Toothpaste is one of the most regularly used body care products, so it’s super important to ensure yours is good for sensitive teeth and sensitive animals—by which we mean cruelty-free and vegan toothpaste. Wait…toothpaste isn’t vegan?
Not always, and most traditional toothpaste brands use glycerol (or glycerin), which can be animal OR plant-derived—problem is, most don’t specify which. Propolis (from bees) is another commonly used animal-derived ingredient.
For pearly whites with a positive impact on our planet, we picked away the plaque by considering ingredients, ethical sourcing, packaging, and more to come up with some of the best vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste alternatives.
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Top Picks: Cruelty-Free Toothpaste Brands
etee continuously makes us smile, and their vegan fluoride toothpaste and non-fluoride toothpaste are no exception.
Georganics offers toothpaste tablets with fluoride or without it.
The toothpaste tablets from SuperBee aren’t just waste-free, but also completely carbon-neutral thanks to support of reforestation projects.
Index: Cruelty-Free & Vegan Toothpaste Brands
- Georganics Jump to brand
- Mintly Jump to brand
- etee Jump to brand
- The Humble Co. Jump to brand
- Bite Jump to brand
- Dr. Bronner’s Jump to brand
- SuperBee Jump to brand
- Green Beaver Jump to brand
- Scentcerae Jump to brand
Cruelty-Free Toothpaste Brands With Fluoride
Georganics
Georganics’ Toothpaste
UK-based Georganics’ cruelty-free toothpaste powders and tablets are fluoride, SLS, animal-byproduct, palm oil, and glycerin free.
They contain organic plant oils, or a sensitivity-reducing, enamel-strengthening blend of calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate—depending on which product you choose.
In everything except the tooth soap, there’s a variety of flavors to suit your taste buds, including English peppermint, spearmint, ginger, red mandarin, tea tree oil, and pure (unflavored).
Our personal favorite is the Activated Charcoal Tooth Powder. This plant-based toothpaste with charcoal boasts both whitening and added antibacterial benefits—and of course leaves our teeth feeling squeaky clean and residue-free.
About Georganics
Georganics is a cruelty-free toothpaste UK brand that’s now a global name.
They make not just toothpaste, but zero waste mouthwash (both in liquid and tablet form), floss, and supplements for your pearly whites, too.
Everything is made in England using mostly locally sourced ingredients.
They stick to refillable or recyclable containers, compostable kraft paper shipping boxes, and vegetable ink labels.
If that’s not enough to put a smile on your face, Georganics regularly donates to The Ocean Cleanup.
Mintly
Mintly’s Whitening Toothpaste
Mintly offers some of the best vegan toothpaste tablets with and without fluoride, and options for sensitive teeth.
Otherwise, both formulas are identical, making use of natural mineral ingredients like microcrystalline cellulose, sodium bicarbonate, silica, magnesium stearate, and mint leaf oil.
Each gluten-free toothpaste is safe for kids and formulated without sulfates, SLS, parabens, GMOs, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and colors, peroxide, aspartame, glycerin, and more.
They do contain some ingredients that are “partially derived from palm oil” but their suppliers ensure they’re from sustainable sources.
You’ll receive a four-month supply in recyclable, refillable, reusable glass jars with metal caps.
If you opt to join their subscription service, you’ll get refills in a compostable kraft paper pouch.
About Mintly
Female-founded by Katie, a “full-fledged oral health nerd”, this cruelty-free toothpaste brand also offers toothbrushes, probiotic mint lozenges, and floss.
Their manufacturer holds a COSMOS Natural certification, meaning they are made of verified natural and sustainably sourced ingredients.
All products are designed for responsible end-of-life, including low-ink, easily-removable labels on their glass jars and toothbrushes with compostable handles, replaceable heads, and biodegradable bristles.
They’re a member of 1% for the Planet, and have plans to obtain additional sustainability certifications in the future.
etee
etee’s Vegan Toothpaste
How about starting your day with a minty vanilla flavor and zero plastic?
That’s what you’ll get in the little glass jar from etee.
Their Chewpaste vegetarian toothpaste tablets are made from kaolin and Canadian glacial clay, baking soda, a sulfate-free foaming agent, and fluoride for extra support and keeping cavities at bay (though they also have a non-fluoridated version).
When you run out, just order a refill in a compostable pouch.
About etee
etee’s factory runs on renewable energy, and they use plastic-free packaging and are currently working on a program that will help them better support marginalized communities.
While not all etee products are vegan—they got their start with beeswax wraps, after all—everything is cruelty-free.
The Humble Co.
Humble Co’s Toothpaste Tablets
Humble Co. may be humble, so we’ll do the bragging for them, since these are definitely some of the best vegan whitening toothpaste tabs we’ve tried.
