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 toothpaste, 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 contact 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 toothpaste that come without SLS — there are lots of options.
To keep things simple I have listed good 3 options here, but I also include other options later on in the article and a list of SLS-free toothpastes at the bottom of the page.
Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets with Fluoride
I have picked these as one of the best toothpastes without SLS because they are also eco-friendly. Toothpaste tablets are the way to go when it comes to thinking about your impact on the environment. The bag they come in is compostable, so there really is zero waste here.
Denttabs contain fluoride for protection against cavities, and are free from SLS. Despite being SLS free, they do foam a little during use which means they actually will help with the cleaning process.
Pros
- Contains fluoride
- Minimal packaging.
- Travel friendly (no liquids).
- Just the right amount each time (1 tablet = one dose).
- Vegan and cruelty free.
- Gluten free.
- SLS free.
Cons
- More expensive than regular toothpaste.
- Initial taste and texture can take a bit of getting used to.
Where to buy
Price Comparison
- Packet of 125 (approx 2 month supply)
- Approx. £4 / packet
- £
Colgate Smile for Good Toothpaste
This is the newest offering from Colgate. It aims to please the health conscious market, being minimalist on ingredients, whilst still containing important fluoride.
I have included this toothpaste due to its availability on the market, and it being a popular and well known brand across the UK.
Colgate are making a move towards environmentally friendly packaging by making the tube recyclable, but unfortunately there is still some single use plastic in the tube.
Sensodyne Pronamel Daily Protection
Sensodyne is one of the most widely available and affordable brands of toothpaste out there.
What’s more, many of their products are SLS free. The Pronamel Daily Protection toothpaste has made it to the top of this list due to the claimed additional benefit of protection against acids – a very common problem with a modern diet.
This is also the best SLS free toothpaste if you suffer from sensitivity.
Pros
- SLS free.
- Widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies.
- Contains fluoride for protection against cavities.
- Also helps relieve sensitivity.
- Protection against erosion from acids.
Cons
- Use of single use plastics
- Not vegan
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 considering a fluoride free toothpaste, which is also free from SLS, I would recommend looking towards the following brands, which do contain alternative remineralising agents:
- Biomed (view on Amazon)
- BioRepair (view on Amazon)
- Ecodenta (view on Amazon)
Best SLS free toothpaste for kids
Some toothpastes are branded specifically for kids. In some cases this may be because they have a more child friendly flavour, but it might also be because of a lower fluoride content.
If you are considering an SLS toothpaste for your child, you could in fact pick any of the recommended toothpastes in the best options, so long as they do not swallow the toothpaste, and that it is used under supervision.
However, the following brands do also provide specific children’s toothpaste if you are considering it:
- The Humble Co – Toothpaste in a Jar (view on Amazon)
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. Some toothpastes may also include further ingredients to help reduce the amount of gum disease causing bacteria, as explained in more detail in my article on the best toothpaste for gum disease.
A few recommendations would include:
- Jason Healthy Mouth® Tartar Control Anti-Cavity Toothpaste – Tea Tree & Cinnamon (view on Amazon)
- Therabreath PerioTherapy toothpaste (view on Amazon)
- Green People Organic Children Mandarin and Aloe Vera Toothpaste (view on Green People website)
- Corsodyl Daily 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?
The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association Limited (CTPA) state in the booklet Confidence in Cosmetics: “Whilst prolonged or frequently repeated contact with high concentrations may cause irritation, this is not normally seen at the low concentrations used in cosmetics and personal care products, and they are safe to use in cosmetic products. “
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.
Is Sensodyne Toothpaste SLS Free?
Most Sensodyne toothpastes are SLS free as they believe it can “irritate sensitive teeth and gums”.
