We were named Best Fluoride-Free Toothpaste at the 2026 Global Health & Pharma Awards. We are proud of it, but an award is only as useful as what it tells you. So rather than simply celebrate, we want to explain what actually separates a good fluoride-free toothpaste from a merely fluoride-free one, because the two are not the same thing.
"Fluoride-free" describes what a toothpaste leaves out. It says nothing about what it puts in. A toothpaste can remove fluoride and replace it with very little, which is not an upgrade. The question worth asking is what is doing the work instead.
What to look for
A real remineralising active. Fluoride's main job is helping to rebuild enamel. If you remove it, something credible needs to take its place. Hydroxyapatite, the mineral enamel is actually made of, is the most well-evidenced alternative, with comparative clinical research behind it. A fluoride-free toothpaste with no active remineralising ingredient is leaving a gap, not filling one.
Gentle, evidence-based whitening. Look for stain removal that does not rely on peroxide or harsh abrasives. Enzymes such as bromelain and mild polishers such as kaolin lift surface stains without the enamel-wear trade-off.
A short, legible ingredient list. No SLS, which is associated with mouth-ulcer irritation in some people. No synthetic dyes or unnecessary fillers. If you cannot tell what something is for, that is worth questioning.
Respect for the oral microbiome. Your mouth hosts hundreds of bacterial species, most of them beneficial. The best formulas clean without stripping them, which rules out the harshest antibacterial and foaming agents.
Why Laro won
Our Naturally Whitening Toothpaste is built on hydroxyapatite for remineralisation, uses bromelain and kaolin for peroxide-free whitening, leaves out fluoride, SLS and synthetic fragrance, and carries a refined wild mint, lemon and bergamot flavour from essential oils. It comes in fully recyclable aluminium rather than plastic. In other words, it was designed to answer every one of the questions above, which is, we think, why it was recognised.
A fair word on fluoride
We are not anti-fluoride, and we would never tell you it does not work. It has decades of evidence behind it. Fluoride-free is a considered choice, most often made by people reducing their overall exposure, or choosing it for pregnancy or particular sensitivities. If that is you, the point of this guide is simple: choose a fluoride-free toothpaste that still does the job, not just one that skips an ingredient.
→ Shop the award-winning Naturally Whitening Toothpaste.
→ Try the full routine with The Signature Edit.
→ Read next: How to Choose a Fluoride-Free Toothpaste (What Actually Matters).