to know why SLS is in toothpaste.

SLS is included in toothpaste because of its cleaning action, and because it helps to stabilise other ingredients found in toothpaste (for example, helping the oil based and water based ingredients to stay mixed).

There are also some known benefits of adding SLS to toothpaste:

• SLS is antimicrobial – it can help kill bacteria.
• SLS can prevent formation of plaque (which causes cavities and gum disease). 
• SLS causes foaming, which is cleansing in itself, helping to loosen debris on and around teeth. 
• SLS and its foaming action helps to spread toothpaste into hard to reach areas, for example helping to get fluoride between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach.
• People generally like the foaming sensation of toothpaste containing SLS, and it does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste (unlike some alternative detergents that could be used).

Several of the recommendations in my more general best toothpaste article do include SLS.

Why choose a toothpaste without SLS?

Despite all these known benefits, there are some known risks (and some misinformation) about toothpastes containing SLS. 

There is some evidence to show that SLS-free toothpastes are just as effective as toothpastes containing SLS despite the benefits listed above.

Why are people looking for a SLS-free toothpaste? Well, reasons to avoid SLS include possible health concerns, environmental concerns, and lifestyle choices aiming for a natural toothpaste.

Known health reasons to avoid SLS toothpaste include:

• Repeated use of products containing SLS can lead to dermatitis, although generally speaking this only applies if it is used in high doses and if it has prolonged contact (which isn’t always the case in the mouth, where saliva helps to wash the paste away).
• SLS causes irritation to the cells of the gums and soft tissues in the mouth. This can lead to mouth sores and stomatitis. Trials have shown SLS to cause uncomfortable mucosal sloughing (when the top layer of your gum falls away from the surface).
• Evidence shows that SLS can cause increased irritation to people who already suffer from recurrent aphthous stomatitis.  Toothpastes containing SLS can slow down healing and increase pain if you suffer from regular ulcers in your mouth. The recommendation is that you avoid toothpastes containing SLS.

An unpleasant side effect after using a toothpaste containing SLS is that it may affect your taste buds after usage. You may have noticed this yourself, in what the authors of this paper described as the orange juice effect: “when consuming a citrus juice drink just after toothbrushing with an SLS dentifrice, SLS causes an astringent and unpleasant taste sensation.”

Finally, if you are Looking for a natural toothpaste, you may want to avoid SLS. It is possible for SLS to be made synthetically or can be derived from a natural source.

3 good options for toothpaste without SLS

These are by no means the only good toothpastes that come without SLS — there are plenty of options.

To keep things simple I have listed 3 good options immediately below, but I also include other options later on in the article and a list of SLS-free toothpastes at the bottom of the page.

Best SLS-free toothpaste without fluoride

Whilst I don’t recommend fluoride free toothpaste, as you miss out on the known anti-cavity properties of fluoride, I respect that some people may still wish to avoid toothpastes containing fluoride. 

In which case, there are two main options available to you:

• An SLS-free fluoride free toothpaste that contains no fluoride and no major source of remineralizing agent. Whilst ingredients like xylitol have a small anti-cavity effect, it would not be enough to be remineralizing in the same way as fluoride.
• An SLS-free fluoride free toothpaste that contains no fluoride and which does contain an alternative remineralizing agent. Calcium phosphates (such as hydroxyapatite) help reharden the tooth surface in a similar way to fluoride. These ingredients are newer than fluoride and are still undergoing long term studies, but have been FDA approved. They are normally more expensive than fluoride, but there is lots of evidence supporting their effectiveness.

If you are set on an SLS-Free and fluoride free toothpaste, these are two good options to chose from:

Best SLS-free toothpaste for gingivitis / receding gums

If you have sore gums you may consider an SLS-free toothpaste to prevent further irritation, especially if you already have ulcers. I also recommend reading my post on the best toothpastes for gum disease.