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 Vegan | £ |
| Denttabs Toothpaste Tablets Fluoride Free | no | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | £ |
| DoTERRA On Guard® Natural Whitening Toothpaste | hydroxyapatite | Natural Vegan Whitening | £££ |
| Radius USDA Organic Toothpaste | No | Natural Organic toothpaste 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 | ££ |
| Redmond Earthpaste | No | Natural Non-mint available Vegan | ££ |
| Redmond Earthpowder | no | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan | ££ |
| Colgate Smile for Good Whitening Toothpaste | fluoride | Natural Organic Vegan | £ |
| Davids Toothpaste | no | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | ££ |
| Lush Toothy Tabs | no | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan | ££ |
| Twice Toothpaste | fluoride | Natural Vegan Whitening | ££ |
| The Natural Dentist Healthy All in One Toothpaste | Fluoride (fluoride free available) | Gum disease Natural Whitening | ££ |
| Oranurse Unflavoured Toothpaste | fluoride | Kids Non-mint available | £ |
| cloSYS toothpaste | fluoride | Sensitivity | ££ |
| cloSYS fluoride free toothpaste | no | Sensitivity | ££ |
| biotene toothpaste | fluoride | Dry mouth | £ |
| Sensodyne Daily Care | fluoride | Sensitivity | £ |
| Sensodyne Daily Care Whitening | fluoride | Sensitivity Whitening | £ |
| sensodyne true white | fluoride | Sensitivity Whitening | ££ |
| Sensodyne Pronamel Multi-Action | Fluoride | Sensitivity | ££ |
| Therabreath Fresh Breath toothpaste | fluoride | Bad Breath | ££ |
| TheraBreath PerioTherapy toothpaste | fluoride | Bad Breath Gum Disease | £££ |
| rembrandt intense stain | fluoride | 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) | ££ | |
| Biorepair Total Protective Repair | hydroxyapetite | Gum disease Vegan | ££ |
| Biorepair® Parodontgel | hydroxyapetite | Gum disease Sensitivity Vegan | £££ |
| Biorepair® Gum Protection | hydroxyapetite | Gum disease Sensitivity Vegan | £££ |
| AloeDent Sensitive Without Fluoride | none | Natural Sensitivity Vegan | £ |
| AloeDent Sensitive With Fluoride | fluoride | Natural Sensitivity Vegan | £ |
| Green People Organic Toothpaste | none | Gum Disease Natural Non-Mint Available Organic Sensitivity Vegan | £ |
| Green People Organic Children Mandarin and Aloe Vera Toothpaste | Fluoride | Gum Disease Natural Non-Mint Organic Sensitivity Vegan | £ |
| Euthymol toothpaste | none | Natural | ££ |
| Hydrophil Pure Mint Toothpaste | fluoride | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | ££ |
| Hydrophil Sweet Herbs Toothpaste | none | Eco-friendlyNaturalNon-mintVegan | ££ |
| Hydrophil Toothpaste Tabs Mint Lemon | none | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | ££ |
| Hydrophil Toothpaste Tabs Sage | fluoride | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint Vegan | ££ |
| The Humble Co Toothpaste in a Jar | fluoride | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Vegan | ££ |
| The Humble Co Natural Toothpaste | fluoride | Natural Non-mint available Vegan | £ |
| The Humble Co Natural Toothpaste Tablets with Fluoride | fluoride | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | £ |
| The Humble Co Natural Toothpaste Fluoride Free | none | Eco-friendly Natural Vegan | £ |
| Georganics Mineral Toothpaste | none | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Organic Vegan | ££ |
| Georganics Toothpaste Powder | none | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Organic Vegan | ££ |
| Georganics Toothpaste Tablets | none | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Organic Vegan | ££ |
| Georganics Toothsoap | none | Eco-friendly Natural Non-mint available Organic Vegan | ££ |
| Corsodyl Daily Toothpaste | fluoride | Gum disease | £ |
| Ecodenta sensitive whitening | HAP | Natural Sensitivity Vegan Whitening | £ |
| Ecodenta Multifunctional Toothpaste | fluoride | Natural Vegan | £ |
| Ecodenta Pineapple Mornings and Bilberry Nights toothpastes | fluoride | Natural Non-Mint Vegan | ££ |
| Ecodenta Organic Anti-Plaque Toothpaste With Coconut Oil | none | Natural Organic Vegan | ££ |
| Ecodenta Organic Whitening Toothpaste with Papaya | Fluoride | Natural Organic Vegan Whitening | ££ |
| Ecodenta Organic Salt Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth | none | Natural Organic Sensitivity Vegan | ££ |
| Biomed Superwhite Toothpaste | HAP | Natural Non-Mint Organic Vegan Whitening | £ |
| Biomed Propoline Natural Toothpaste | HAP | Gum disease Natural Non-Mint Organic | £ |
| Biomed Sensitive Toothpaste | HAP | Natural Non-mint Organic Sensitivity | £ |
| Ultradex Original Low-Abrasion Toothpaste | fluoride | Bad Breath Vegan | ££ |
| Ultradex Whitening Toothpaste | fluoride | Bad Breath Sensitivity Whitening | ££ |
Does Janina low abrasion whitening toothpaste contain sodium lauryl sulphate?
