15 Best Vegan Toothpaste Options for a Brighter, Kinder Smile

Most mainstream toothpaste companies aren't cruelty-free. And while you may not have considered it before, a lot of brands don't offer vegan toothpaste either.

But, if you want to spend the rest of your tooth-brushing days without impacting animals, good news: there are plenty of vegan and cruelty-free options available. Here, we've rounded up some of the best.

But first, let's take a look at why all toothpaste isn't vegan.

Why isn't all toothpaste vegan?

Toothpaste can contain a number of ingredients that are either derived from animals or are animal byproducts.

Glycerin, for example, is a humectant that helps to stop toothpaste from drying out. But, while it can come from vegetable oil, it can also be derived from tallow, which is fat from animals (usually pigs).

If a product lists glycerin in its ingredients and it's not labeled vegan, it's best to avoid or reach out directly to the brand for more sourcing information.

Another non-vegan ingredient commonly used in toothpaste is propolis. Used for its effective oral care properties (it's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory), propolis is produced by honeybees.

Essentially, it is bee saliva, wax, and plant exudate mixed together, and is used by the pollinator as a kind of cement, ideal for fixing and sealing cracks in beehives.

Another questionable toothpaste ingredient is calcium phosphate, which can be extracted from animal bones.

As well as using animal ingredients, many mainstream toothpaste brands, like Sensodyne, Aquafresh, and Colgate, are not certified as cruelty-free. All three of these examples may test on animals themselves, or through a third party, and sell products where animal testing is required by law.

What is vegan toothpaste?

The oral care market has a long way to go before it's considered animal-friendly. But a growing number of brands abstain from animal ingredients and avoid animal testing.

Instead of animal products, they use ingredients like vegetable-derived glycerin, coconut oil, and baking soda. Plus, their products will leave your teeth and your mouth feeling clean, fresh, and well cared for.

Here are some of our top vegan toothpaste picks, and of course, all are certified cruelty-free. We've included options that include fluoride, a naturally-occurring mineral that helps to prevent tooth decay, and some that don't.

While some prefer to avoid fluoride, and evidence shows it can be harmful if ingested, a strong body of research suggests that fluoride is safe when used just on teeth (without swallowing) and is key for staving off cavities.

❌ What to avoid (brands that are not cruelty-free and may engage in animal testing):

• Crest
• Colgate
• Aquafresh
• Sensodyne
• Arm & Hammer
• Listerine
• Rembrandt
• Aim
• Close-up
• Mentadent
• Pearl Drops
• Reach
• Scope
• Signal

🌿 Full list of brands to look for (cruelty-free options):

• Tom's of Maine
• JASON
• Auromere
• Hello Products
• Desert Essence
• Better & Better
• Unpaste
• Supersmile
• Kaylaan
• Burt's Bees
• Native
• Twice
• Made by Dentists
• David's
• Dr. Bronners

Best OVERALL Vegan Toothpaste and Our Top Recommendation:

#1 — Hello Mighty Multi-Tasker Fluoride Toothpaste

Our #1 overall recommendation has a well-deserved spot: it’s designed as a multi-tasking toothpaste that does it all. It helps prevent cavities, tartar, plaque, and gingivitis, all while addressing tooth sensitivity.

It contains fluoride for maximum cavity prevention, but Hello offers several fluoride-free options as well. This formula also aims to remove surface stains to whiten teeth gently over time while strengthening enamel. Natural mint flavors provide fresh breath. The combination of active ingredients works to improve oral hygiene and dental health in areas like decay prevention, plaque and tartar reduction, gum health and stain removal.

Since they were acquired by Colgate-Palmolive, Hello Products is now owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. The brand itself has remained 100% cruelty-free since getting bought, plus they’re also 100% vegan meaning that none of their products contain animal-derived ingredients which can be common in mainstream toothpaste.

Best Vegan Toothpaste for Whitening

#1 — Burt’s Bees Extra White Fluoride Natural Toothpaste ($6.39)

This is one of the highest-rated toothpastes on the market. It’s designed to help remove surface stains, leaving the mouth feeling clean and fresh.

It’s also made without sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, parabens, artificial flavors and sweeteners, preservatives and dyes, and gluten — which is also a plus for a product you’ll be using at least twice a day. In terms of eco-friendliness, the carton can be recycled in curbside pickup options.

