Shailene Woodley Makes Her Own Toothpaste With Clay

If you’re a long-time fan of Shailene Woodley, chances are you’ve heard of her penchant for eating clay. Over the years, plenty of jokes have been made about the actor’s love of the earthly material. When she broke off her engagement with Aaron Rodgers, many people on Twitter responded that they hoped Woodley treated herself to a bit of extra clay to get over the heartbreak. But Woodley doesn’t just eat clay on its own. She also uses it as the main ingredient for her homemade toothpaste.

Shailene Woodley makes a natural toothpaste out of clay

For years, Woodley has been invested in natural healing and using as many natural and sustainable products as possible. She’s very cognizant about what she puts on and in her body. And while she has natural brands that she supports, she also is a very big DIY-er. Woodley makes her own toothpaste, deodorant, face masks, face oils, medicine, bone broth, cheese, and more.

But how exactly does Woodley make her own toothpaste? The Endings, Beginnings, star actually shared her recipe with GQ. She also included her personal directions and a caveat about variance based on desired consistency. So, if you’ve been thinking about ditching Colgate or Crest, Woodley may have an alternative that you can try out at your own risk.

The ‘Divergent’ alum shares her personal toothpaste recipe

3 Tbsp. bentonite clay (make SURE it comes from a safe, clean source)

1 or 2 pinches of sea salt or Himalayan salt

15 to 30 drops of essential oils (depending on what strength you want)

1 Tbsp. mint leaves, dried and pulverized (in a coffee grinder)

1 Tbsp. baking soda (optional, for some extra whitening power)

Spring water*

Directions

Mix everything together in a wide-mouth jar. Note: Do not expect this toothpaste to leave your mouth feeling like you just gargled Listerine or brushed with Crest. IT WON’T.

*The measurement depends on what consistency I want! Sometimes I like it thick and other times thin! So experiment!

GQ 2014

Why does Woodley consume so much clay?

But why is clay such an essential ingredient in Woodley’s health regimen and in her toothpaste? According to The Secret Life of the American Teenager alum, clay has huge benefits for her body. She first started eating clay after having a conversation with a taxi driver. After learning that women from his hometown consumed clay when they were pregnant, Woodley decided to give it a try herself. In an interview with Into the Gloss, she reflected on the experience.

“Seriously—ask your taxi drivers where they are from and about their customs,” Woodley said. “You will learn a lot. So, I’ve discovered that clay is great for you because your body doesn’t absorb it, and it apparently provides a negative charge, so it bonds to negative isotopes. And, this is crazy: it also helps clean heavy metals out of your body.”

While eating clay and making her own toothpaste may work well for Woodley, you should likely do your own research or consult with a doctor before you follow suit.