Xycobax!™

Hi all, remember this post from awhile back where I said I'd searched for a toothpaste recipe that used xylitol and baking soda but I couldn't find one? So I made my own, using coconut oil as the liquid? That recipe was published both here and on the awesome community blog Keen for Green. Well, all these months later, I've suddenly started seeing all of these tutorials cropping up for homemade toothpaste, using those exact three ingredients! I'll admit at first I had a moment of "hey, that was MY idea!" but ultimately I'm actually quite pleased that the idea has caught on! And heck, who knows, maybe someone else came up with the idea before I did.

I have, however, actually been improving upon my original recipe.  Because my formula tended to alternate between runny and solid depending on the temperature, I added a natural stabilizer. I also toyed with the ratios a bit, and gave my formula a name:
Xycobax!™ (Pronounced zye-coh-bax, it stands for XYlitol, COconut oil, BAking soda and Xantham gum, the stabilizer). Xycobax is quite kid-friendly, since xylitol is recommended as part of a child's dental hygiene routine. I've also come up with an alternate formula that has a bit more oomph, called Xycobax HP™ (you'll see why in a minute)...this is more for adults and less for kids who suck their toothbrushes.

Please note that this recipe is protected under copyright law...while I've chosen to give it to you for free, all I ask is that if you share it on your own blog or website, even if you choose to change the ratios a little bit, that you link back to this post. That's it! You can also drop me a note to let me know you have done so, and I will be sure to mention you and link to you in my next post! I am always happy to reciprocate.

Without further ado:

Xycobax™ Toothpaste recipe (makes approximately 2 tubes of toothpaste)

1/2 lb xylitol, powdered (in food processor or blender)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 -3/4 teaspoon xantham gum (may use a tiny bit more if you need to, but don't overdo it!)
5-6 teaspoons melted coconut oil
5-7 teaspoons water
Flavoring oil (optional...peppermint or cinnamon works quite well)

Thoroughly mix the three dry ingredients together. Add coconut oil and water, alternating a teaspoon at a time, until you achieve a nice pasty consistency. Add a few drops of flavoring oil if you like, stir again and put it all in a food processor to finish to achieve a nice smooth consistency (you can use a blender instead, but do this in two batches for best results).

Voila! Xycobax.

So what is the formula for Xycobax HP? It is exactly the same as the recipe above, only instead of water, substitute Hydrogen Peroxide! (You see now why you probably don't want your kids sucking Xycobax HP off their toothbrushes).

Xycobax on my Preserve toothbrush (recyclable and made from recycled yogurt containers!)

Tip: To keep your coconut oil from potentially turning rancid, consider adding a few drops of rosemary oil extract or vitamin E oil to it before mixing it in. For the regular Xyobax formula you might also consider a few drops of grapefruit seed extract. These ingredients are not necessary if you don't have them but should help your final product keep longer!


I have recently discovered Coghlan's Squeeze Tubes...they come in packages of two which is perfect for this recipe, and they are washable and reusable. They work great! I don't, however, know what kind of plastic they are made of...I'm looking into it.

That's it! Now go share the love! Responsibly. :-)

* Special thanks to Sheila at Hiney Lineys for educating me about Trademark law.

Coconut Oil: Not Just for Diaper Rashes

If you're reading my blog because you're a mom interested in greening her lifestyle, you may have at least heard about using coconut oil as a diaper rash ointment. This remedy is extremely effective for some moms and babies. For Jem (who has very sensitive skin and is prone to rashes) straight coconut oil tends to work only on milder redness. I've found the best remedy for him is CJs Spritz o' Butter Plus, which contains mostly coconut oil but with added sesame and neem oils...works like a charm!

In my house, coconut oil isn't just for rashes. In fact, the last time I bought coconut oil I bought a quart, and next time I plan to purchase a gallon. Why? Well, due to its unique properties, coconut oil (once given a bad rep for containing saturated fats: read about this here) is not only excellent for your skin but in your diet as well. It contains medium chain fatty acids which are essential to your health, in particular lauric acid, which the body converts to monolaurin. Monolaurin has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and is a component of human breast milk. In fact, as far as I know breast milk and coconut oil are the only sources of monolaurin for human consumption.

Here is a list of what we have been using coconut oil for in our house (other than diaper rashes):

~ Jem's milk: I make Jem a homemade goat milk formula (I'd list all the ingredients, but that's for a future post), and include a couple of tablespoons of organic coconut oil per half gallon. Since coconut oil solidifies and clumps when cold, I still have to serve his milk warm, but I don't mind the extra time it takes to keep giving him the benefits of monolaurin! Especially since I'm only breast-feeding him once a day now.

~ Cooking! Because unsaturated fats like olive oil can convert to hydrogenated (trans) fats when cooked at high heats, we have switched to using coconut oil (a healthy saturated fat) for most of our cooking. We've been using organic expeller-pressed RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) coconut oil for this because it's mostly tasteless and odorless and made by mechanical processes (versus chemical processes), however we are considering switching to organic virgin centrifuge-extracted coconut oil. This oil retains a little bit of the coconut taste and scent but is a more pure oil. RBD oils are made by first drying the coconut meat in the sun, which can lead to bacterial growth (ew), hence the need for refining and bleaching. Virgin centrifuge-extracted oil uses the fresh, wet meat of the coconut, separating the oils through a refrigeration process. Sounds a bit more appealing, doesn't it?

~ Lip balm: My lips have been rather dry lately, and I'm not a fan of most commercial lip balms (wasted little tubes of plastic filling up landfills, and most of them contain chemicals I'd prefer not to have near my oral cavity). So I bought a little glass roll-on perfume bottle, filled it with coconut oil and a touch of aloe vera and vitamin E oil, and voila, lip balm. Bingo, works like a charm!

~ Massage oil: I may not have mentioned this on this blog yet, but before I became Jem's mommy I was a full-time licensed massage therapist (I specialize in pre-natal massage). Since I plan to get back to work soon (part-time...very part-time) I will need extra coconut oil handy to mix up my own homemade massage oils. Its unique property of being solid at room temperature yet liquid when warmed makes it the ideal massage oil, especially because of its ability to soothe and nourish dry, damaged skin.

~ Toothpaste: If you didn't already check out my toothpaste recipe on this blog, today you can see it featured on one of my favorite websites, Keen for Green!  I was so flattered that they asked me if they could include this on their site!


I have a feeling this list will get longer in the coming months. I plan to try using coconut oil to make homemade deodorant soon (as per the recipe I found on My Baby's Green). Does that make me a dirty hippie? Well...maybe. :-)  Stay tuned, and maybe pick up your own jar of coconut oil to try!