We hate to break it to you, but there's some pretty nasty stuff hiding in your paste.
We call these bad boys the Toxic Ten. GEM pinky promises that you'll never find any of them loitering in our products.
Brush on baby!
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what is it:
SLS is a chemical compound used as a surfactant, detergent denaturant in various cosmetics and industrial cleaners. It’s also used as a foaming agent in toothpaste.
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why it’s harmful:
SLS irritates the mouth and strips away the lining, which can lead to canker sores, irritation and organ toxicity. Almost 16,000 studies have exposed the toxic nature of this chemical, often used as an insecticide.
what is it:
This pesticide has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration in soap and body wash, but is still lurking in our toothpaste for its anti-bacterial properties.
why it’s harmful:
Triclosane acts as a ‘nuke’, detonating both good and bad bacteria in your mouth. This imbalances your mouth’s flora, leading to bad breath, dry mouth, and negatively impacting your body’s natural ability to build resistance to disease and infection.
SLS
TRICLOSAN
what is it:
Fluoride is a chemical added to prevent cavities by aiding remineralising of tooth structure.
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why it’s harmful:
Fluoride has never been approved as safe and effective by the FDA in the USA. This neurotoxin is dangerous to your health; it’s one of four ingredients in Sarin nerve gas and is found in insecticides, wood preservatives, fungicides and rat poison (causing stomach lesions which results in the rat bleeding to death). Fluoride is known to be an endocrine disrupter affecting the bones, brain, pineal gland, thyroid gland, hormones and blood sugar levels.
FLUORIDE
ANIMAL
INGREDIENTS
TITANIUM
DIOXIDE
PROPYLENE GLYCOL
No animals were harmed throughout the making of Gem. We don’t use any animal derived ingredients, or test on animals, ever. In fact, no animals were even touched throughout our entire process. Except Minty, Tiger and Panda, our cute-ass cats who lapped up the love during late-night brainstorms.
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why it’s harmful:
We don’t really need to answer this, do we?
what is it:
An inorganic chemical compound added as a colorant to make toothpaste white.
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why it’s harmful:
Evidence suggests that some nanoparticles in titanium dioxide may induce toxic effects in your brain and cause nerve damage. Some may even be carcinogenic.
what is it:
A synthetic chemical compound used as a surfactant. It’s also used in antifreeze, paints and enamels. Used in toothpastes to smooth out the texture.
why it’s harmful:
Highly toxic to humans, this compound is known to irritate the skin, eyes, lungs and mucous membranes.
ARTIFICIAL COLOURING
DEA
PARABENS
what is it?
Artificial toothpaste colours are used to make commercial toothpaste aesthetically pleasing.
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why it’s harmful:
Artificial dyes may contain up to 10% impurities. Some of these undesired ingredients could include lead, arsenic, mercury and carcinogens. Additionally, artificial colourings have been linked to behavioural problems in children.
what is it:
A compound used to make your toothpaste foam.
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why it’s harmful:
It has been shown to cause eye and skin irritation and has even been linked to liver cancer in mice. It is also a hormone disruptor and known to cause organic system toxicity.
What is it?
Chemicals used as preservatives to extend the shelf life of toothpaste.
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Why it's harmful?
These compounds can act like the hormone oestrogen and are suspected to be endocrine disruptors: thought to potentially lead to cancer, as well as developmental and reproductive issues.
BULLSH*T (BS)
It’s exhausting, boring and a total waste of everyone’s time. Instead of BS, we serve up the truth, with no sugar coating, no complexities and no nonsense. We tell it like it is and disclose everything we know, in ways that leave no room for interpretation.
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why it’s harmful:
BS might just be the most toxic of the toxins going round. And it’s everywhere. YAWN.