Some toothpastes may also include further ingredients to help reduce the amount of gum disease causing bacteria. My recommendations would include:

• Jason Healthy Mouth Tartar Control Anti-Cavity Toothpaste – Tea Tree & Cinnamon (view on Amazon)
• The Natural Dentist Healthy Teeth & Gums Whitening Plus Toothpaste (view on Amazon)
• Therabreath PerioTherapy toothpaste (view on Amazon)

FAQ

Are there any other names for SLS?

Yes, SLS may also be called sodium dodecyl sulfate; dodecyl sulfate, sodium salt; and sodium n-dodecyl sulfate.

Is SLS a natural ingredient?

Sodium lauryl sulfate can be made synthetically or naturally. SLS can be derived from either petroleum based or vegetable based sources.

Is SLS in toothpaste safe? 

In low amounts, SLS has been graded safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review.

SLS is approved for use as a direct additive to food by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when used as a surfactant, whipping and wetting agent or as an emulsifier

What are the links between SLS and cancer?

There are no known links between SLS and cancer. The American Cancer Society does not list SLS as a cancer causing agent, and there is no scientific evidence to support claims that regular use of SLS in toothpaste can lead to cancer. 

Are there alternatives to SLS?

Yes, some alternatives to SLS include: cocamidopropyl betaine (tego betain), sodium methyl cocoyl taurate (adinol), stearate 30, sodium N-lauryl sarcosinate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauryl glucoside

Is Colgate Toothpaste SLS-free?

No, most toothpastes from Colgate contain SLS. They consider SLS as a safe ingredient. They have SLS-free baby toothpaste. Colgate Zero, Colgate Max White and Colgate Total Whitening are also SLS-free.

Is Sensodyne Toothpaste SLS-free?

Most Sensodyne toothpastes are SLS-free as they believe it can “irritate sensitive teeth and gums”.

Is Crest Toothpaste SLS-free?

At the time of writing, Crest has not produced any SLS-free toothpastes.

Other SLS-free toothpastes

In the table below, I have included some brief notes and a comparison of other SLS-free toothpastes.

Unless stated otherwise, the SLS-free toothpastes included on this page have been selected using the following criteria:

• Contain fluoride or other remineralising ingredients
• Contain no sodium lauryl sulfate

If you are choosing your own toothpaste, I recommend factoring the above points in as well as the general advice from our toothpaste hub page.

