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So I tried the Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste as part of a BzzAgent campaign last year, then I tried the Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant a few months ago.
I’ve explained before that since I’ve been “CVS’ing” since 2007, I haven’t paid more than a few pennies (paid in CVS ExtraBucks mind you…not real money, LOL) for my personal care products, including toothpaste (I only “buy” that if they pay me to take it, and I donate a lot as it is!) deodorant and mouthwash. The deal with the deodorant was that it was on sale for $3.99, and you got $3.00 Extra Care Bucks back. It’s regularly around $5.29 for 16 ounces.
I’ve struggled with switching my personal care products to more natural alternatives, largely because I can’t bring myself to pay $5, $8 or more for things I can get for free (when they are for me anyway, my kids are worth it of course.) Even though 99 cents was “a lot to pay” I figured it was worth a try for something more natural.
If you read my deodorant review, you know that was a bust, but the deal was limit 2, and included the Wicked Fresh Mouthwash. I recently finished the bottle and it was OK. It was definitely worth 99 cents!
Here are the ingredients:
(Name/Purpose/Source)
Water/Consistency/Maine aquifer
Glycerin/Skin moisturizing/Vegetable oils
Sorbitol /Moistener/Corn (Zea mays)
Aloe vera leaf juice (organic)/Soothing feel/Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Propanediol (vegetable source)/Consistency/Corn (Zea Mays)
Natural flavors/Flavor/Natural oils derived from the leaves of mint and other aromatic plants
Benzoic acid (natural)/Preservative/Apples or Cinnamon leaf/bark
Zinc chloride/Fresh Breath/Derived from purified zinc from the earth
Menthol/Flavor/Brazilian cornmint (Mentha arvensis) oil
Sounds a little better than this, eh?: THYMOL (0.064%), EUCALYPTOL (0.092%), METHYL SALICYLATE (0.060%), MENTHOL (0.042%) INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, ALCOHOL (21.6%), SORBITOL SOLUTION, FLAVORING, POLOXAMER 407, BENZOIC ACID, SODIUM SACCHARIN, SODIUM BENZOATE, FD&C GREEN 3
Anyhoo, I’ll be honest that I don’t think it was quite as effective as the traditional stuff. My breath didn’t seem as fresh and my teeth weren’t slick-clean. However, I would continue to buy it if I can get good deals!
FreeVS CVS has another deal on Tom’s of Maine next week, 6/19-6/25. Please keep in mind that some deals are regional,so check your local ad before you buy!!
Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste, Mouthwash or Deodorant will be on sale for $3.49 and you will get $1.00 Extra Care Buck back when you buy it (limit two.) The 6/19/11 Smart Source Coupon insert is supposed to have $1 coupon for Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste or Mouthwash, as well as a $1 coupon for Tom’s of Maine Deodorant. (Make sure you’re buying the largest paper in your area, ex: my local paper doesn’t usually have the good coupons, but the Washington Post does.) So your net cost would be $1.49 each. Not bad if you’ve been wanting to try their products, or if you already use them!
Fair warning that this post talks about perspiration/smelly pits. 🙂
I’m going to be perfectly honest here; I really enjoy my “mainstream” personal care products. They work, they smell good, and since I “CVS,” I usually get them for free, “better than free,” or pennies. I know though, that the chemical filled products aren’t good for me, especially anti-perspirants that contain aluminum. So, I’m trying to take baby steps to switch things over to more natural choices.
CVS had a deal a while ago on Tom’s of Maine products, where they were $3.99, with $3.00 Extra Care Bucks back, limit 2. This deodorant cost me a net of 99 cents (haven’t paid that much in years!), but since I paid with extra bucks, I figured it wasn’t too bad. I chose the fresh apricot scent, but it comes in several others as well.
