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None of the toothpastes’ ingredients have been tested on animals.
Mike Francis says as the product has improved, business has started to grow.
Visitors to the Warkworth Health and Wellness Expo, who are interested in oral hygiene, should check out a range of organic toothpastes made here in Mahurangi.
Mike Francis, owner of Maxwell & McIntyre, based in Leigh, will have samples of his toothpaste, which are proudly chemical free and use no ingredients that have been tested on animals.
Mike bought the business just over a year ago in the light of the experiences of his wife, Fiona.
Fiona was diagnosed with a cracked molar and was sent to see an Auckland specialist to deal with the problem.
Following a period of observation, X-rays showed the tooth had completely healed itself – something which surprised the specialist, who could only attribute it to the Maxwell toothpaste that Fiona had begun using regularly.
Mike says credit for the original toothpaste recipe goes to former owner Cath Lewis, but since taking over he’s developed the toothpaste further – making it softer, ensuring consistency between batches, and making sure its ingredients will not separate in the summer heat or go rock hard in winter.
“It’s really easy to make soft, squishy toothpaste if you use chemicals, but it’s really difficult if you can’t use those chemicals,” he says.
But Mike says the resultant chemical-free toothpaste is well worth the trouble, comparing it to a hollandaise sauce made by a chef in a fine restaurant, versus one bought in a jar at a supermarket.
As the product has improved, business has started to grow.
Mike makes around 250 jars a week at his factory in Leigh using a plasterer’s mixer and a large stainless steel paddle to combine the ingredients. He then employs a sausage stuffing machine to decant the toothpaste into recyclable jars, rather than disposable tubes.
Key ingredients include baking soda; finely ground chalk, which has a mineralising effect for tooth repair; coconut oil, containing lauric acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties; xylitol, a naturally occurring alcohol known to be good for teeth; and ground New Zealand kelp, which relieves pain caused by sensitive teeth.
So far, Mike makes three varieties of toothpaste – baking soda, sweet peppermint, strawberry – and a mineralising toothpowder.
Sweet peppermint is the closest to supermarket toothpaste and is aimed at helping wean people off the big commercial brands. Baking powder is known for its saltiness and strawberry appeals to children.
Mike says hemp also contains lauric acid and he plans to introduce a hemp and mint toothpaste, and a hemp and chocolate toothpaste. He says chocolate without added sugar is also good for teeth.
The Health and Wellness Expo takes place at the Warkworth Town Hall this Sunday, August 23, from 1.30-5pm.
