I’ve tried quite a few sustainable products in the last year but my favorite and the most practical have been the products from Huppy. I’m a fan of their non-plastic, refillable dental floss and non-plastic, travel-friendly toothpaste tablets.
Huppy was founded by David Phan, a Vietnamese-American living in Southern California, after he learned that 20 billion toothpaste tubes are dumped into landfills every year. And if you think about it, every plastic toothpaste tube ever made (basically since the 50’s) still exist in landfills today since plastic never really degrades.
Huppy Dental Floss
I bought this plastic-free biodegradable floss in a glass container from work when I ran out of my usual Glide floss. And I have to say, I love the cute little glass container and the fact that the refills are also plastic-free (they come as two rolls in a little box). When you get towards the end of the roll, the floss and container is quite pretty since there’s no actual spool in the middle. As for the floss itself, it’s a little thicker and coarser than the Glide (and even a bit thicker than the Johnson and Johnson one). And the Huppy floss works well for me: I think it’s able to snag more food out of my teeth than the Glide one). And overall, there’s less plaque in my teeth (TBH the Glide floss was probably too thin and even my dentist recommended I try a different brand). But I think if you tend to shred conventional floss or get it snagged, then this one might not work as well for you. The only caveat with this floss and container is that as you get towards the end of the roll you’re going to need to do a clean out of the lid: over time the wax get stuck where the floss cuts and it won’t cut as well. Just clean it out with a clean brush and it’ll work as good as new!
Huppy Toothpaste Tablets
My first Huppy love is the floss (because switching to biodegradable floss and non-plastic container just makes sense to me), but the toothpaste tablets were technically my first purchase. And don’t get me wrong, I like these easy-to-use, plastic-free toothpaste tablets, but it takes a bit of a commitment money-wise to make the switch to tablets full-time. Even as a refill, each tablet costs $0.14 so that’s $8.40 a month (brushing twice a day). Technically the tablets are quite foamy so you could but them in half with a pill cutter, so that brings it down to $4.20 a month. But that adds some hassle (you don’t really want to pre-cut them all at once and put them back in the tin because it gets quite crumbly once cut). P.S. I currently don’t sell the refills but if this product does well I will probably be adding it to my store inventory.
But I will say Huppy’s toothpaste tablets are the best travel toothpaste ever. No messy goops, and no need for a toothpaste tube to take up space in your liquids bag. These tablets also work well for older people with arthritis since they don’t have to painfully squeeze a tube. So even though I’m not using these tablets full-time, I use them on the occasion I want an extra minty mouth (it really does feel more potent and foamy than the normal tube stuff). And just as an aside, the foam is slightly thicker than conventional toothpaste, and there might be some grittiness too if you don’t completely dissolve the tablet. So the experience isn’t identical to using conventional toothpaste, but it’s not bad. Someday I hope that these tablets are cost-effective enough for daily use, but until then I’ll make the toothpaste tube last a bit longer by using the tablets every once in awhile. I used it everyday morning and night during my Airstream trip and it was great (the tablets work really well for camping too)! Also pro tip: I find it easier to mash the toothpaste tablet with my front teeth instead of my molars to resist the urge to swallow after crushing.
Oh and lastly, these toothpaste tablets don’t contain fluoride. So if you’re adverse to using fluoride (and there are some drawbacks to it), then these tablets might be an option for you. These tablets use hydroxyapatite, which is another mineral that can not only fight cavities but also repair enamel, and it’s a great fluoride alternative.
And because I love Huppy products so much, I wanted their products to be the first items in my new Fairly Curated online store (ICYMI, I talk about why I want to open an online shop here).
{February 2023 Update: I’ve been using these tablets more consistently and have gotten accustomed to grinding down the tablets to a foam. I have to say it’s been nice: I’ll pop one into my mouth and slowly chew while I go about doing other things. Once everything is dissolved I’ll wet my toothbrush and brush my teeth. It takes a little longer than brushing with conventional toothpaste but I’m liking the ritual of it. I also moved the tablets into a fairly air tight wooden box that my father had given me when I was young. And its nice to use and open the box twice a day and think about my dad.
Also I’ve also gotten used to using the mouthwash tablets and they’re a great way to freshen your breath on the go. True, they’re not as convenient as mints, but if you have access to a bathroom a quick chew and rinse will leave your mouth feeling super minty! I’m not currently selling the mouthwash tablets because I initially wasn’t a huge fan (and didn’t want to sell things I didn’t 100% believe in. But I’m coming around and you may see them in the shop soon!}