Between completely zero waste packaging (a compostable cardboard container) and their tasty, easy-to-use tablet style, they’re a go-to for us—especially when we’re on the go ourselves, considering they’re so light and portable.
Their fluoride and fluoride-free options both contain natural ingredients like mentha leaf oil, baking soda, kaolin clay, hydrated silica, and calcium carbonate.
Dentist-approved, the fluoride toothpaste contains the recommended 1450 PPM of fluoride.
The tablets are also FDA-registered and cruelty-free.
About Humble Co.
Hailing from Sweden, Humble Co. is dedicated to combating waste with low-waste oral care products, like floss picks and sustainable toothbrushes.
All products are ethically made in China using sustainably-sourced materials, and each sale benefits the Humble Smile Foundation, which supports oral health projects for underprivileged children worldwide.
Bite
Bite’s Toothpaste
Bite’s Toothpaste Bits’ secret is nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp), a non-fluoride alternative mineral that’s been shown to strengthen and restore our pearly whites, remineralizing enamel while reducing sensitivity.
This is combined with anti-cavity erythritol and xylitol, polishing calcium carbonate, pH balancing baking soda, foaming Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate (from coconut oil), bad breath killing zinc citrate, and natural peppermint and menthol.
Notice they contain no harsh chemicals, sulfates, parabens, or artificial flavors.
Of all the vegetarian toothpaste options we’ve tried, these definitely have the most foaming power (sans SLS!) if that’s something you don’t want to give up.
You can also subscribe to save money on your automated four-month supply delivery.
About Bite
Everything from this Certified B Corp comes via carbon-neutral shipping in a glass jar or compostable refill packets.
They also hold memberships with 1% for the Planet and Plastic Bank, to help the environment by donating funds and cleaning up plastic from the environment. Read more in their Impact Report.
Cruelty-Free Toothpaste Brands Without Fluoride
Dr. Bronner’s
Dr. Bronner’s Toothpaste
If you aren’t ready to go the zero waste tablet route, Dr. Bronner’s is just about as sustainable as you can get.
Their vegan whitening toothpaste isn’t just absent animal byproducts, but also detergent foaming agents, fluoride, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners.
They’re available in cinnamon, peppermint, spearmint, and anise flavors.
70% of each is certified organic and the packaging, while plastic, is 100% recycled and recyclable.
We’ve personally used their toothpastes in the past, and have always been pleased with the performance. We struggle with sensitive teeth and gums, and we noticed how much their cruelty-free sensitive toothpaste helps reduce gum inflammation.
About Dr. Bronner’s
A Certified B Corp with an innovative approach to fair trade and a lot of charitable partners, we’re all about Dr. Bronner’s personal care and home cleaning products, some of which are the same product—hooray for multi-use items!
Everything is all-natural, certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny, and certified vegan by Vegan.org.
Their palm oil is sustainably harvested from farmlands in Ghana. There they work with small growers to help them convert to organic practices and palm oil processing plants based on the traditional system commonly used by women entrepreneurs.
While many products still come in plastic tubes and bottles, they recently launched new refillable cartons made of cardboard.
SuperBee
SuperBee’s Antibacterial Toothpaste
SuperBee’s scientifically-formulated toothpaste tablets contain just orbitol, spearmint oil, menthol, mannitol, magnesium stearate (from coconut and beans, not palm oil), natural coconut-derived SLS, and 1% PVP.
They’re absent of any talc, fluoride, sugar, or baking soda, making them extra friendly on sensitive teeth.
SuperBee promises a “deep, minty clean” from chewing and brushing with these tablets, and we can’t help but agree. However, we also love that the natural spearmint isn’t overbearing and doesn’t leave our mouth tingling uncomfortably afterward.
About SuperBee
Female-owned and operated SuperBee is pretty super when it comes to conscious home and personal care products—from beeswax wraps to paper towel alternatives.
They’re based in Thailand, where this Certified B Corp strives to provide gainful employment opportunities to local women in exchange for wages 20% over local living wage guidelines.
They also support the local volunteer firefighters with equipment, food, water, and other supplies as needed during wildfire season.
Green Beaver
Green Beaver’s Toothpaste
Green Beaver’s PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste was one of the first products they developed.
They have a range of flavors like cilantro mint, cinnamon, frosty mint, green apple, spearmint, star anise, and zesty orange.
They’re made from natural ingredients such as lemon/mint/tea tree extracts, silica, calcium carbonate (natural mineral whiteners), and coconut-oil derived glycerin.
Each plant-based toothpaste is free of fluoride, artificial flavoring, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), GMOs, and palm oil.
While they come in a traditional plastic tube, it’s made of post-consumer recycled plastics.
About Green Beaver
Green Beaver is a family-owned business and the first vegan toothpaste brand in Canada to be microbead-free from day one.
