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?
Download our list of 600+ verified cruelty-free brands straight to your device. Bring it with you everywhere you go, and never worry about supporting animal testing again. Click here to download
Colgate is listed as cruelty free http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/cruelty_free_companies_company.aspx?Com_Id=700
You’re linking to Tom’s of Maine, which is cruelty-free but it’s also owned by Colgate (which isn’t).
Eco-Dent floss is not actually vegan. They are very sneaky in their packaging- the WAX is vegan, but the string part is not. They list lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase as an ingredient, and when I emailed the company about it I was told that these ingredients were bovine derived but the dairy enzymes are filtered and purified so that the dairy agents are essentially eliminated. They told me that it is suitable for vegans because there is essentially no dairy in and of itself- yet they openly admit that dairy was used to grow and extract the enzymes used to make the floss. Calling their product vegan when they know dairy was used in its production seems awfully deceptive.
Thank you for letting us know, I had no idea.
Tom’s is a Colgate brand, so technically this isn’t vegan. Your giving your money to Colgate who aren’t vegan.
Ugh, I’m so mad that Sensodyne tests on animals. They were my go-to toothpaste for years because they help prevent acid erosion on my teeth. Guess I have to search for another alternative :/
Hello Toothpaste has flouride and ADA approved
What about toothbrushes? It may seem like a weird question, but I’ve been wondering about this recently.
Tom’s of main sells toothbrushes! And you can even choose between soft medium etc…. 🙂
Hey! i’m sure i’ve read somewhere that Jason’s has a non-CF parent company too. is that right, do you know?
Nah, they’re owned by Hain Celestial which is also Leaping Bunny certified.
Try Pearlie White for toothpaste 🙂
The brand I use doesn’t have either one of those. It’s Boka and it’s a natural mint toothpaste so the oils in it are spearmint, peppermint, star anise, and wintergreen. It’s a subscription box for every 3 months and it only ships in the U.S just in case you’re outside of the U.S. If it’s something you’re interested in their site is https://boka.com/
I use a brand called Boka and they state that they are cruelty free, but I was wondering if you had heard of it and if they are truly cruelty free? They work as a subscription box and only ship within the U.S so I at least know they aren’t shipping to mainland China, but now I’m doubting myself after seeing your list. >.<
They’re most likely cruelty-free but I haven’t heard of them until now! Their box looks cool.
Oh yes it’s adorable. It comes in this little green box with a charcoal toothbrush. I don’t remember where I saw it from but I tried it and haven’t stopped since. I’m not very good at spotting frauds though so I was hoping you had heard of them but it seems they are still fairly new so it makes sense now.
Jason toothpaste contains carrageenan. Not cool. Is there A toothpaste thats 100% non deadly or harmful to our bodies..truly truly vegan? Please let me know.
Arbonne’s is vegan, cruelty-free and without fluoride! http://www.arbonne.com/PWS/AndreaLollo/store/AMCA/product/Pure-Mint-Toothpaste-4113,1955.aspx It’s expensive, but most good products are. They also run on a discounted membership program.
It’s also a pyramid scheme, so it might not be cruel to animals but it is to other humans as well as predatory. Also, would you even post about it if you weren’t making money off of your link?
I use a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and a drop or two of eco-friendly washing-up liquid in a cup of water to soak my denture in. If you look at the ingredients in denture cleaners they’re basically the same, but not as eco-friendly or cruelty-free!
I think flouride is only toxic when consuned in very large/concentrated quantities. Each to their own but I’m glad there’s creulty free options for both!
Toms of Maine is owned by Colgate-Palm Olive
Does anybody know of other mouthwash brands that are cruelty free?
Dr. Brite 🙂 vegan, cruelty-free, no nasties 🙂
Aesop mouthwash is cruelty free and tastes really nice. Seems effective
Hi Suzi – To no avail I’ve been trying to find info as to whether or not Marvis toothpaste sold at Sephora is CF. Any info?
Hi Beth, I’ve tried to get this info before without any luck as well! Somehow it’s the most obscure brand I’ve come across. I’ll do my best though.
Any luck finding out if Marvis is CF?
According to information supplied directly by Marvis to Amazon for their listings, their toothpaste is…
Fluoride free, Paraben free, Gluten free, Cruelty free, Vegan, and Made in Italy.
Hope that helps!
Marvis is at Sephora 🙂
I would like to use fluoride, but also I would like to use a brand that is owned by a cruelty-free company. Does this exist?
Check this one out. It’s by Hello, which is a Leaping Bunny certified company that isn’t owned by anyone else. I’ll update the post. 🙂
Hello is my favorite brand of toothpaste! (: the flavors they come in a great as well. & I like that they’re on their own.
