International Toothpaste Museum

The Marvelous Mrs. Marvis. This is truly the crème de la crème of toothpastes. Or in the correct language, Italian, it would be something like "ultimo primo." (I should ask my son who speaks Italian, but I’m too lazy.) Marvis is made in Firenze, Italia... about an hour and a half from the home of Ferrari. I bought this tube in Italy, and I saw it languishing in the museum (a drawer in my house) and realized that If I didn’t use it, it would dry up and be worthless. That would be a huge shame, since this is such a great toothpaste. Classic Strong Mint is maybe their most popular flavor - and for good reason. It’s wonderfully balanced and not too strong. The paste itself is white and pure. No color dies here! And I’m happy to report that it has fluoride. You can buy Marvis online from several retailers in the US. I’d recommend that you give it a go. You'll enjoy their website . And finally, I reviewed a couple of their other flavors previously. Enjoy!

  Albert Heijn Anti Tandsteen Toothpaste has a mild minty flavor. Like so many other European toothpastes, the flavor is milder than America's mainstream toothpastes. Anti Tandsteen is a pure white chalky paste. It's one of their basic budget offerings - among the least expensive toothpastes they sell. Just like Albert Heijn's Extra Mint Toothpaste , it's almost cheaper than any paste you can buy in the USA. (Sadly, since I purchased it in February 2019, they discontinued the product.) Albert Heijn  is a Netherlands-based supermarket chain that carries a typical amount of toothpaste. I bought this tube while I was visiting my sister Amy, who lives near Antwerp, Belgium. There is an Albert Heijn store within bicycling distance from her house. Just like their Extra Mint, it has fluoride - which always makes me happy. The illustration behind the big white tooth depicts white rays destroying a purple brick wall. And for those of you who don't speak Dutch, tandsteen mea...

It's always gratifying to buy a product that is both good for you and good for the planet. Ecodenta , a company based in Vilnius, Lithuania, makes a stand for health. And in the case of their Papaya Organic Toothpaste, it has 99% natural ingredients. The main feature of this toothpaste is its natural whitening action. Papaya extract is supposed to whiten your teeth without any degradation to the enamel of your teeth . I can't vouch for its effectiveness, as my teeth are hopelessly stained with tetracycline as a kid and excess coffee use as an adult. The package is very distinctive. You have to buy the toothpaste to discover that the box is green inside. I appreciate that attention to detail by the package designers. The flavor is very subtle. I honestly can't taste any papaya. And I love that it has flouride. Sadly, it's only available in the USA at a rather steep price. I am thankful to my sister who lives in Belgium... what a wonderful surprise i...

Albert Heijn Extra Mint Toothpaste is a very strong, almost medicinal toothpaste. It's among the strongest flavors I've ever experienced in a European toothpaste. It's green with little white stripes. It's one of their basic budget offerings - among the least expensive toothpastes they sell. In fact, it's almost cheaper than any paste you can buy in the USA. (Here's a link to this toothpaste , which will not work if they discontinue the product.) Albert Heijn is a Netherlands-based supermarket chain. My sister Amy, who lives near Antwerp, Belgium, gave it to me as a gift. And shipping it to me made it a very expensive toothpaste. (Thank you, Amy!) I'm happy to report that it has fluoride. I love how the graphic is an illustration of a white tooth floating over an Arctic landscape with an igloo in the background. Eskimos would probably freak out if they saw a giant white tooth floating toward them. Americans might think it was a hot air balloon.

Brandless is another company that was founded on a few good ideas and just hasn't worked out - because it cost more to be financially viable than was expected and the products cost more to produce than they were selling for. Updates:   On February 10, 2020, Brandless closed down . In August 2021, they got $118M of funding to start back up! I bought this tube of Brandless Fluoride-Free Peppermint Toothpaste for $3, plus shipping (along with a few other products) in early 2018. Now it's selling for $5. The concept is that you aren't paying for a big brand's marketing and advertising, fancy package design and added unhealthy chemicals. Another benefit to buying from Brandless is that every time you check out at Brandless, they donate to someone facing hunger through our partnership with Feeding America . (But the Brandless website doesn't say how much they will donate per order - it could be one cent.) A priceless irony is that "Brandless is a brand...

I did not visit Lithuania to grab this toothpaste. Rather, I found it in Haarlem, Netherlands, in the Dutch equivalent to Walgreen's (US) or Boots (UK). Ecodenta Whitening Toothpaste is one of the most delicious toothpastes I have ever encountered. The unique mix of bergamot and lemon essential oils lend it a taste that is simply indescribable. Frequent flyer visitors to this website know that I enjoy observing the work of non-English translators on the packaging. In this instance, an all caps declaration of "ANTI Coffee & Tobacco" possibly implies that using this toothpaste will help you quit those nasty habits. The company that makes Ecodenta is based in Vilnius , the capital and largest city in Lithuania. Biok is a manufacturer of healthy cosmetics and oral care products. Their website does not list this toothpaste. This toothpaste was definitely made for the Eastern European market since its tube has ingredients in eight European and Slavic languages. Du...

It's rare for me to review a toothpaste from the USA. But I couldn't resist taking advantage of a coupon for this toothpaste by Colgate. I've reviewed Charcoal toothpaste before - both from Japan and from China . Finally, this trend in toothpaste has made its way across the Pacific to these shores. Colgate's interpretation of what makes a toothpaste "Charcoal" is certainly different. Both the Japanese and Chinese pastes had a much darker color. They were, as you might guess, black. Colgate went for a mere hint of charcoal, producing a silky grey paste. And the flavor - not a tiny hint of burnt anything. Colgate went for the American mainstream again - mint. This paste has a very refreshing clean minty flavor. And as you might expect, being a mainstream brand (albeit part of a niche line) means it has fluoride. I quite like the taste. It leaves my mouth feeling cleansed and ready to take on the morning. Brushing just before bed might cause me ...