Thank you,
Jenny Chorley
Yes, as far as we are aware it does Jenn.
Dear Dr Wheeler, I suffer bleeding mouth ulcers, on a regular basis. So painful I feel like crying, it hurts so much. I suffered Lichenoid Reaction a few years ago, it was 3 years before the hospital gave my ulcers a name. I had biopsies, scans etc. Could you please advise me on best toothpaste, mouthwash and gel. I use to have to dissolve a steroid tablet on the ulcers hold in my mouth as long as possible to help, then spit it out. I have a bad ulcer at the moment, it is just starting to get better, it’s been 3 weeks. I was discharged from hospital when LR was diagnosed, that was a few years ago now. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you Sandra
Hi Sandra,
I’m sorry to hear about your ulcers, you sound like you are really struggling with them.
Obviously, any advice I give does not replace that by your own dentist and medical professionals as I have not assessed you clinically. If you are having recurrent ulcers that are affecting your day to day life, please book in to see a dentist.
Did you have any dental work done after the lichenoid reaction was diagnosed? Lichenoid reactions can recur, depending on what “caused” the first reaction. Sometimes it takes a long time to identify what the “cause” is, but it can vary from medications to dental filling materials. I’m sure you have read plenty of information on it, but an interesting review can be found here (it’s aimed at dentists, but I’m sure you will find it interesting).
Then to answer your question about best toothpaste, mouthwash and gel. I assume this is to be able to effectively clean your teeth without making the ulcers any worse.
You want to be using a fluoride containing toothpaste twice daily. The exact one will take some trial and error unless you know one ingredient specifically causes ulcers to worsen. I would recommend you start with the Oranurse Unflavoured Toothpaste. That is because this toothpaste has very few ingredients.
There is no need to use a mouthwash on a daily basis when it comes to keeping your teeth clean (unless your own dentist recommends otherwise). This is because physical cleaning twice daily with brushing and interdental cleaning, and the use of fluoride toothpaste twice a day, is enough to help prevent dental caries and gum disease. See our pages for tips on how to brush your teeth properly. In your case, we also want to minimise potential for irritation of the ulcers.
If you want something to help manage the discomfort of your ulcers, I usually recommend warm salty mouthwashes as often as required for pain relief.Gengigel is a gentle mouthwash that may also help manage symptoms. Again, it is minimal ingredients which could irritate your mouth further. Use it at least half an hour after brushing (so that the fluoride in your toothpaste still has time to be effective).
A gel containing lidocaine (a local anesthetic) may provide enough pain relief to help you clean effectively or eat without pain. Have a read of the NHS information “Lidocaine for mouth and throat”.Gels available from a pharmacy include Anbesol Adult Strength Gel and Iglü Rapid Relief Gel Mouth Ulcer Treatment. Orajel Dental Gel for toothache has a similar ingredient (benzocaine). There is no evidence to suggest one is better than the other.
WIth ulcers, it can take time for them to clear – 2 to 3 weeks is normal. If you need help managing the pain of the ulcers, it is worth seeing your dentist who may prescribe steroid mouthwash again to help manage them. Prescription recommendations for ulcers can be found here and you can discuss this with your dentist.
I hope these recommendations help.
Kind Regards,
Gemma
Hi Gemma thank you so very much for your reply. I will do all you said, and see how it goes. Kind wishes Sandra