#safe toothpaste

[happyteethcare]

The Truth About Charcoal Toothpaste: Is It Safe and Effective for Whitening?

Charcoal toothpaste has taken the oral care market by storm, with many consumers seeking it out as a natural alternative for teeth whitening. The dark, gritty texture of activated charcoal toothpaste may seem like an unconventional choice, but it is promoted by some as a powerful way to remove stains and brighten teeth. However, as with many trends in oral health, it’s essential to evaluate the…

[fae-sodapop]

Experimenting with pens again, drew Ralsei, think the sticky note helps here w/ his chapter 1 look. I love him so much.

[thegothicviking]

💋🕷Cute and easy "black widow" makeup look! 🕷💋

As I am going to buy vegetables (not meat) at the only grocery store that is open on a Sunday... 😆

*yes you can eat crisps and small pieces of candy with these fangs (just make sure to place the snack at the back of your mouth and chew with your teeth in the back! It was tricky for me to do at first but then I got the hang of it!)

Yes you can drink soda with the fangs if you are using a straw! And yes you can talk perfectly fine with them (no lisp!!) and what's even better is that you can use them over and over again! 🧛‍♀️*

(Please ignore how dirty the lid of the contact lense case is!!)

[thecanadianweeb]

We need OIT for peanut allergies here in Canada right away! It will literally save millions of lives unlike me, constantly dying from peanut exposure in the air.

Plus nobody told me that there are peanuts in toothpaste! Now I’m in the hospital having to pay a 200$ bill from all of the other times.

Might as well kms at this point.

[i-eat-nail-polish]

Everyone,

I have made another

This one is for a friend to which they named them

Vehicular Manslaughter

Wish him well for his new life

[fandom-hoarder]

Saw this in a gif search for "smile," so now y'all hafta see it.

[gender-critical-analytical]

started using this stupid and expensive flavored toothpaste and it actually has made brushing my teeth a much better experience. I don't gag, it doesn't burn my mouth at all, and I've kinda found myself excited, or at the very least much more eager, when it's time to go brush my teeth

[starbandit-x]

gotta do someone's makeup again for my mental health

[alienaiver]

since 2pm yesterday ive been playing totk for 11 hours JSJSBSBSBBAS

[bones-arent-real]

@tea8j

[happyteethcare]

The Truth About Whitening Toothpastes: Do They Really Work or Are They Just Hype?

In today’s pursuit of a brighter, whiter smile, whitening toothpastes are often promoted as a simple and affordable solution. But do these products truly deliver the results they promise, or are they more hype than substance? This article dives deep into the science behind whitening toothpastes, their effectiveness, and what consumers should realistically expect from them. Understanding How…

[samwisethewitch]

Homemaking, gardening, and self-sufficiency resources that won't radicalize you into a hate group

It seems like self-sufficiency and homemaking skills are blowing up right now. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis, a lot of folks, especially young people, are looking to develop skills that will help them be a little bit less dependent on our consumerist economy. And I think that's generally a good thing. I think more of us should know how to cook a meal from scratch, grow our own vegetables, and mend our own clothes. Those are good skills to have.

Unfortunately, these "self-sufficiency" skills are often used as a recruiting tactic by white supremacists, TERFs, and other hate groups. They become a way to reconnect to or relive the "good old days," a romanticized (false) past before modern society and civil rights. And for a lot of people, these skills are inseparably connected to their politics and may even be used as a tool to indoctrinate new people.

In the spirit of building safe communities, here's a complete list of the safe resources I've found for learning homemaking, gardening, and related skills. Safe for me means queer- and trans-friendly, inclusive of different races and cultures, does not contain Christian preaching, and does not contain white supremacist or TERF dog whistles.

Homemaking/Housekeeping/Caring for your home:

Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen [book] (The big crunchy household DIY book; includes every level of self-sufficiency from making your own toothpaste and laundry soap to setting up raised beds to butchering a chicken. Authors are explicitly left-leaning.)

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust [book] (A guide to simple home repair tasks, written with rentals in mind; very compassionate and accessible language.)

How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis [book] (The book about cleaning and housework for people who get overwhelmed by cleaning and housework, based on the premise that messiness is not a moral failing; disability and neurodivergence friendly; genuinely changed how I approach cleaning tasks.)

Gardening

Rebel Gardening by Alessandro Vitale [book] (Really great introduction to urban gardening; explicitly discusses renter-friendly garden designs in small spaces; lots of DIY solutions using recycled materials; note that the author lives in England, so check if plants are invasive in your area before putting them in the ground.)

Country/Rural Living:

Woodsqueer by Gretchen Legler [book] (Memoir of a lesbian who lives and works on a rural farm in Maine with her wife; does a good job of showing what it's like to be queer in a rural space; CW for mentions of domestic violence, infidelity/cheating, and internalized homophobia)

"Debunking the Off-Grid Fantasy" by Maggie Mae Fish [video essay] (Deconstructs the off-grid lifestyle and the myth of self-reliance)

Sewing/Mending:

Annika Victoria [YouTube channel] (No longer active, but their videos are still a great resource for anyone learning to sew; check out the beginner project playlist to start. This is where I learned a lot of what I know about sewing.)

Make, Sew, and Mend by Bernadette Banner [book] (A very thorough written introduction to hand-sewing, written by a clothing historian; lots of fun garment history facts; explicitly inclusive of BIPOC, queer, and trans sewists.)

Sustainability/Land Stewardship

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer [book] (Most of you have probably already read this one or had it recommended to you, but it really is that good; excellent example of how traditional animist beliefs -- in this case, indigenous American beliefs -- can exist in healthy symbiosis with science; more philosophy than how-to, but a great foundational resource.)

