Can You Brush Your Teeth with Soap? Heck yes!

This is a question we get asked a lot. Usually phrased as “You can brush your teeth with soap?” Our answer is always yes, you can brush your teeth with soap!

It is completely safe and healthy to brush your teeth with soap. When you brush your teeth, the brushing action from the brush removes food particles from your teeth and gums and some plaque-causing bacteria. When you use Tooth Suds (aka soap for teeth) you add the germ removing cleaning power of soap to the process.

Our oral care products reduce plastic waste and offer you a synthetic-free, toxic-free, all-natural solution for clean teeth. With Tooth Suds you’ll never have to deal with toothpaste glops or messy plastic tubes again.

And no, brushing your teeth with Tooth Suds soap doesn’t taste like mom washed your mouth out with soap. We’ve formulated our toothbrushing soap without the “soap tasting” oils that you’ll find in hand and body soaps (and there are no synthetic detergents, silicone, or toxins to worry about either).

  • We’ve formulated without any coconut oil, palm oil, or tallow. These ingredients “taste like soap”, and the taste will linger for the entire day.
  • We don’t use harsh chemicals which can be damaging to your enamel and gums. This includes baking soda. Baking soda is a great whitener, but it’s best saved for occasional use.
  • We don’t use any “flavorings”. While the essential oils we use in our Tooth Suds have a side effect of providing some flavor while brushing, “flavoring” ingredients will leave that “minty all day long, even if I want to drink OJ or coffee” taste. They are also only needed when covering up the “soap” taste from coconut oil or palm oil formulations.

Many of our customers prefer the light taste of Tooth Suds over conventional toothpaste and mouthwashes. Our Tooth Suds bar soap for teeth has a very light flavor from the essential oils used in the formula.

Ready to ditch the plastic and go natural with us? View all of our oral care products, or read on to learn a bit more.

Here’s the lowdown on brushing teeth with soap:

A Brief History of Toothpaste

Toothpaste was used long before toothbrushes were invented. It is believed that the Egyptians started using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000BC. Ancient Greeks and Romans also used toothpaste, and China started using it around 500BC.

Ancient toothpaste was used to treat the same concerns we have today, keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy as well as having fresh breath. The ingredients were varied and a little strange, including burnt eggshells and the powder of ox hooves’ ashes, which were combined with pumice. The Greeks and Romans preferred a more abrasive version including crushed bones and oyster shells. The Romans were more about helping bad breath and added more flavoring, along with powdered charcoal and bark. The Chinese have used many substances over time that included ginseng, herbal mints and salts.

Toothpaste in Modern Times

The development of toothpaste as we know it today started in the late 1800’s. Prior to the 1850’s, toothpaste was usually a powder. In 1873 Colgate began mass production of toothpaste in jars and introduced the modern-day tube of toothpaste in the 1890’s.

Up until 1945 toothpaste contained soap, after that soap was replaced by a compound of ingredients such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, and this ingredient is still used today. Fluoride toothpaste was introduced in 1914 to help prevent tooth decay. In the second half of the 20th century, toothpaste formulas were developed to help prevent or treat specific diseases and conditions, such as teeth sensitivity. And the current trend is the demand for toothpaste that claims to whiten teeth. A new ingredient called Triclosan provides another level of protection against cavities, plaque, gum disease, and bad breath (yes, it’s allowed in toothpaste, but no longer allowed in soaps per FDA rulings.)

Tube Of Toothpaste
Tooth Brushing Soap Activate Charcoal
Jamimah B.

…it feels like a dental cleaning every time I brush.

Absolutely love both my tooth suds bars, the citrus and charcoal, and will never go back to regular toothpaste again!! They are clean and refreshing and leave my teeth so smooth and clean it feels like a dental cleaning every time I brush.

What is Toothbrushing Soap?