Burt’s Bees is not 100% vegan since some of their products contain bee-derived ingredients such as honey or propolis. This particular toothpaste is vegan, and you’ll find a full list of their vegan toothpastes below.

Although Burt’s Bees is cruelty-free, it’s important for some readers that we mention their parent company, Clorox, which is not.

List of Burt’s Bees’ Vegan Toothpastes:

1. Baby-training toothpaste (flouride-free, safe to swallow)
2. Burt’s Bees Activated Charcoal toothpaste
3. Charcoal + Whitening Mountain Mint Toothpaste (contains Fluoride)
4. Charcoal + Whitening Zen Peppermint Toothpaste (Fluoride-free)
5. Extra White Mountain Mint Toothpaste (contains Fluoride)
6. Kids Fruit Fusion Toothpaste (contains Fluoride)
7. Kids Fruit Fusion Toothpaste (Fluoride-free)
8. Purely White Zen Peppermint Toothpaste (Fluoride-free)

#2 — Hello Naturally Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste ($6.99)

This popular toothpaste is formulated with a calcium mineral blend to gently remove surface stains from teeth. It contains peppermint, tea tree oil and coconut oil as natural ingredients, and it’s thoughtfully designed to whiten teeth without the use of peroxide or harsh abrasives.

It also doesn’t contain dyes, SLS, parabens, or artificial sweeteners or flavors. This company is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, plus all of their products are made in the USA. The combination of stain-removing minerals, fluoride for cavity protection, and breath-freshening oils aims to naturally whiten teeth, strengthen enamel, prevent cavities and provide fresh breath.

Hello is a 100% vegan company, which means you can try all of their toothpastes without scrutinizing the ingredients!

#3 — Tom's of Maine Simply White Toothpaste

Tom's Simply White toothpaste works to naturally whiten teeth by gently removing surface stains with silica, a mineral sourced from nature. Unlike harsh bleaches or abrasives, this formula polishes away dullness and yellowing to brighten smiles in just 2 weeks with regular use.

The minty, vegan paste contains no peroxide and is clinically shown to safely reveal whiter teeth. As part of their commitment to natural ingredients, Tom's of Maine has been reformulating many products to remove animal-derived components.

However, not all of their toothpastes are currently vegan, with some still containing ingredients like propolis. This specific Simply White variety is vegan, but be sure to check for a vegan label when selecting their toothpastes.

#4 — JASON Powersmile Toothpaste

Another OG natural toothpaste brand, JĀSÖN was founded back in 1959 and focuses on chemical-free "nature-led" formulas. Its Powersmile toothpaste claims to whiten teeth with the help of bamboo powder, silica, baking soda, and calcium carbonate.

Plus, the addition of peppermint oil ensures clean, fresh breath.

The formula also features grapefruit seed and perilla seed, which may help to counter the acid produced when we eat sugar. This acid is harmful as it dissolves tooth enamel, paving the way for decay.

JĀSÖN products use 100% vegetarian ingredients. However, there is one animal derived ingredient used in their products - beeswax.

5 — Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste

Gleaming pearly whites are a top priority for many consumers, and Supersmile has been pumping out products to cater to them for around 40 years.

The secret, the brand claims, is its signature Calprox formula, which contains its own proprietary form of calcium peroxide. It works by dissolving pellicle, a layer of protein on the surface of teeth that often contains plaque, bacteria, and stains.

According to the brand, it can whiten teeth by six shades in just five days. It also comes in an array of flavors, so if mint really isn't your thing, you can also find it in flavors like cinnamon and green apple.

Best Vegan Toothpaste Without Fluoride

#1 — biöm NOBS

biöm NOBS Toothpaste Tablets are a great eco-friendly and convenient alternative to traditional toothpaste. The tablets are an environmentally friendly, and use nano-hydroxyapatite, which is the safest alternative to fluoride to protect teeth long-term.

Toothpaste tablets also reduce plastic waste and eliminate unnecessary ingredients in traditional toothpaste. They come in plastic-free, reusable, air-tight glass jars.

They're also TSA-certified, so you'll have no problems flying with them, too. It's free of all plastics and BPA, making it safe for children and pregnant women.

