Personally what I like to do is buy everything I need from Amazon and iHerb, which carry several brands that don't test on animals.
Another option is Target, which carries a few cruelty-free and green beauty brands. Don't forget about your local health store, too!
Brands To Avoid
As I mention in my list of Companies That Test On Animals, a few toothpaste brands that aren't cruelty-free are listed here:
- Aim
- Aquafresh
- Close-up
- Colgate
- Crest
- Listerine
- Mentadent
- Pearl Drops
- Reach
- Scope
- Sensodyne
- Signal
If you look at the fine print of a product and can see that it's owned by Colgate-Palmolive, Procter & Gamble, Church & Dwight, or Johnson & Johnson, chances are it's tested on animals. There are only a handful of exceptions to this rule, such as Tom's of Maine (which is owned by Colagte-Palmolive while remaining cruelty-free).
Cruelty-Free Brands
I'll pinpoint specific products in a moment, but first let me list some brands that are cruelty-free and offer oral care products like toothpaste:
- JASON
- Tom's of Maine
- Desert Essence
- Nature's Gate
- Kiss My Face
- Auromere
- Vitacare
- Eco-Dent
- Radius
- Hello Products
Cruelty-Free Toothpaste
The cool thing about cruelty-free toothpaste is that it's easy to find more natural alternatives. This is great if you're looking for fluoride-free or SLS-free toothpaste!
A word on these 2 ingredients before I get into the toothpaste. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces chances of getting cavities, which is why it's traditionally added not only to toothpaste, but also to tap water. However, it's now been proven that fluoride is toxic when ingested.
While it remains safe to use topically, whether or not you continue to use fluoride toothpaste is a matter of choice. The same goes for Sodium Laureth Sulfate, which is a foaming agent that's also an irritant.
Now, if you want regular minty toothpaste with fluoride, try Tom's of Maine's Simply White Natural Toothpaste. Note that Tom's parent company is not cruelty-free.
For something without fluoride and without SLS, there are lots of options such as Desert Essence's Natural Toothpaste in Wintergreeen, JASON's Powersmile, or Nature's Gate's Creme de Peppermind Natural Toothpaste.
There's also Tom's of Maine that comes in various flavors; I've liked every single toothpaste from them so I recommend this brand as well! My last suggestion for cruelty-free toothpaste is a brand called Auromere, which is also cruelty-free, vegan, and herbal.
Cruelty-Free Mouthwash
For a good mouthwash, I'm a fan of Desert Essence's Natural Refreshing Mouthwash. Other cruelty-free brands offer their own mouthwash, but this one has been my personal favorite! It has tea tree oil which is an antiseptic and a natural breath-freshner, contains no alcohol at all, and has a minty taste without burning.
Cruelty-Free Dental Floss
I've tried the Eco-Dent Gentlefloss and have found it decent. It's a good price for 100 yards, but keep in mind that it doesn't come in a plastic holder! This makes it a tad inconvenient, but I appreciate the eco-friendliness.
Another good option is by Desert Essence (again!). It's called the Tea Tree Oil Dental Floss and just like their mouthwash, it's coated with tea tree oil which is antiseptic. Desert Essence makes two kinds of floss, so choose according to your needs! Their "dental floss" is what I use; it's thinner and works best for those with smaller gaps between their teeth. They also make a "dental tape" (here) for those with wide gaps between teeth.
I hope this was helpful to some of you! If you have any favorite cruelty-free or vegan oral care products, please share them in the comments as well!
Which Brands Are Cruelty-Free?
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Not all Tom’s of Maine products are vegan! Caution!
Thank you for such a comprehensive list of crulty free products. Is there an APP with this list as well. I thought there was one on my phone but nope, can’t find it. TIA
Ugh. I am so tired of seeing “Flouride is toxic when ingested!” on sites like this that otherwise have reliable information. The studies that people cite to back up their claim that flouride is toxic when ingested were actually designed to evaluate and establish the therapeutic range of flouride in drinking water. These studies determined that less flouride was needed to produce therapeutic results than was previously thought. That’s it. They didn’t find that the amounts of fluoride typically found in American municipal water systems were toxic or dangerous, just that it was more than was necessary to support dental and skeletal mineralization. The typical range for flouride in municipal water has been between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm; the new recommendations (as of 2015) were to keep adjust all systems to 0.7 ppm.
To be clear, the recommended amount of flouride in water was not reduced because of any evidence of toxicity at the existing levels; it was reduced because amounts higher than 0.7 ppm were shown to have a higher likelihood of causing dental flourosis – white spots on the teeth. A cosmetic concern, sure, but not a concern of toxicity or brain development.