Alo Goods Tooth Suds is a pure and natural soap for teeth; it is a holistic tooth care option for brushing your teeth with natural soap.  Tooth suds allow your body to work as nature intended so your saliva can remineralize your teeth. Tooth Suds is made with olive oil, aloe vera, and essential oils. Our Charcoal Tooth Suds is enhanced with activated charcoal and tea tree essential oil. To break it down further, here is why we use those ingredients:

  • Olive oil soap is the gentlest cleansing of all soaps.
  • Aloe Vera to nourish your gums.
  • Essential oils for a very light “taste” and nourishment.
  • Activated Charcoal to whiten and brighten.

Tooth Suds are fluoride-free, SLS Free, and contain no artificial sweeteners, no triclosan, and no added glycerin.

What is Tooth Remineralization?

Demineralization and remineralization are processes that our mouth goes through every day. Tooth remineralization is an organic process that works to help repair enamel before cavities form. Acids triggered by sugars we eat and drink, try to erode the tooth’s enamel. Our saliva works equally hard to neutralize the acid so the remaining minerals, such as calcium and phosphate, can return to the enamel surface. Decay accelerates, however, when sugars enter the mouth too frequently, and the saliva just can’t keep up.

Promoting remineralization with an alkaline PH: In an acidic environment, teeth begin to demineralize, which puts them at risk for cavities. In a more alkaline environment (like that of Tooth Suds), teeth can become stronger and remineralize!

What about taste?

Tooth Suds has a light flavor and foams like a traditional toothpaste. It doesn’t leave your mouth coated with overly sweet and “too minty!” tastes, and, doesn’t taste like soap.

Tooth Suds rinse off easily, leaving your mouth clean and fresh, and again, allows your body to do its natural work at keeping your teeth healthy.

Traditional toothpaste requires multiple rinses to wash it all off of your teeth, which is why you have a taste in your mouth after brushing.

The Fluoride Battle

We realize that opinions differ on the use of Fluoride and we think you should form your own opinion on the subject. We’ve compiled some additional information and resources for you here.

Oral Care Natural Tooth Soap
Debra Mellecker

Really makes my teeth feel clean

Really makes my teeth feel clean and has a much lighter flavor than I expected, not overpowering but pleasant, and doesn’t make my coffee taste weird either.

How do you use Tooth Suds?

Tooth Suds is a soap you can use on your teeth! But don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like the soap you mom washed your mouth out with. It has a very light flavor that many prefer over traditional toothpaste.

How to Brush Your Teeth with Soap

  1. Wet the bar with running water and scrub a toothbrush across the bar.

    Just like lathering up with soap, you need water and friction.

  2. Brush your teeth as usual.

    The ADA recommends brushing for 2 minutes. And, don’t forget your tongue.

  3. Spit and rinse well

    As with any toothpaste, don’t swallow. Just spit and rinse. All of the germs and bacteria will wash away with the water, so rinse well.

  4. Rinse the soap and your toothbrush

    This allows you to wash any germs or bacteria off of the bar and your toothbrush.

  5. Allow your soap and toothbrush to dry between uses.

    Drying it between uses keeps it bacteria free; when the bar dries, germs can’t live on it. We recommend a wooden soap dish for storing soap between uses. Keeping your toothbrush dry reduces the chance of bacteria growing on it.

What are the benefits of using Tooth Suds over other alternatives?

Alternatives to toothpaste are typically powders that don’t contain soap (and thus don’t clean), or soaps that are shredded and in a jar. Shredded soap requires you to put more soap than you need into your mouth. It also requires a jar for storage… and who really wants that extra waste and packaging?

With Tooth Suds bar soap, you simply swipe your toothbrush over the bar and you’re done. There’s no need to fiddle with little shreds of soap (although you could easily grate your bar if you prefer shredded soap for your teeth), and there’s no container to toss when the bar is used up.

Alo Goods Tooth Suds are eco-friendly, zero waste and a great product to travel with! There are no liquids, pastes, creams or powders to spill in your luggage, and because it’s not liquid, you can take it in your carry on with no worries.

Are Tooth Suds Sanitary?

The quick answer is yes. Since Tooth Suds is chemically a soap, it is completely safe to use for cleaning your mouth. Although it won’t stop you from using swear words =) You can read our article on why soap isn’t dirty (it’s very hygienic) for more details on the topic.


Order a bar today and see for yourself.

We can’t wait to hear your feedback.

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