Here are the ingredients (no aluminum):
Name/Purpose/Source
Propylene glycol/Consistency/Natural gas from the earth
Water/Consistency/Maine aquifer
Sodium stearate/Stabilizer/Vegetable oil
Aloe vera leaf juice (organic)/Soothing/Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Witch hazel water/Soothing/Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) plant
Zinc ricinoleate/Deodorancy/Zinc oxide and castor bean (Ricinus communis) plant
Glyceryl laurate/Deodorancy/Vegetable oils
Chamomile flower aqueous extract/Soothing/Organic chamomile (Matricaria recutita) flowers
Apricot fragrance (natural)/Pleasant smell/Natural plant essential oils
Hops [CO2] extract/Deodorancy/Hops (Humulus lupulus) cones
Caprylic/capric triglyceride/Consistency/Coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil and glycerin
Ascorbic acid/Antioxidant/Corn (Zea mays) or molasses
Silica shells/Fragrance duration/Sand
The deodorant went on really smoothly, almost like a gel solid. It smelled really nice, but not too strong and not too “fruity,” despite the apricot scent.
I do tend to perspire a good bit, especially when I’m nervous (which is like, always.) Luckily, I don’t really have a stinky B.O. smell. Still, I don’t really want to smell that natural, musky scent. I know some people don’t mind it, pheromones and all, blah blah…I’m not one of them, LOL.
So while testing this, I felt like Molly Shannon’s SNL character, Mary Catherine Gallagher. I felt like I was constantly sniffing myself. Hee hee. While it smelled great at first, it very quickly seemed to “wear off” and I could “smell myself” again. I tried reapplying every few hours at home, and that seemed OK. I wanted to give this a fair shake, so I used it for about a week or so.
The other morning, I applied my deodorant, and went for a walk about an hour later. It wasn’t terribly warm; around 45 when we started, and warmed up a bit as the sun came out. By the time I finished a 45 minute walk, I felt like I smelled, and a sniff made me feel like I hadn’t put anything on at all.
So, this deodorant is definitely not for me, I’m sticking with my usual for now, but I know lots of people swear by Tom’s of Maine deodorant!
I really want to find a great natural deodorant before my daughter needs to wear it. I know, she’s only 6…but kids seem to need it earlier and earlier, and she will be a pre-teen before I know it! I know there are differing opinions on the link between aluminum/parabens and breast cancer, but if I can find a product without them, why not use it?
FTC compliance: I paid normal retail price for this product. I was not compensated in any way for this post, and all opinions are my own.
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I’ve been a Bzzagent for several years now, and my most recent campaign is for Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste.
I try to buy natural products for my kids whenever possible, but there really hasn’t been room in the budget to “green up” my own health & beauty routine. Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste contains fluoride (which I know some people avoid) and also contains sodium lauryl sulfate. It does not contain alcohol, or any artificial ingredients. It’s easy to find in “big box” stores nationwide, and it’s available in both Cool Peppermint and Spearmint Ice flavors.
Tom’s of Maine is cruelty free, with no animal testing or animal ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances or preservatives. They share every ingredient, it’s purpose and it’s source on their website. Sustainable practices are a priority for their business, and they maximize the recycled content and recyclability of their packaging. They dedicate 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteering, and 10% of their profits go to human and environmental goodness.
My daughter, husband and I used the sample size boxes, which were all cool peppermint flavor.
The toothpaste had a natural looking color, slightly gritty texture, and a natural, almost herbal-y (not sure how else to put that!) mint flavor.
After I brushed, my teeth didn’t have quite the same slick clean feeling that I’m used to, but after I flossed and used my mouthwash, they felt very clean. I didn’t notice any extended freshening though! The suggested retail price for a 5.2 ounce tube is $4.19. I’ve been CVSing (yeah, I used it as a verb) for about three years now, so I haven’t paid any “real” money for toothpaste since before then. The Tom’s of Maine toothpaste really isn’t much more than other brands, but for someone not used to paying for toothpaste, it’s a lot!!
Giveaway: I am sending the full size, 5.2 ounce tube to one of my readers. Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. Simply enter your name and email address. Post will be updated with the # of entries received. I’d love for you to leave a comment, I’m always interested to hear what products others use. Keep in mind that comments don’t count as entries. I will accept entries until Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. This is a short one. I will select a winner using random.org’s true random number generator and notify him/her by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen. View my giveaway rules page for complete details. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.
Entries as of November 22nd at giveaway close: 78
https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dGY2S3NyQ2dKM0hqdnJmNDB5Qnd6Z1E6MQ
FTC Compliance: I received the above samples at no charge as a Bzzagent. All opinions are my own.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. Read More »
