Miessence Natural Toothpaste

In the interest of full disclosure, I am an Independent Representative for ONE Group, the company that makes miessence (R) brand products. You can buy this toothpaste on my site at https://happyorganics.mionegroup.com. I will do my best to keep my love of ONE Group, as a company, from clouding my review. Although, the exemplary greenness of this company is a definite plus for choosing this product. I have tried all three flavors - Anise, Mint, and Lemon. I have the full-size anise and lemon flavors and the travel-size mint. All three flavors taste great and have good consistency in the mouth. To quote my man, Stan - the anise "Tastes like a brushing your teeth with a salty Good 'n Plenty." He loves high-quality black liquorice and that is a high compliment from him. After switching to this toothpaste for a few weeks he tried the traditional toothpaste (insert commercial brand name here) and got grossed-out because it was so sweet. He says he won't go back. I was going to wait until the tube of anise flavor was all gone to open the lemon, but got curious and couldn't wait, so we're using both at once. I like the lemon as much as the anise, taste-wise...maybe even a little more. It leaves a really fresh felling in my mouth. Stan prefers the anise. I like the mint, and the travel-size option is convenient w/ liquid air-travel restrictions. I would say it is my least favorite flavor of the three though. These are all Baking Soda (aka sodium bicarbonate aka bicarb soda) based toothpastes and don't contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is in Tom's and most other "natural" toothpastes. Sodium lauryl sulfate should be avoided in body and oral care products because it is used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in 90% of products that foam.

Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, central nervous system depression, laboured breathing, diarrhoea, severe skin irritation, and even death.

Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS because proteins are dissolved. SLS may also damage the skin's immune system by causing layers to separate and inflame. It is frequently disguised in semi-natural cosmetics with the explanation "comes from coconut".

My one negative comment about this product is that it can slip off the toothbrush if not applied with care as it is less goopy than traditional toothpastes. The company recommends wetting your toothbrush first and I've found that I smoosh the toothpaste into the toothbrush more now, without thinking, and I haven't had the falling off problem recently. Amazingly adaptive to toothpaste changes, we humans! =) The toothpaste retail price is $9.95, but I bought it at a 30% discount with my representative discount.

Hope this helps! - Emily