Homemade Tooth Powder (Dentifrice)
A traditional 19th-century tooth powder recipe made with whiting (calcium carbonate), camphor, and myrrh. Note: This is a historical recipe and modern commercial toothpastes are recommended for dental health.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whiting (calcium carbonate powder) (Scraped to a fine powder; original recipe calls for 'a pint pot' worth)
- 2 ounces Camphor (Food-grade camphor if available)
- 1 teaspoon Brandy (A few drops to moisten the camphor)
- 0.5 ounces Myrrh, powdered (About 1 tablespoon when powdered)
Instructions
- 1Scrape the whiting into a fine powder until you have approximately 2 cups (enough to fill a pint pot). Ensure it is very finely powdered with no lumps.
- 2Moisten the 2 ounces of camphor with a few drops of brandy (about 1 teaspoon). Using a mortar and pestle, rub the moistened camphor into a fine powder.
- 3In a large bowl, combine the powdered whiting, powdered camphor, and half an ounce of powdered myrrh. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the powder.
- 4Transfer the mixed powder into a clean, dry bottle. Cork it tightly to keep it airtight. For daily use, transfer small quantities into a separate smaller bottle to avoid contaminating the main supply.
