As I continue my research into different zero- and low-waste toothpaste/tooth cleaning options, I discovered the world of tooth soap– yes, you read that right, soap for your teeth. A lot of what I came across were people using soaps like Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap to brush their teeth, which really made me uncomfortable. The thought of that bitter soap in my mouth gave me major heebie-jeebies and I was starting to think some people were a little nutty for even thinking of using soap that way. But then I came across an online shop with a collection of low waste, minimally packaged personal care products, including – you guessed it – tooth soap.

ShopAlōGoods is a small business with manufacturing hubs in Colorado and Illinois that focuses on nourishing and feeding the mind, body, and spirit – in fact, the alō in the name comes from Latin and means “to feed, nourish, or sustain”. Kandra, the founder, is certified by the Hand-Crafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild and is committed to supporting her community – donating and volunteering with organizations that support women in business, survivors of domestic violence, and providing vocational skills for incarcerated individuals looking for a plan for life post-incarceration. I was so taken by how amazing Kandra is that I knew I had to give her products a try, so I placed an order for her Charcoal and Tea Tree Tooth Suds soap ($9.95 for a 1.5 oz bar), her Pure (unflavored) Tooth Suds soap, and her Pure Mouthwash Crystals ($16.95 for a 4.5 oz bag of crystals, which yields 36 oz of mouthwash). There are also Citrus Mint Tooth Suds soap bars and Mouthwash Crystals in all three flavors. ShopAlōGoods also offers a trial pack that includes 3 0.25-oz Tooth Suds bars (one in each flavor) and a bamboo toothbrush for $12.00 and a full oral care kit that includes a full-sized Tooth Suds bar of your choosing, a full-sized Mouthwash Crystals pouch in the flavor of your choosing, a bamboo toothbrush, a soap dish for your Tooth Suds bar, and a shot glass with the ShopAlōGoods logo for rinsing the mouthwash for $38.52.

[DISCLOSURE: All reviews on this site reflect my opinion of a product or service I have used. I will always disclose in the review if something was gifted to me but, unless otherwise noted, assume a product or service was purchased with my own money. Links in my reviews may be affiliate links, which means I will receive compensation for you using my link to make your purchase.]

Aesthetic:

I would say that no one thinks ShopAlōGoods Tooth Suds are very pretty. It’s a bar of soap- and not one that’s shaped like a rose or a teddy bear; it’s a rough cut 1.5 oz bar. Nothing is really eye-catching about it at a glance. But I’ve come to love the simplicity of a tooth soap bar in my routine. I already use bar soaps in my shower and at the sink for my face, so having another small bar of soap fits the aesthetic of my bathroom counter and I love the chance for everything to match.

If you’re a bar soap fan like me and now you’re worried that you might confuse your Tooth Suds for your face soap, let me just put you at ease by saying that unless your face soap is also a “rustic” looking bar, you probably won’t get the two mixed up. My face soap (the Sanara black clay bar) and my Tooth Suds bar look completely different even though they are similar sizes and I keep them on soap holders on opposite sides of my sink to prevent any sleep-deprived mix-ups.

Sustainability:

The Tooth Suds bars are packaged in a little paper box, which the website says can be composted, reused, or recycled. Mine ended up in the recycle bin because I got it too wet to be reused and we don’t have a compost bin here. But if you don’t ruin the box, I could see it being the perfect travel vessel for the Tooth Suds for overnight trips.

The brand is US-based and, as I mentioned above, their manufacturing facilities are in Colorado and Illinois. I know that shopping local is so important to people, so if you’re a neighbor to ShopAlōGoods give them a try!

Ingredients are another big topic in the sustainability conversation and it’s not something I want to brush aside like it isn’t important. ShopAlōGoods does not use synthetic ingredients in their products and avoids animal-based ingredients, making their products vegan! All fragrances and flavors are naturally derived from herbs, oils, and extracts. They are also committed to using cruelty-free ingredients, which means their products are free from the controversial palm oil.

My Experience:

Tooth Suds do have a bit of a learning curve, much like the experience I had with the Bite bits. You need to have enough of the soap on your toothbrush to actually clean with, but there is a very fine line between having enough soap and having too much and feeling like your Mamaw just caught you saying a naughty word. Even after using this for a few weeks, every once in a while, I do get a little too much soap.

But the good thing is that the soapy taste – at least for the Charcoal and Tea Tree bar – isn’t overly soapy. I actually have a good frame of reference for this because I did accidentally get some soap in my mouth in the shower around the same time that I started using Tooth Suds. There is a considerable difference in the experience of that bitter bubbly burning hitting your tongue in the shower and the sharp taste of the Tooth Suds lather – even when you use a little too much.

Other than learning to use the correct amount, Tooth Suds are one of the easiest ways to transition to a low-waste tooth cleaner! I find that I’m enjoying the clean feeling I get from Tooth Suds a little more than the results I was getting from Bite (which is not to say Bite left me feeling less than clean, only that Tooth Suds has given me a more thorough clean).

I can’t wait to try more products from ShopAlōGoods in the future!

The Verdict:

The AloGoods Tooth Suds bar is a great option for a minimal-waste tooth cleaning soap. I know that the idea of lathering up your toothbrush with a bar of soap and scrubbing away with actual soap suds sounds a little gross. It doesn’t take up a lot of space on the bathroom counter – though it isn’t compatible with a pedestal sink unless you want your Tooth Suds bar to live on the edge of the sink. Its small, non-liquid state makes it an easy travel buddy – if you can travel with a bar of soap you can travel with Tooth Suds. If you can get over the mind-freak of putting soap in your mouth, it’s a good alternative to having dozens of tubes of toothpaste in your bathroom drawer.

I can say with confidence that I would use Tooth Suds in the future, and I do recommend them to anyone else looking for different tooth-cleaning products. I won’t say that this is the perfect one-size-fits-all option for low-waste dental hygiene products, because I don’t believe that can exist, but I do believe that tooth soap can be a great option for a lot of people. I want more people to know that it is an option and I hope that tooth soaps become as commonly known as the tooth tablets and the tooth polishes. I’m very interested to see how long this bar does end up lasting me and I will be sure to give an update letting everyone know when this bar is finally used up.

My overall review is as follows –

Ease of Use: 5/5 – it’s a bar of soap, just wet your brush and scrub against the bar for a lather. It won’t suds up a lot on the brush, in my experience, but once it’s in your mouth it will lather right up

Travel: 5/5 – again, it’s a bar of soap. That’s one of the easiest things to travel with. You could even cut off a section for a shorter trip to save on space in your luggage

Low-Waste: 5/5 – it comes in a little paper box so it’s not totally package-free, but the box is plastic free and compostable

Taste: 4/5 – there’s a bit of learning curve about getting too much on your brush. In my experience, that’s when the soap taste comes in. The Charcoal and Tea Tree bar isn’t disgusting but there is a fine line between using enough to clean up and ending up with that gross soap taste in your mouth.

Affordability: 5/5 – the bar is 9.95 (plus tax and shipping) and, after over a month of using this twice daily, I can’t say that I notice any major decrease in the size of the bar so this bad boy will last you a good long while.

I really was surprised how much I like using the Tooth Suds bars – I was afraid it would have “wash your mouth out with soap” vibes, but that is not the case, and my mouth feels clean after I’ve brushed and rinsed. I will be uploading another post after I’ve had the chance to try out the other Tooth Suds bar and a full post dedicated to the Mouthwash Crystals.

Have you ever tried a tooth soap? Would you ever? Let me know in the comments below!