Will amounts of flouride larger than the therapeutic dose be toxic? Of course, that’s why we research what the therapeutic range is. But to take studies that showed that anything below that upper amounts were safe, and try to twist them to say that any and all amounts of flouride are toxic is sadly anti-science, and ridiculous. The dose makes the poison. Everything has a therapeutic range; water, salt and oxygen will outright kill us if we have too much of them. All supplements, prescription, and OTC medications have therapeutic ranges too. It is ludicrous to suggest we should avoid benefidial amounts of a substance simply because some larger amount of it is toxic.
Another alternative to fluoride toothpaste is Boka. I’ve been using It for a couple years, and it’s helped with my sensitive teeth. It’s cruelty free and (I think) vegan. It uses hydroxyapatite instead of fluoride.
Are there any powder mouthwashes that are effective?
It seems it would be better for the environment to ship powder than liquids.
As a newish vegan (3+ years now), I’ve followed your pages on FB and Instagram. I’m very grateful for all the time you have spent gathering all this information. I especially appreciate that you also update when companies change their policies. I was a huge Shea moisture fan … but now that their parent company is not vegan, I’m moving to a different company for my products. Thank you!!
Hi! Thanks for making this post, it’s very informative.
Does anyone know if GUM from Sunstar is cruelty-free?
I can’t tell you how pleased I am to have discovered Cruelty Free Kitty. Your dedication and hard work to such a noble cause is an inspiration to all us to help make our world a kinder, gentler place. Thank you for what you do !
Thank you Catherine! <3
It’s terrible to realise that most of the products and brands we trust in have that kind of unconsciousness!!!
Thank you so very much!
Is Biotene testing on animals? Thanks!
Hi I have sensitive teeth can anyone recommend the best cruelty free toothpaste for this. thanks Jane
I need something to clean my dentures safely
Good morning. I’m looking for a Cruelty-Free denture adhesive product.
Hi, does anyone know of a mouth spray for dry mouth that’s cruelty free, I can’t find anything on Biotene dry mouth spray. Thanks guys for your help
Hi Ann,
Though it’s not a mouth spray, I’ve found the Aesop mouthwash is very hydrating! I bought a bottle and keep a little travel size one in my bag.
Side note:
Aesop also makes a toothpaste.
Can anyone recommend a sensitive toothpaste please?
I just bought the Trader Joe’s flouride free brand and they are listed as vegan AND cf. I really like it, and affordable, too.
I’m so disappointed in myself. I am just now educating myself on this and I can’t believe that most of the stuff I use everyday rely on animal testing. I’m looking at some cute dog pictures on reddit right now because I cannot believe the pain these poor animals go through.
It’s terrible to realise that most of the products and brands we trust in have that kind of unconsciousness!!!
I’m having a problem finding a toothpaste that is cruelty-free that has fluoride for sensitive teeth!
I was wondering if anyone knew of any cruelty-free toothpastes that are good for people prone to sensitive/bleeding gums? I’ve tried several by Tom’s but have had no luck and always have to go back to Colgate. :C I’m looking at trying Jason’s but maybe someone who has my issue can lead me in the right direction?
Dr Organic is great and I like being able to get a toothpaste with fluoride, but SLS free
Do any of these come in gel or liquid gel presentation? I’m having a hard time finding one…
Does ACT Oral Care test on animals?
Good afternoon… i would like to ask if elmex is still testing on animals .
Don’t know whether you guys know about this, but Korres also sells toothpastes. They have two options, Spearmint & Lime and the Anisum & Eucalyptus whitening toothpaste, which is my personal favourite. I haven’t used anything else since I discovered it, tastes delicous.
Awesome, I’ll have to check them out! Thanks! 🙂
Hi! I’m wondering if you have any info about Quantum Labs brand toothbrushes and floss. Our dentist uses them and gave us samples which are good quality. However, when we called the company to see if they are cruelty-free prior to ordering products ourselves, they said they were cruelty-free after “confirming with the president of the company” in about 4 seconds. It seemed weird. Please let me know if you are able to get any better info regarding their cruelty-free status. Thanks CFK!!!
I bought my first tube of Desert essence toothpaste on my journey to cruelty free and love it. Thank you so much for the recommendation! You have no idea how helpful you have been!!!!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad it was helpful! 🙂
And Pepsodent. Pepsodent also tests on animals.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I understood that Tom’s of Maine used bee propolis in their toothpaste, so technically, it would not be vegan. Let me know.
Hi! I know this is an old post, but Colgate-Palmolive now owns Tom’s of Maine (boo) so the parent company isn’t CF.