What's in Charcoal Toothpaste?
As you might guess, a key ingredient in charcoal toothpaste is charcoal. It's not the same charcoal you'd find in an artist's toolbox or in a bag of charcoal meant for BBQ though. The charcoal used in toothpaste is what's known as activated charcoal.
As the National Institutes of Health in the United States points out, activated charcoal is similar in some ways to regular old charcoal. It can come from wood, peat, coconut shell, petroleum or coal. The big difference between the two is that during production, activated charcoal is exposed to a special gas that causes it to develop large pores or spaces. Those large pores make the charcoal more absorbent, allowing it to soak up a variety of substances.
Beyond the activated charcoal, there could be any number of other ingredients in charcoal toothpaste. You might find mint flavouring, coconut oil or baking soda in a toothpaste with charcoal. Some do not contain fluoride, but some do. Others aren't even in toothpaste form but come as tablets or powder.