Soft Toothbrush

ecostore Adults toothpaste is 100% made from plant and mineral based ingredients and ecostore mouthwash is over 96%.

 

Derived from the bark of the magnolia tree, magnolia bark extract is used in traditional medicine for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In toothpaste, it can help to combat bacteria that cause plaque, decay and gum disease, promoting a healthier oral environment.

Harvested from the NZ native plant, Kanuka. Shown to have antibacterial properties. In toothpaste, it can help to fight oral bacteria and reduce inflammation, promoting gum health and preventing cavities.

Propolis, a resinous substance produced by bees, is rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds. Propolis helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria and prevent plaque formation. In toothpaste, it provides a natural shield for your teeth and gums, promoting long-term oral health and preventing bad breath. It also provides a unique taste to our toothpaste.

Baking soda is an alkaline substance capable of neutralizing acids. As such, it prevents tooth decay by neutralizing the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. It also neutralizes acidic components of common teeth staining chemicals - such as the colour in tea and red wine, and lessens their staining effect. Baking soda is one of the least abrasive forms of teeth cleaning, and does not harm enamel as much as abrasive substances in some toothpastes such as silica.

Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from the fibrous parts of plants and used in our toothpaste primarily as a flavour. It also has the benefit of preserving the product. Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause cavities. It does this because these bacteria cannot utilize xylitol to grow.

Fluoride is a natural mineral that is naturally found in some foods and both fresh water and sea water. When processed and included in toothpaste, it is proven effective at preventing tooth decay and cavities.

Fluoride has 2 functions:

1) Protecting the teeth from acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. These acids can erode tooth enamel and damage your teeth.

2) Strengthen and repair enamel through “remineralisation” of weak spots.

There is growing consumer demand for naturally-derived toothpastes with fluoride, due to fluoride’s proven effectiveness with preventing cavities.

We use sodium monofluorophosphate. It effectively prevents tooth decay, when formulated correctly and used as directed. It strengthens tooth enamel by preventing demineralisation, and enhancing the remineralisation of potential weak spots.

Though fluoride is found in nature, it needs to be refined through a chemical process to be used in toothpaste.

We use the industry standard sodium monofluorophosphate at 0.76% w/w (1000 parts per million), proven to support cavity protection and strengthen enamel.

Preventing cavities. Firstly, through enamel remineralisation: when the enamel on your teeth absorbs fluoride, it attracts minerals to help keep them hard. Secondly, by converting some hydroxyapatite to fluoroapatite, which is much more acid resistant and protects against cavities. When used as directed, fluoride in toothpaste is effective at cavity protection and strengthening enamel.

We respect your right to choose what’s right for you and your family, so we wanted to give you the choice of naturally-derived toothpastes that either contain fluoride, or are fluoride-free.

Triclosan is an ingredient added to many personal care products including toothpaste, mouthwashes and soaps as an ‘antimicrobial’ to kill off bacteria and other microbes. Triclosan has been shown to be very irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory system. It is slow to biodegrade and is also toxic to and can bio-accumulate in aquatic organisms. There is concern about many chronic health effects of triclosan, including hormone disruptance, immune system effects, developmental and fertility effects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have banned its use in antibacterial soaps in the US. It is still used in many products available for sale across the counter in NZ. We do not use triclosan in any of our products.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (commonly known as SLS) is a detergent and surfactant widely used in many mainstream personal hygiene products such as shampoos, toothpastes, mouthwashes, bodywash and soaps - used to make products foam. SLS has been found to be irritating to skin. We do not use SLS in any of our products.

Phthalates are carcinogenic chemicals often used in plastics to make them flexible. Our oral care range does not contain pthalates.

An artificial sweetener. Our oral care range including toothpastes and mouthwash is sodium saccharin free.

Our plant based bristles are made from fully renewable, vegetable castor oil.

No. Most toothbrushes are not recyclable because of the multiple components to the brush - handle, bristles and staples which cannot be easily seperated to go through curbside recycling schemes. ecostore has designed it’s own recycling scheme in order to recycle its oral care products - go to ecostore.com/recycle for more info.

The cardboard is made with recycled paper and is plastic free.

Yes. The oral care packaging is 100% recyclable, except for the toothpaste tubes. ecostore has designed it’s own recycling scheme in order to recycle its toothpaste tubes - go to ecostore.com/recycle for more info.

The toothpaste uses baking soda as gentle abrasive to reduce stains and whiten teeth.

All variants are mint - using natural essential oils peppermint, spearmint and clove leaf.

It does not have any specific preservative added. A combination of essential oils and other ingredients (including xylitol) helps to prevent microbial contamination.

Yes. There is no added sugar (no added sucrose) in our toothpaste. Stevia is used as a natural sweetener in the Adults range.

The shelf life of the toothpaste is 3 years. The shelf life of the mouthwash is 2 years

No. The toothpaste tube has a laminated barrier for protection because of the strength of the natural essential oils (flavour) in the product, and the barrier helps to prolong the product’s shelf life. Unfortunately, the aluminium and plastic needs to be separated which current recycling programs in NZ cannot collect. You can send it back to us! ecostore is collecting our oral care waste to recycle ourselves. Visit ecostore.com/recycle for more info.

We conducted the following efficacy testing on our toothpaste and mouthwash to ensure they worked:

1) There are four main bacteria found in the human mouth: Streptococcus sanguis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actynomyces viscosus and Streptococcus mutans. Our product has been shown to be effective in reducing the populations of these bacteria which are associated with plaque and tartar build up. Testing was carried out by an independent lab. (Antimicrobial study 2018, Eurofins Australia)

2) Our toothpaste has been shown to be effective in reducing the build-up of plaque. (In Vitro Plaque Growth Inhibition Study 2018, Intertek UK)

Yes.

No - unfortunately the factory which produces the toothpaste and mouthwash is not Kosher certified.

Yes, except the propolis toothpaste variant which comes from bees.

Any age can use our toothpastes but some kids do find the mint flavour of our Adults toothpastes too strong and spicy.

Yes. Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. These are both safe food-grade nature-identical preservatives.

No - we use sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol and occurs naturally in apples, pears, berries and other fruits.

The bottle is made from sugarcane (Carbon Capture™) plastic. The cap is made from Standard HDPE (recyclable).

Yes!

Toothpaste tube and toothbrush.

1) Collect your empty ecostore toothpaste tubes and used ecostore toothbrushes.

2) Pop them in a standard envelope (make sure they’re clean and dry) and send to our freepost address (visit ecostore.co.nz/recycle).

3) Post the used tubes and toothbrushes back to us. We’ll make sure they are turned into something useful like a spanner for our 20L containers.