#2 — Davids Natural Toothpaste (Fluoride Free)

Davids toothpaste is natural and free of artificial flavors, preservatives, colors, and sweeteners. Instead, it uses xylitol, essential oils, and sodium cocoyl glutamate to freshen breath. The essential oils come from peppermint, spearmint, anise, and wintergreen plants.

They come in recyclable aluminum metal tubes lined with a food-grade non-BPA liner. This barrier prevents any leaching of the tube into the paste.

Davids Natural Toothpaste is an excellent fluoride-free toothpaste made in the USA from 98% USA-origin ingredients. Davids is family-owned and operated. Their products are vegan and cruelty-free.

#3 — Dr. Bronners All-One Toothpaste (Fluoride Free)

Dr. Bronner's All-One Toothpaste's formula is made with 70% organic ingredients. It uses organic menthol crystals to freshen breath, organic coconut flour and fair trade organic coconut oil to remove plaque and whiten teeth gently, and organic aloe to soothe gums.

It's vegan and cruelty-free, with no artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, synthetic sweeteners, or detergent foaming agents.

While most of Dr. Bronner's products, including toothpaste, are vegan, the company is not 100% vegan. They use organic beeswax in some of their products.

4 — Desert Essence Wintergreen Natural Toothpaste

All of Desert Essence's oral care products are inspired by nature, and this Wintergreen toothpaste is no exception. It freshens and cares for the mouth, gums, and teeth with the help of neem and tea tree oil.

The latter contains antifungal compounds, and research has shown that it may help to minimize the risk of gum disease, by reducing inflammation and removing bacteria.

5 — Better & Better Energy Toothpaste

Toothpaste can do more than just maintain oral hygiene. Better & Better claims it can also help you pack more vitamins into your body.

When you use it twice a day, the brand's energy toothpaste contains 100 percent of your recommended daily dose of vitamin B12 and 80 percent of your daily vitamin D3. Both of which are absorbed through the gums and the tongue.

Ingredients in this toothpaste (which is made in the US) include organic menthol, organic spearmint, and organic peppermint (combined for super fresh breath), as well as flavor-enhancing blue agave, baking soda, vegetable glycerin, and organic coconut oil.

6 — Unpaste Tooth Tabs

Unpaste is on a mission to take plastic out of oral care. Packaged in paper-based compostable bags, its toothpaste comes in tablet form.

But aside from the difference in appearance, Unpaste's tablets are still effective when it comes to oral hygiene. They contain cellulose, which, research suggests, helps to reduce plaque and tartar buildup.

Instead of pasting on a toothbrush like usual, crunch the tablet before brushing with your toothbrush. The rest is the same as usual: rinse and repeat.

The tablet comes in two flavors, mint or cinnamon, and doesn't contain fluoride. There is also a fluoride version available.

7 — Auromere Ayurvedic Fresh Mint Herbal Toothpaste

This Ayurvedic herbal toothpaste is one for those who like to keep their toothpaste as natural as possible.

It's formulated with 24 special herbal extracts, including neem, a centuries-old ingredient used in Ayurvedic oral hygiene, Indian licorice root, clove, and peelu.

The latter, known as "the toothbrush tree," has been used for thousands of years around the world as a chewing stick.

Modern research suggests that miswak, which comes from the root of peelu, has a number of properties beneficial to oral hygiene. For example, it's antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-plaque.

8 — Kaylaan Watermelon Toothpaste Tablets

Another brand fighting plastic pollution, Kaylaan packages its toothpaste tablets in eco-friendly tins instead of tubes.

The tablets are made with xylitol, a natural five-carbon sugar polyol found in fruits and berries. According to some research, it helps to kill bacteria in the mouth that causes decay. Some studies have suggested that it could even help to reverse decay in the early stages of the process.

Unlike standard toothpaste options, Kaylaan's tablets come in an array of flavors, including candy-like watermelon. There's also classic mint, as well as strawberry, neem, blueberry, and cinnamon flavors.

Best Vegan Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth

#1 — Twice Sensitivity Whitening Toothpaste (With Fluoride)

The award-winning Twice Oral Wellness Toothpaste contains dentist-recommended fluoride levels to fight cavities by strengthening tooth enamel.