All products bear Ecocert certification and are 100% cruelty-free, palm oil-free, and natural—using local ingredients where possible.
Most are vegan friendly, the exceptions being their lip balm and sunscreen, which contain organic beeswax and honey.
They’re also involved in a number of charitable partnerships, like The Fur-Bearer Defenders.
Scentcerae
ScentCerae’s Toothpaste
Piña colada, matcha mint, mint chip, fresh strawberry, cinnamon roll—ScentCerae’s Tooth Nibs come with a twist.
With biodegradable natural ingredients like organic matcha leaf powder, calcium carbonate, baking soda, mineral clays, and freeze-dried fruit powder, you won’t have to Google any unfamiliar or confusing ingredients.
Not only a toothpaste without animal products, ScentCerae’s is also absent fluoride and artificial sweeteners, instead relying on organic birch xylitol for a touch of sweetness.
Reviews rave about how these are perfect for those seeking vegan sensitive toothpaste, especially the Cinnamon Roll flavor, whose clove oil is not only excellent for gum health, but for reducing tooth sensitivity.
Your first order will be sent in a waterproof tin perfect for travel, and refills are available in compostable kraft paper envelopes.
About ScentCerae
ScentCerae is a Phoenix, Arizona-based shop that was founded by an eco-travel ex-pat.
Sherae started the brand after she spent time living in Asia, where she started making her own zero waste skin care, vegan hair products, and oral care essentials.
Everything she makes is ethical and sustainable, down to the locally sourced ingredients when possible.
Sherae and her brand regularly support organizations like Hope Products and participate in clean-ups with Audubon.
Are Conventional Toothpastes Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
So where do big-name toothpaste brands fall in all this? Do Colgate and Crest test on animals?
Most well-known conventional toothpastes (like Colgate, Oral-B, Sensodyne, Crest, and Aquafresh, to name a few) are nearly all owned by the same few holding companies – Colgate Palmolive, Church & Dwight, GlaxoSmithKline, and Procter and Gamble.
While some may be vegan-friendly (i.e., they don’t contain any animal ingredients or animal byproducts), these big cosmetics companies pretty much all test on animals, whether directly or indirectly.
To us, the combination of vegan AND cruelty-free toothpaste is the way to go, which is why we recommend a cruelty-free alternative to Oral B and all these big-name brands.
Is Colgate Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
While some of their products may be vegan friendly, Colgate isn’t cruelty-free. Their parent company, Colgate Palmolive, has a confusing animal testing policy. While it states they do not test on animals, it also states they’ll make exceptions if a country requires it. And since Colgate sells into China, which has mandated animal testing on all cosmetics and personal care products, that latter condition is almost certainly satisfied.
Is Oral B Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
Oral B is a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, which claims to be a “proud supporter” of #BeCrueltyFree and has invested hundreds of millions to develop non-animal testing methods. However, while claiming to be among toothpaste companies that don’t test on animals, their policy contains the clever caveat “unless required by law”, again meaning their sales into China indirectly support animal testing.
Is Crest Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
If you’re wondering, “Does Crest test on animals?”, they’re also under the Procter & Gamble parent company, and as per PETA, they do test on animals.
As for animal ingredients, while Crest toothpastes contain plant-based glycerin instead of animal-based ones, they also contain dyes and flavors, which may be animal-derived without any way of telling whether they are or not.
Is Aquafresh Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
Owned by GlaxoSmithKline, a parent company with no records of cruelty-free efforts, Aquafresh cannot be considered cruelty-free.
Is Sensodyne Cruelty-Free & Vegan?
Neither Sensodyne nor their parent company (also GlaxoSmithKline) are cruelty-free.
We hope our list of vegan toothpaste brands has made you smile—in more ways than one! If you have any animal-loving friends and family, please spread the word by sharing these vegan and cruelty-free toothpaste brands, so we can all have a plaque-free, harm-free smile.
What are your thoughts on the Bite brand?
Hi Lynn, We’ll have to take another look at them, watch this space 🙂
SprinJene is a natural toothpaste, with a patented formulation of black seed oil + zinc. It is highly effective and gentle and cleans teeth and freshens breath! We also have a sensitivity formula. Our certifications include gluten-free, cruelty-free, vegan, USDA BioPreferred, Kosher and Halal. We would love to be included in your list! Also, we are an MBE, black-owned company, and make our toothpastes in the USA in NJ! http://www.sprinjene.com
Toms of Maine is not cruelty free not sure why it is listed as cruelty free
Hi Martha, Toms of Maine is cruelty free and certified by Peta (see more in the link below). I assume you’re referrring to their owner colgate palmolive which is not cruelty free? If so, we agree that it is worth pointing out which is what we’ve done in the article for readers to decide on whether they want to support Toms of Maine.
https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/toms-of-maine-colgate-palmolive/