Purple toothpaste is all the rage on TikTok. With videos that reveal a bright white smile after just a few seconds of brushing with this purple goo, we can see how it might be enticing.

While we admit that these purple toothpaste videos are instantly gratifying, we’re here to remind you to ask yourself: does purple toothpaste work to truly whiten your teeth in a healthy way?

Spoiler alert: purple toothpaste yields surface-level results, while our natural whitening toothpaste whitens your teeth at the source to reveal a brighter smile that’s healthier, too.

what is purple toothpaste?

Purple toothpaste is exactly what it sounds like: toothpaste with purple dye in it. Just like purple shampoo is used to “cancel out” yellow, brassy tones in blonde-dyed hair, purple toothpaste is said to “mask” the yellow tones that sit on the surface of your teeth.

How does purple toothpaste work? Well, purple is directly opposite yellow on the color wheel (in other words, purple and yellow are complementary colors). So purple toothpaste neutralizes the yellow tones on your teeth, making them appear whiter. Many companies will claim they’ve developed the perfect cool, purple tint that directly opposes the warm, yellow tones on your teeth. This claim in itself is questionable, as your teeth can have a very different yellow hue compared to the person next to you.

Now that we can start to see through the marketing gimmicks of purple toothpaste, let’s investigate what’s actually in it. To achieve its vibrant color, most purple toothpaste formulas use the following dyes.

• CI17200/D&C Red No. 33: this synthetic dye is derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) rates Red No. 33 up to 5 (depending on usage). This rating indicates high safety concerns regarding contamination and use restriction, meaning the FDA has limits surrounding its concentration in cosmetics.
• CI42090/FD&C Blue No. 1: this synthetic dye is derived from petroleum. With an EWG score of up to 8, Blue No. 1 is close to the worst possible safety rating. As stated on the EWG’s Skin Deep Database, this dye poses more of a risk when used in products around the mouth due to the potential for ingestion and absorption, and it’s linked to moderate to high toxicity concerns for humans.

As you can see, the main ingredients in purple toothpaste have been deemed unsafe for use by the EWG, which is an organization dedicated to protecting our individual and environmental health by changing industry standards. Their massive team of scientists, lawyers, data specialists, and policy experts work tirelessly to reform the broken chemical safety and agricultural laws in the US. The EWG believes in putting all the facts on the table, so you can make an informed decision about the products you use.

So, now that you know some of the truth behind this popular product, is purple toothpaste really something you want to lather on your teeth?

does purple toothpaste work?

Purple toothpaste may work to neutralize the yellow tones on the surface of your teeth, but it doesn’t actually whiten your teeth. In fact, the brightening effects of purple toothpaste are very temporary, usually only lasting a few hours after application. Once your saliva recoats your teeth (which is healthy, it will remove the thin purple film on the surface of your teeth and bring you right back to where you started.

This is because the purple toothpaste “works” by leaving a thin purple film on the surface of your teeth. Once that film is gone, your teeth are back to their original shade. In the process, purple toothpaste might stain your tongue, lips, and gums, which defeats the purpose in our opinion!

So, does purple toothpaste work? Our answer is no, it’s simply instant gratification that requires constant upkeep and doesn’t truly nurture whiter, healthier teeth.

how our natural whitening toothpaste outshines purple toothpaste

Unlike purple toothpaste, our natural whitening toothpaste works to whiten your teeth by polishing and lifting surface stains and remineralizing your enamel to reveal a brighter, healthier smile. Here’s how we do it.

• hydroxyapatite whitens at the source: research reveals that hydroxyapatite can whiten your teeth at the source. By penetrating the tooth’s outer surface and remineralizing the enamel from the inside out, hydroxyapatite nurtures a smoother enamel surface while reducing the plaque that causes yellow surface stains. This provides both instant gratification and long-term (healthy) whitening effects while also strengthening your teeth and soothing sensitivity. In other words, it’s natural teeth whitening at its finest!
• our micro-abrasives polish away surface stains: in addition to hydroxyapatite, our ultra-fine micro abrasives (namely hydrated silica, calcium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate) aid in whitening by “exfoliating” your teeth and safely polishing away plaque....unlike purple toothpaste that leaves a film on your teeth to counterbalance yellow tones, Our micro-abrasives are premium quality and sourced from natural sandstone and quartz powder.
• our natural whitening toothpaste contains 98% USA-origin ingredients: why does this matter? Many conventional toothpastes, including purple toothpaste, import very low-quality ingredients from overseas. By sourcing our ingredients domestically from suppliers we know and trust, we’re able to bring you the highest quality ingredients in your natural whitening toothpaste.
• our formulas are EWG verified: unlike the synthetic dyes in purple toothpaste, our natural whitening toothpaste is EWG VERIFIED™. This means that our ingredients meet the organization's strictest standard for health and safety, bringing you natural teeth whitening that avoids the questionable ingredients on EWG’s “unacceptable” list.

In addition to our amazing natural whitening toothpaste, stay tuned as we prepare to roll out new peroxide-free whitening products that outshine purple toothpaste. We’re always excited to bring you natural teeth whitening that nourishes your oral and overall health.

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