---
title: "What is a Toothpaste made of?"
description: "Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride. Every component, the material it uses, and the constraint t"
url: https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is a Toothpaste made of?

**What is a Toothpaste made of?: Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.**

The abrasive is doing most of the physical work and is measured on the Relative Dentin Abrasivity scale, where anything up to 250 is considered safe and most whitening pastes sit high in that range — a concern for exposed root surfaces, which are far softer than enamel. The most useful piece of technique is unrelated to the ingredients: spit, do not rinse. Rinsing washes away the fluoride film that would otherwise carry on working for hours, and the effect of that habit is bigger than the difference between most brands. Charcoal pastes are usually abrasive and often carry no fluoride at all, which trades a real benefit for a cosmetic one.

## Component by component

*Every material is a choice, and the third column is the constraint that drove it.*

| Part | Material | Why that material |
| --- | --- | --- |
| abrasive | hydrated silica or calcium carbonate, 20-50% | Plaque and stain have to be scrubbed off; the abrasive is graded to remove them without cutting into enamel or exposed root. |
| humectant | sorbitol and glycerin, 20-40% | They hold water in the paste so it does not set solid in the tube once the cap is left off. |
| active | sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or stannous fluoride — around 1450 ppm fluoride | Fluoride converts enamel mineral into a form that dissolves at a lower pH, so acid attacks do less damage and remineralise faster. |
| detergent | sodium lauryl sulfate, 0.5-2% | It makes the foam that carries paste around the mouth; it also blocks sweet taste receptors, which is why orange juice tastes vile afterwards. |
| binder | cellulose gum, xanthan or carrageenan | It stops the solids settling out and the liquid separating in the tube. |

## Other around the house objects

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/) — Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/) — ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/) — Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/) — Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/) — UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/) — Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/) — Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/) — Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
- [Shampoo](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/shampoo/) — Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
- [Balloon](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/balloon/) — Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
- [Deodorant](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/deodorant/) — Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
- [Toothbrush](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothbrush/) — Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.

## Common questions

### What is a Toothpaste made of?

Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.

### What is the abrasive of a Toothpaste made of?

Hydrated silica or calcium carbonate, 20-50%. Plaque and stain have to be scrubbed off; the abrasive is graded to remove them without cutting into enamel or exposed root.

### What is the humectant of a Toothpaste made of?

Sorbitol and glycerin, 20-40%. They hold water in the paste so it does not set solid in the tube once the cap is left off.

## Related pages

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/)
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/)
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/)
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/)
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/)
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/)
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/)
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/)
- [Pencil](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pencil/)
- [Tennis ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/tennis-ball/)
- [Golf ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/golf-ball/)
- [Paper](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/paper/)
- [Glass](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/glass/)
- [Soccer ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soccer-ball/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)