It's enriched with vitamin A, which promotes healthier gums by reducing inflammation; vitamin E, which neutralizes free radicals; and aloe vera, which calms gum irritation and inflammation. The potassium nitrate prevents sensitivity.

It's vegan and uses plant-derived foaming agents. It does not contain SLS, parabens, BPA, animal products, or artificial dyes.

Twice is owned by a family of dentists and co-founded by Lenny Kravitz. They don't test on animals.

#2 — Davids Sensitive + Whitening Toothpaste (Fluoride Free)

Davids Sensitive + Whitening Toothpaste has safe and clean ingredients to provide natural whitening, antiplaque, and minty fresh breath. This one is especially perfect for those with teeth sensitivity, as it uses nano-hydroxyapatite to repair sensitive teeth and remineralize enamel.

The whitening aspect comes from a touch of baking soda, a mild abrasive that works to safely remove surface stains over time for a brighter smile. It whitens without harsh chemicals that can irritate sensitive mouths.

#3 — Green Beaver Natural Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth (Fluoride Free)

This 100% natural toothpaste has potassium nitrate to protect against tooth sensitivity and calcium to strengthen teeth. Fluoride-free and non-toxic, it gently cleans and polishes teeth and prevents scale deposits.

As of the time of writing, this brand is only available in Canada.

Green Beaver's products are vegan, except for their lip balms, which are made from organic beeswax.

4 — Hello Sensitivity Relief Fluoride Toothpaste

If you feel a twinge when you drink an iced beverage or tuck into ice cream, you could be suffering from sensitive teeth. But don't worry, help is out there. Choosing the right toothpaste may offer you some relief.

Hello's See Ya Sensitivity toothpaste contains potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride, both of which provide pain relief for sensitive teeth. The former helps to calm down nerve fibers, while the latter helps to strengthen tooth enamel.

Not only does this product help to reduce sensitivity, but it also gently removes surface stains, leaving your teeth whiter and cleaner. The taste isn't overpowering either—just mild and minty.

Best Vegan Toothpaste for Kids

1 — Hello Kids Unicorn Sparkle Fluoride Toothpaste (With Fluoride)

This naturally flavored bubblegum toothpaste contains rainbow glitter that delights children and makes brush time more enjoyable.

Specially made for ages 2 and up, this fluoride toothpaste is ADA accepted to help prevent cavities, while gently cleaning teeth. Thoughtfully formulated without artificial sweeteners, dyes, sulfates, microbeads, triclosan, parabens or gluten.

All Hello products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free, but its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, is not.

#2 — Burt's Bees Kids Strawberry Flavor (With Fluoride)

Burt's Bees Kids Fluoride Toothpaste is formulated without sulfates, parabens, artificial flavors and sweeteners, and artificial preservatives, making it perfect for kids. It also uses stevia as a sweetener, making it taste great without added sugars.

The company is not 100% vegan. Some of their products contain animal-sourced ingredients, such as milk, lanolin, honey, royal jelly, and carmine.

Burt's Bees has been Leaping Bunny Certified for more than 14 years. However, it's owned by Clorox, which is not a cruelty-free brand.

3 — Desert Essence Tutti Frutti (Fluoride Free)

Desert Essence Tutti Frutti Gel Toothpaste is made safe to swallow and fluoride-free for kids. Specially formulated for children 6 months to 6 years old, it strengthens and protects developing teeth. The formula is enriched with aloe to remove plaque buildup gently and safely. This toothpaste is flavored with a tasty blend of essential oils including strawberry, blueberry, and lemon for a fruity brushing experience.

While all their products are 100% vegetarian, not all are vegan as some of their formulas have small amounts of beeswax and honey.

The Verdict

We all need a great, effective toothpaste in our lives. It's a vital part of oral care, reducing the buildup of plaque and bacteria. But sadly, most mainstream toothpaste companies aren't cruelty-free, and a number of them don't offer vegan products either. But there are still plenty of ethical options available.

To summarize, here are some of our favorites:

• Best for Kids:
• Best for Whitening: Burt’s Bees Extra White Fluoride Natural Toothpaste
• Best Without Fluoride:
• Best for Sensitive Teeth:
• Best Overall Vegan Toothpaste:

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