6 Toothpaste Ingredients to Avoid & Better Alternatives

Smiling mouth surrounded by warning icons highlighting toothpaste ingredients including artificial colours, DEA, SLS, triclosan, titanium dioxide and sodium saccharin.

Most of us use toothpaste twice a day without giving the ingredient list much thought. But if you have ever turned the tube around and tried to work out what everything actually does, you will know it is not always straightforward.

Not every unfamiliar ingredient is harmful, and the presence of an ingredient does not automatically make a toothpaste unsafe. Still, some people prefer to avoid certain ingredients because of sensitivity, personal preference or concerns about unnecessary additives.

If that sounds like you, here are six toothpaste ingredients worth knowing about — and some Edinco options to consider if you would rather choose a formula without them.

1. Artificial Colours

Colour has very little to do with how well a toothpaste cleans your teeth. Its main purpose is usually to give the product a particular appearance.

Artificial colourants are easy to spot on an ingredient list because they are often shown as CI numbers. Some people are perfectly happy to use them, while others prefer a simpler formula without added synthetic colouring.

If avoiding artificial colours matters to you, it is worth checking the back of the tube rather than relying on words such as “natural” on the front.

An Edinco option

MAXDENT Prebiotic is a good option for someone who prefers a toothpaste without added CI colourants. Its formula does not list any CI colourants and instead includes ingredients such as hydrated silica, peppermint oil, inulin, fructose and a blend of botanical extracts.

It is worth checking each toothpaste individually, as some other formulas in the Edinco range do contain added colourants.

2. Diethanolamine (DEA)

Diethanolamine, usually shortened to DEA, has been used in cosmetic and personal-care formulations for purposes such as emulsifying, thickening and helping products foam.

The ingredient has attracted attention because, under certain conditions, it can react with other substances to form nitrosamines. That does not mean every product containing a DEA-related ingredient is automatically dangerous, but it is one reason some consumers prefer formulas that do not use it.

If DEA is something you personally want to avoid, the easiest approach is simply to check the ingredient list.

An Edinco option

DEA is not listed in the current Edinco toothpaste formulations reviewed for this article.

Rose Rio Lavender Water Toothpaste is one example. Its formula includes lavender flower water alongside hydrated silica, glycerin, sorbitol and xylitol, without DEA in the listed ingredients.

It is a good example of why it is useful to look at the full ingredient list rather than judging a toothpaste by one ingredient alone.

3. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)

Sodium lauryl sulphate — usually written as SLS — is a surfactant. In simple terms, it helps toothpaste spread around the mouth and creates the foam many people associate with brushing.

For most people, SLS is not a problem. However, some people find that strongly foaming toothpastes feel irritating, and research has also looked at whether SLS may aggravate recurrent mouth ulcers in susceptible individuals.

If you regularly experience irritation or prefer a formula without sodium lauryl sulphate, there are alternatives available.

An Edinco options

This is one area where Edinco offers several choices.

Rose Rio Aloe Vera + Propolis uses decyl glucoside as its cleansing surfactant rather than sodium lauryl sulphate.

Other options include:

MAXDENT Prebiotic — SLS-free; uses sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and contains inulin, fructose and botanical extracts
Rose Rio Matcha — SLS-free; uses sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and also contains xylitol, matcha extract and stevia
MAXDENT Sensitive — SLS-free and formulated with fluoride and potassium nitrate for sensitive teeth

Different formulas use different cleansing ingredients, so checking the label is particularly useful if SLS is something you prefer to avoid.

4. Triclosan

Triclosan is an antibacterial ingredient that was once much more common in personal-care products, including some toothpastes.

Over time, concerns around antimicrobial resistance, environmental persistence and possible biological effects led to much greater scrutiny of its use. It has consequently disappeared from many modern toothpaste formulas.

If you have an older tube sitting at the back of the bathroom cupboard, it is worth taking a quick look at the ingredient list.

An Edinco option

Triclosan is not listed in the current Edinco toothpaste formulations reviewed for this article.

For example, MAXDENT Sensitive takes a different approach, with ingredients including potassium nitrate, sodium fluoride, chamomile extract and clove oil.

These ingredients are not direct replacements for triclosan. They simply show how a modern toothpaste can be formulated around different oral-care needs.

5. Titanium Dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment. In toothpaste, its purpose is mainly visual: it can help create the bright white colour consumers traditionally associate with toothpaste.

The ingredient has received considerable attention in recent years, particularly around ingestion and the distinction between different particle forms and routes of exposure.

That does not mean that toothpaste containing titanium dioxide should automatically be considered unsafe. But if you prefer to avoid an ingredient whose main job is to make toothpaste look whiter, there are formulas available without it.

An Edinco option

Titanium dioxide is not listed in the current Edinco toothpaste formulations reviewed for this article.

MAXDENT Charcoal Whitening is a good example. Its formula contains charcoal powder, hydrated silica, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and disodium pyrophosphate, giving the toothpaste its distinctive dark appearance.

It also contains sodium fluoride.

So if you want a whitening-focused toothpaste without titanium dioxide in the listed ingredients, MAXDENT Charcoal Whitening is one option to consider.

6. Artificial Sweeteners

Toothpaste needs to taste pleasant enough that people will actually use it, but ordinary sugar would obviously make little sense in an oral-care product.

That is why toothpaste formulas often contain sweetening ingredients.

Some use sweeteners such as sodium saccharin, while others use ingredients such as xylitol or stevia.

There is no good evidence that the tiny amount of an approved artificial sweetener encountered during normal toothbrushing causes cancer. Still, some shoppers simply prefer to avoid sodium saccharin and choose formulas with different sweetening ingredients instead.

An Edinco option

If you specifically prefer a toothpaste without sodium saccharin, there are several Edinco options.

Rose Rio Aloe Vera + Propolis contains stevia extract rather than sodium saccharin.

Rose Rio Matcha contains xylitol and stevia extract.

MAXDENT Prebiotic and MAXDENT Sensitive also contain stevia and do not list sodium saccharin.

Other products in the range do use sodium saccharin, so if avoiding it matters to you, it is another good reason to check the individual ingredient list rather than making assumptions about an entire brand.

So, Do You Really Need to Avoid These Ingredients?

Not necessarily.

That is probably the most important point in this article.

An ingredient being discussed online does not automatically mean it is dangerous at the concentration used in toothpaste. Formulation, dose, exposure and individual sensitivity all matter.

But you may still have perfectly reasonable preferences.

You might want:

a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulphate because you find strongly foaming formulas uncomfortable
a toothpaste without added CI colourants
a formula without titanium dioxide
a toothpaste without sodium saccharin
or simply a formula whose ingredient list better suits your preferences

There is nothing wrong with taking a closer look at the label and choosing accordingly.

Edinco's range is deliberately varied rather than built around one formula for everyone. MAXDENT Sensitive focuses on sensitivity and fluoride care, MAXDENT Prebiotic takes a prebiotic-focused approach, MAXDENT Charcoal Whitening focuses on surface-stain care, while Rose Rio formulas such as Aloe Vera + Propolis, Lavender Water and Matcha offer different botanical options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all toothpaste ingredients with chemical names harmful?

No. A long or unfamiliar ingredient name does not automatically mean an ingredient is unsafe. What matters is why it is used, how much is present and how the finished toothpaste is formulated.

Is SLS bad for everyone?

No. Many people use toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate without any problem. However, some people prefer SLS-free toothpaste because they find strongly foaming formulas irritating or uncomfortable.