MNN - Mother Nature Network

Find some Tom’s of Maine toothpaste flavors a little too intense? Try the green personal care company’s new line of toothpastes, called Wicked Fresh.

 

Though the name makes the new toothpastes sound like they might be harsher and even more intense, the two flavors — cool peppermint and spearmint ice — actually taste a bit sweeter and milder to me. According to Tom’s of Maine, Wicked Fresh is supposed to keep your mouth feeling fresh and odor-free longer because it’s made with mint flavor oils and botanical licorice root extract — the former “for refreshing taste” and the latter “to curb odor-causing bacteria.”

 

I can’t really tell, however, if my breath is in fact fresh for a longer period of time with Wicked Fresh than with other Tom’s of Maine toothpastes — perhaps because most Tom’s of Maine toothpastes work pretty much the same way, or perhaps because, as Sarah Silverman says, “you can’t smell yourself.”

 

Still, some may like the sweeter flavor of Wicked Fresh than whatever they’re using now. For me, it’s a tossup, since I liked the Whole Care Peppermint I was using just fine too. Toothpaste flavors really seem to be a matter of extremely variable personal taste. I hated the fennel flavor I accidentally picked up once, but have a friend who loves it. Grist’s Katharine Wroth found the cinnamon toothpaste too spicy — but of course a reader piped in in the comments rooting for the flavor.

 

As with all Tom’s of Maine toothpastes, the Wicked Fresh line’s free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and flavors — though it does contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which some environmentalists try to avoid. I’m actually okay with SLS — the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database rates it a low hazard 2 — but Tom’s of Maine does offer a few SLS-free flavors, though I’ve found that these just don’t leave my mouth feeling as fresh.

 

Unlike most toothpastes on the market, Tom’s of Maine toothpaste tubes are made with aluminum, which means they can be recycled through local programs that accept aluminum. If your local recycling program doesn’t take aluminum, you can mail in the tubes for recycling. Try to collect a bunch to save on shipping fees and packaging and send them to Tom’s of Maine, Consumer Dialogue Team, 302 Lafayette Center, Kennebunk, ME 04043.

 

Also on MNN: Tom’s of Maine founders have a new green business: Rambler’s Way eco-wool thermal wear