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Toothpaste Rankings
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Essential Oils

Also known as: peppermint oil, spearmint oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon oil

Natural flavor and antimicrobial fragrance; great in moderation, harsh if overdone for little kids.

01. What it is

What it is

Concentrated plant volatile oils used for taste and aroma.

02. Why it’s used

Why it’s used

Flavor without artificial fragrance chemicals; some antimicrobial folklore.

03. The concern

The concern

Burning sensation, allergy, and microbiome irritation if formulas are oil-heavy. Toddlers may reject spicy mints.

04. Our take

Our take

Depends on dose and oil type. Mild peppermint/spearmint blends are usually fine; 'tea tree punch' is not automatically better.

05. Found in

Brands we reviewed

These ranked pastes list or rely on this ingredient in the formula we evaluated.

06. Sources

Further reading

Third-party citations, not studies we ran.