Name of Product	Anti-cavity protection	Also good for	Price Range
Hello toothpaste sensitivity relief	fluoride	Natural Sensitivity Vegan	$$
Hello activated charcoal epic whitening fluoride toothpaste	fluoride	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Hello activated charcoal fluoride free toothpaste	no	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Hello toothpaste naturally whitening without fluoride	no	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Hello kids toothpaste with fluoride	fluoride	Kids Non-mint available Natural Vegan	$$
Kingfisher Natural toothpaste with Fluoride	fluoride	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$
Kingfisher Natural toothpaste	no	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$
Kingfisher Natural toothpaste without Fluoride – Baking soda	no	Baking soda Natural Vegan	$
Kingfisher Natural toothpaste without Fluoride – Naturally whitening charcoal	no	Natural Vegan Whitening	$
Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets with Fluoride	fluoride	Eco-friendly Natural	$$
Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets Fluoride Free	no	Eco-friendly Natural	$$
The Dirt Tooth Powder	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available	$$
The Dirt Toothpaste	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available	$$
DoTERRA On Guard® Natural Whitening Toothpaste	hydroxyapatite	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Radius USDA Organic Toothpaste	No	Natural Organic Vegan	$$
Auromere Ayurvedic Toothpaste	no	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$
Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste	No	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Dr Bronners All-in-One Toothpaste	No	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Jason Healthy Mouth® Tartar Control Anti-Cavity Toothpaste	fluoride	Gum disease Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Jason Simply Coconut	no	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Uncle Harry’s Toothpaste	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available	$$
Uncle Harry’s Tooth Powder	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available	$$
Cleure Toothpaste	Calcium phosphate	Baking Soda Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Redmond Earthpaste	No	Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Redmond Earthpowder	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Colgate Zero	fluoride	Natural Vegan	$
Bite Toothpaste Bits	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$$
Bite Toothpaste Bits with Activated Charcoal	no	Eco-friendly Natural Vegan	$$$
Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste	nano-hydroxyapatite	Natural Vegan	$$
Burt’s Bees Clean and Fresh Fluoride Toothpaste	fluoride	Natural	$$
Burt’s Bees Purely White Fluoride Free	no	Natural	$$
Davids Toothpaste	no	Eco-friendly Natural Vegan	$$
Lush Toothy Tabs	no	Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan	$$
Twice Toothpaste	fluoride	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Kiss My Face Fluoride Free Toothpaste	no	Natural Vegan	$$
Kiss My Face  Whitening Fluoride Free Toothpaste	no	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Kiss My Face Enamel Xtra Cool Mint Gel With Fluoride	fluoride	Natural Vegan	$$
Kiss My Face Whitening Cool Mint Gel With Fluoride	fluoride	Natural Vegan Whitening	$$
Native Toothpaste Whitening with fluoride	fluoride	Natural Whitening	$$
Native Toothpaste Whitening without fluoride	no	Natural Whitening	$$
Native Toothpaste Detoxifying with charcoal	fluoride	Natural Whitening	$$
The Natural Dentist Healthy Teeth & Gums Whitening Plus Toothpaste	Fluoride (fluoride free available)	Gum disease Natural Whitening	$$
Saint Oral Care Natural Mineral Toothpaste	no	Natural Organic Vegan	$$
Oranurse Unflavoured Toothpaste	fluoride	Kids Non-mint available	$
CloSYS toothpaste	fluoride	Sensitivity	$$
CloSYS fluoride free toothpaste	no	Sensitivity	$$
Biotene toothpaste	fluoride	Dry mouth	$$
Supersmile professional teeth whitening toothpaste	fluoride	Non-mint available Whitening	$$$
Sensodyne extra whitening	fluoride	Sensitivity Whitening	$$
Sensodyne true white	fluoride	Sensitivity Whitening	$$
Sensodyne pronamel gentle whitening	fluoride	Sensitivity Whitening	$$
Sensodyne fresh impact	fluoride	Sensitivity Whitening	$$
Sensodyne pronamel daily protection	fluoride	Sensitivity	$$
Sensodyne pronamel intensive enamel repair	fluoride	Sensitivity	$$
Sensodyne fresh mint	fluoride	Sensitivity	$$
Therabreath Fresh Breath toothpaste	fluoride	Bad Breath	$$
TheraBreath PerioTherapy toothpaste	fluoride	Bad Breath Gum Disease	$$$
Rembrandt intense stain	fluoride	Whitening	$$
Verve ultra toothpaste	fluoride	Whitening	$$
Colgate max white	fluoride	Whitening	$$
Colgate total whitening toothpaste	fluoride	Gum Disease Whitening	$
Tom’s of Maine Activated Charcoal Toothpaste	Fluoride(fluoride free available)	Natural Whitening	$
Tom’s of Maine Botanically Fresh Toothpaste	Fluoride(fluoride free available)	Natural Whitening Bad breath	$
Curaprox Enzycal 950	Fluoride (fluoride free available)		$$
Hylodent Toothpaste	none	Gum disease Natural Organic Vegan	$$$
Hylodent Gum Serum	none	Gum disease Natural Organic Vegan	$$$
Biorepair Total Protective Repair	hydroxyapetite	Gum disease Vegan
Biorepair® Parodontgel	hydroxyapetite	Gum disease Sensitivity Vegan	$$$
Biorepair® Gum Protection	hydroxyapetite	Gum disease Sensitivity Vegan	$$$
Simply Silver Toothpaste	none	Natural Non-mint available Sensitivity	$$
Dr Sheffield’s Natural Toothpaste	none	Natural Non-mint available	$$
Dr Sheffield’s Natural Sensitive Care Toothpaste	none	Natural Sensitivity	$$