Think Your Toothpaste is Vegan? Here’s What May Be In It (Plus Our Favorite Vegan Brands!)

Toothpaste is an important part of oral care. Using it every day, twice a day, helps to remove plaque, prevent decay, freshen breath, and strengthen tooth enamel, among many other things. But unfortunately, many mainstream toothpastes are not vegan. Yep, while that little blob of paste on the end of your brush may look harmless, it can contain sneaky animal ingredients like glycerin and propolis. 

Why are there non-vegan ingredients in toothpaste?

Toothpaste usually tastes minty fresh, so it’s hard to imagine that there are any animal products in the formula. But many brands do use animal-derived ingredients. 

For example, glycerin (which can be plant-based but is often sourced from animal fat) helps to keep toothpaste moist. Propolis, which is a resin-like material made by bees with antibacterial properties, can also be added to toothpaste. Some flavorings and food colorings used in toothpaste can also be non-vegan, but as the non-profit organization Vegan Friendly points out, it can be hard to know for sure what’s in your toothpaste formula, as ingredient lists can be vague and complicated.

If you’re not sure if your toothpaste is vegan, you can contact the brand or manufacturer for more information. Alternatively, you can swap it out for a brand that you know for sure is vegan-friendly. We’ve got some of the best options to try.

RELATED: The Best Vegan Skincare Deals to Shop in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Vegan toothpaste brands

Dr. Bronner’s

1 Dr. Bronner’s

When you think of Dr. Bronner’s, you likely think of soap, but in addition to cleaning your hands, body, floors, and laundry, this brand can also help you clean your teeth, too. It has several toothpaste options to choose from—including Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamon, and Anise—all of which are fluoride-free and made with 70 percent organic ingredients.
shop amazon

Boka

2 Boka

If you prefer to avoid fluoride, a chemical commonly found in toothpaste that helps to prevent tooth decay, there are other options available. Boka, for example, chooses to use nano-hydroxyapatite, a calcium-phosphate compound that also has the ability to repair enamel. The formula comes in Ela Mint flavor, but the brand also has a wide range of flavors to choose from if you’re bored of the standard mint, including Coco Ginger and Lemon Lavender.
shop amazon

Hello

3 Hello

For that gleaming Hollywood smile, you need whitening toothpaste. And while Hello’s popular fluoride-free charcoal toothpaste is black, it is designed to turn your teeth white. The vegan formula will also remove plaque and freshen breath. Plus, it’s Leaping Bunny certified, so you can trust that it has never been tested on animals. If you’re not down with charcoal, the brand also has options with tea tree and coconut oil, as well as an innovative Unicorn Sparkle option for kids, which tastes like bubblegum. 
shop amazon

Twice

4 Twice

According to Twice, it combines “cutting-edge science and clean ingredients” to make its toothpaste formulas, which are enriched with ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin A, and vitamin E, as well as coconut-derived foaming agents. Its toothpaste also helps to brighten, polish, and whiten teeth thanks to the addition of hydrated silica and penta-sodium triphosphate. You can choose to have the brand’s Oral Wellness Toothpaste with fluoride or without, and it comes in three different flavor options: Wintergreen Peppermint, Cooling Spearmint, and Charcoal Icy Mint.
shop amazon

Better & Better

5 Better & Better

Everything that goes into Better & Better’s toothpaste is natural, vegan, and organic. It has a wide range of options, including the coconut-based whitening Purity Toothpaste and the Fortify Toothpaste, which is fluoride-free and formulated with remineralizing hydroxyapatite, which benefits tooth enamel.
shop amazon

Quip

6Quip

Protect your teeth against cavities with Quip’s anti-cavity toothpaste. The brand formulates its toothpaste with fluoride to help protect against cavities and xylitol to reduce oral bacteria. Currently, Quip offers two flavors of its signature toothpaste: Mint and Watermelon. Plus, its packaging is 100 percent recyclable.
shop amazon

Attitude

7 Attitude

Attitude is committed to creating clean, high-performance, eco-conscious essentials for skin, body, hair, and oral care—so it had to earn a spot on our list. Its Super Leaves toothpaste features a plant- and mineral-based formula designed to help fight cavities and freshen breath with ingredients like peppermint, papaya, and green tea extract. Choose from fluoride or fluoride-free options, depending on your preference.
Shop Amazon

8 Fang

This Indian oral care brand also specializes in fluoride-free toothpaste formulated with nano-hydroxyapatite. Enriched with essential oils and Ayurvedic extracts, it offers a refreshing approach to oral care. Choose from three varieties: Farm Mint, Forest Essence, and Active Black.
Shop Amazon

Made By Dentists

9 Made By Dentists

The clue is in the name: Made By Dentists toothpaste is dentist-approved, and combines hydroxyapatite with fluoride to help strengthen and remineralize teeth, while potassium nitrate helps tackle tooth sensitivity.
Shop Amazon

Cocolab

10 Cocolab

Cocolab has a winning formula for high-performance toothpaste that doesn’t cost the earth. Developed by a dentist and packaged in a tube made from recycled plastic, its fluoride-free formula features hydroxyapatite, while coconut oil and aloe help support a clean, healthy mouth. The best part might be the flavor selection; options like Piña Colada and Lychee Breeze bring a refreshing, summery twist to your oral care routine.
Shop Amazon

Toothpaste brands with vegan options

@tinted_pink | Instagram

11 Tom’s of Maine

Founded back in the 1970s, Tom’s of Maine is still one of the most popular vegan-friendly natural toothpaste brands on the market. Whether you’re after whitening toothpaste, fluoride-free toothpaste, or children’s toothpaste, Tom’s has plenty of options. But take care to read the ingredients carefully, as some of its oral care products do contain animal ingredients like propolis.
Shop amazon

Burt’s Bees

12 Burt’s Bees

As the name indicates, Burt’s Bees is not a vegan brand, because one of its signature ingredients is beeswax. But that said, it does have some vegan options, including toothpaste. The brand’s Purely White Zen Peppermint toothpaste is fluoride-free and vegan, and so is the Charcoal + Whitening Mountain Mint option.
shop amazon