Our kids’ favorite flavor of Earthpaste is Lemon Twist — a great, healthy alternative to the unnatural, bright blue kid’s cartoon character toothpaste out there. One of the essential oils that gives it a great flavor is lemon verbena, which some people have heard isn’t so great.
Is it even lemon?
Lemon verbena essential oil doesn’t come from lemons at all — it’s a flowering shrub (aloysia citrodora) that smells similar to lemon. We choose our oils carefully, so you can be sure the purity and quality is as natural as possible.
Of course, who cares about the quality if it isn’t safe to use, right? The web site Skin Deep refers to an aloysia citrodora ban in the European Union — a ban that applies only when used as a fragrance ingredient. (Think candles and potpourri.)
Great benefits
Lemon verbena is widely used by herbalists and natural doctors, and is quite common in herbal tea recipes you’ll find in your local health food store. Naturopathic practitioners recommend lemon verbena to people suffering from stress, insomnia, depression, asthma, even acne — it’s good stuff!
Here are some links to more information on WebMD and Wikipedia explaining lemon verbena’s benefits. And of course we know everyone has their own criteria — if you’ve read about it and still don’t want to finish your tube of Earthpaste Lemon Twist, let us know! We’ll happily swap you for one of our mint or cinnamon flavors.