Wild Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer [book] (This one is for my fellow witches; one of my favorite witchcraft books, and an excellent example of a place-based practice deeply rooted in the land.)

Avoiding the "Crunchy to Alt Right Pipeline"

Note: the "crunchy to alt-right pipeline" is a term used to describe how white supremacists and other far right groups use "crunchy" spaces (i.e., spaces dedicated to farming, homemaking, alternative medicine, simple living/slow living, etc.) to recruit and indoctrinate people into their movements. Knowing how this recruitment works can help you recognize it when you do encounter it and avoid being influenced by it.

"The Crunchy-to-Alt-Right Pipeline" by Kathleen Belew [magazine article] (Good, short introduction to this issue and its history.)

Sisters in Hate by Seyward Darby (I feel like I need to give a content warning: this book contains explicit descriptions of racism, white supremacy, and Neo Nazis, and it's a very difficult read, but it really is a great, in-depth breakdown of the role women play in the alt-right; also explicitly addresses the crunchy to alt-right pipeline.)

These are just the resources I've personally found helpful, so if anyone else has any they want to add, please, please do!

[arctic-hands]

Tom's of Maine toothpaste was manufactured with water containing bacteria, while a "black mold-like substance" was found in a factory where the product was made, according to a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Goddamn not even toothpaste is safe  

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

I'm compiling some safety tips here for people in the US here that I found online. Some things you may want to do before January: 

Make an appointment with your doctor to talk about a long-term birth control plan, such as an IUD or vasectomy. 

Make an appointment with your doctor to make sure your vaccinations are up to date and to get a Covid booster. 

Check in, and stay in contact with, your queer friends. There’s strength in numbers. Community is important. 

Consider renewing your passport if necessary. 

Consider stocking up on fluoride toothpaste, pregnancy tests or other health products you worry about not (safely) having access to in the future. 

Rest up. Hydrate. Eat. Take care of yourself. The best act of rebellion is staying alive. You don’t need to feel strong or brave or even optimistic, just be kind to yourself. 

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[rabbitrah]

A continuation on my post about unloved foods, specifically this is my in-depth defense of root beer.

Root Beer isn't inherently gross, it's just one of those weird local flavors that's off-putting to people who didn't grow up with it. We all like different things and also we all tend to like flavors that are similar to what we grew up with. That's okay! But honestly root beer is pretty unique and, in my opinion, delicious.

One of the main complaints against root beer is that it tastes like medicine. Funnily enough, it was originally marketed as medicinal! This is true for most OG sodas actually. Pretty much as soon as carbonated water was invented, people were drinking it to soothe various ailments. A lot of the original soft drinks were actually invented by pharmacists. I just think that root beer is especially cool because the main flavor came from the root bark of sassafras, a common North American shrub. Because it's so widespread and aromatic, all parts of the sassafras plant have been used in food and medicine by many different Native American tribes throughout history and was subsequently picked up and used by European colonists. In the 1960s, some studies indicated that that safrole oil, which is produced by the plant, can cause liver damage. Whether or not this would actually remain true after it had been boiled and added to root beer is unclear, but it was really easy to replicate the flavor, so the sassafras in commercial root beer these days is artificial. Another fun fact about safrole is that it's a precursor in the synthesis of MDMA. None of this information has stopped my childhood habit of eating sassfras leaves right off the shrub whenever I walk past it on a hike. I'm like 85% sure it's safe and also mmmm yummy leafs go crunch.

Another root beer complaint is that it tastes like toothpaste. I think this is probably because another key flavor in most root beer recipes is wintergreen. I'm assuming that the people who think this are the same people who think mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like toothpaste. I can understand and even respect that some people don't like mint and associate it only with brushing their teeth, but like. Mint is a pretty common flavor. I mean I think it's safe to say that humans have been eating mint flavored stuff for longer than toothpaste has existed... anyway!

Other common flavors in root beer (real or artificial) are caramel, vanilla, black cherry bark, sarsaparilla root, ginger, and many more! There's not one official recipe, and root beer enthusiasts often have strong opinions about different brands. Some root beer is sharper, with more strong aromatic flavors, and others are mild and creamier.

Another thing I think is cool about root beer is that it's foamier than most sodas. This was originally because sassafras is a natural surfactant (and why sassafras is also a common thickening agent in Louisiana Creole cooking.) These days, other plant starches or similar ingredients are added to keep the distinctive foam. Root beer foam > all other soft drink foams. That's why root beer floats kick more ass than like, coke floats.

If you've never had root beer before, imagine if a sweetened herbal tea was turned into a soda, because that's basically what it is. If your first response to that is a cringe, fair enough. That's why lots of people don't like it. If your first response to that is "interesting... I might actually like it, though" then I encourage you to track down a can of root beer today, hard as that might be outside the US and Canada. Next time you see an "ew, root beer tastes like medicine/tooth paste" take, know that there's a reason for that, but also the same could be said for literally any herbal or minty food/drink.

My final take on root beer is that it would be the soda of choice for gnomes. Thank you and good night.

[thequeenoffishburrito]

HOLY SHIT THIS.

My mother constantly told me throughout high school not to pick at my pimples because I'd regret it when I'm older and how it's disgusting and I'm ruining my face.

I always told her I never would and I don't care. And part of me still doesn't care cuz who gives a shit? But the part of me that's been invaded by her words makes me scared because maybe I will. Maybe I do.

This type of mentality is instilled in people from others. You're not born with this desire or need to have perfect skin and no scars and be beautiful 24/7, this is all because others have tried to convince you it's wrong and you'll regret not taking care of yourself because people will think its ugly.

sick of this anti-aging obsession. let's go in the opposite direction. i want more characters who are hardened & grizzled & have a face lined with the harrowing tribulations of time--and then halfway through the narrative u find out they're 27