Both Kiss My Face and Jason carry fluoride toothpastes.
Jason has carrageenan
Do it and I’ll add your company to the list haha! 🙂
I’m in the awkward position of having natural teeth on the bottom and a denture on top. Any cruelty-free (preferably vegan) denture cleaners?
Hi Leah! I don’t know of any cruelty-free denture cleaners but I’m looking into it. Are you into the idea of using a home-made or natural recipe? That might be a cruelty-free option.
Has anyone come across a sensitivity toothpaste that is cruelty free other than Tom’s of Maine?
Have you found one yet? I need sensitivity toothpaste and am not sure what to use! Thanks!
I was just wondering the same thing, but so far I haven’t been able to find one, plus I’m a rescue mom, so I need one without xylitol. I love Natural Dentist, but it’s not sensitive and lately, I’m really needing it. 🙁
I believe the Hello brand offers a sensitive option and is sold at Target!
Hi Alexa, I’m just confirming your comment. Hello definitely offers a sensitive toothpaste that I bought at Target! 🙂
As someone with sensitive teeth and has used Hello’s sensitive option I highly recommend not using it, I’ve always had great teeth despite them being sensitive and they did not help my teeth at all! It was terrible and I went back to Tom’s.
Kiss My Face makes a great cruelty-free, sensitive toothpaste. It’s also free of fluoride (which can yellow teeth) and sls. I prefer it to Hello brand because it’s a gel so it doesn’t splatter all over the mirror!
I’m looking for a toothpaste that has Flouride but NOT SLS. That seems to be the unicorn.
Lyn, I thought I was the only one! Anything that doesn’t have SLS doesn’t have fluoride either, and I’m not against fluoride as long as it’s not ingested. I’ll make a post if I find anything. 🙂
Hello toothpaste also fits this bill.
Both Kiss my Face and Jason have several that meet this description.
It kills me to know so many animals are being hurt, needlessly, when there are a TON of horrible humans, who committed horrific crimes, sitting in a prison cell, being cared for with our tax payer money – Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask them to test out products that will be used BY humans!? We’ve had prisons for a long time, why hasn’t anybody thought of this!? Boggles my mind!!! But then again, I’m sure there would be an uprising if that actually happened, some extremist groups would say that’s inhumane. BUT Vegans & Vegetarians are The crazy ones, right? We have compassion & love for the ones without voices, because nobody thinks of what happens to them behind closed doors, until you decide to seek out the truth for yourself. Open your eyes my fellow human beings, STOP PAYING FOR THIS TO CONTINUE! Stop giving your hard earned money to these companies! It’s us, as consumers, who have to put an end to this suffering, because it is us who keep them in buisness.
In Reguards to this article – I think it’s great! I’ve learned a lot from reading these blogs & now I can pass along that knowledge to my family & others who are willing to listen. I think it’s amazing that someone cares enough to research this subject & return that knowledge to the readers.
I appreciate it & look forward to reading more! Take care to anyone who reads this ☺ Peace be with you✌
No, you’re the extremist here. Advocating forcefully testing on unwilling humans. They already carry out voluntary human trials. And testing doesn’t require humans or animals – artificial/lab grown skin etc. can be used. For someone that clearly likes to think of themselves as compassionate you’re showing very little. With your all caps and advocating torture on a self labelled category of people you clearly know nothing about, you sound like a typical born again self righteous fascist. The ugly side of veganism/vegetarianism and caring for animals. It’s sad when people wake up to caring about animals etc. but then think that entitles them to advocate violence and mistreatment of people, and pushing their views forcefully and aggressively. Peace
wow, you’re one disturbing individual…
I recently picked up some toothpaste by the brand “hello” at Target. Their website states that they are Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free and vegan and I’m really enjoying the one I picked up so far.
They are cruelty-free! I didn’t know they were sold at Target, thanks for pointing that out. 🙂
Tom’s seems to put xylitol in everything though, which is good for teeth but tastes weirdly chemical in the concentrations they use (and unnecessary if you’re using flouride).
I use prescription flouride toothpaste, but finding cruelty-free for my husband is proving challenging, as he finds the taste of ingredients “natural” companies use very off-putting. I wish someone would just design a non-animal tested version of the store brands. 🙂
Is your husband insistent on mint? Tom’s Cinnamon Clove is so delicious, I look forward to brushing!
They’re listed on leaping bunny tho..
Thanks for sharing! I’ve never tried their toothy tabs myself but they seem cool.
I mention that in the post. 🙂
I love the Jason toothpastes! They’ve become a staple in my household! Great post.
xo Brianna | Glazed Over
Thanks! Jason’s a pretty solid natural brand!