Kosher toothpaste and mouthwash

By the KosherVitamins.com team · Updated November 13, 2026

Toothpaste is not food, but it goes in your mouth every day, and some of its ingredients raise real kashrus questions. Here is what the issues are and how different authorities approach them.

The main issue: glycerin

Glycerin gives toothpaste its smooth texture and often makes up a large part of the paste. Glycerin can come from animal fat or from vegetable oils. The OU writes that glycerin without a hechsher should be assumed non-kosher.

Does toothpaste need a hechsher?

The poskim discuss this at length, and there is more than one view:

• Lenient views. Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky permitted toothpaste with glycerin because, at the time, inedible abrasives made up most of the paste. Others are lenient because toothpaste is not eaten or is unpleasant to eat.
• Stricter views. The OU and Rav Yisroel Belsky point out that today's toothpaste is made differently, with more food ingredients like sorbitol and glycerin, so the older leniency may no longer apply. The OU notes that many rabbonim advise buying toothpaste with a proper hechsher.

The OU's bottom line is that the issues are serious and consumers should ask their rabbi.

Flavored and children's toothpaste

The OU writes that if glycerin is in a tasty toothpaste, it seems more problematic. This can apply to some flavored children's toothpastes. Kids also tend to swallow toothpaste, so many parents choose a certified kosher kids' toothpaste.

Mouthwash

Mouthwash can contain glycerin and flavors, and many contain alcohol. Authorities differ on whether mouthwash needs a hechsher year-round; some treat it as a non-food. On Passover, alcohol is an extra concern, since some alcohol can be chametz.

Passover

On Pesach the question is chametz. Many authorities hold that dental products are not fit to eat, so chametz in them is not a concern; others, including Rav Moshe Feinstein, recommended using kosher for Passover toothpaste. The OU says rabbis differ and advises asking your rabbi. Kosher for Passover toothpaste removes the question. See our Passover guide.

Checklist

• If you want to avoid the question, choose toothpaste with a reliable kosher symbol.
• Flavored and kids' toothpaste: a certified kosher option is the safest choice.
• Mouthwash: check for a symbol; consider alcohol-free.
• Passover: kosher for Passover toothpaste, or ask your rabbi.
• Never skip brushing over a kashrus doubt; ask your rabbi what to use.

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Frequently asked questions

More guides

• Kosher certification symbols on vitamins and supplements
• How to tell if a vitamin or supplement is kosher
• Kosher capsules and gelatin: softgels, veggie caps and fish gelatin
• Kosher for Passover vitamins and supplements
• Kosher fish oil and omega-3
• Kosher probiotics: dairy vs. pareve
• Kosher vitamin D: D3, D2 and vegan options
• Is glucosamine kosher? Shellfish vs. vegetarian glucosamine
• Is collagen kosher? Bovine, fish and vegan options
• How to choose a kosher multivitamin
• Kosher prenatal vitamins: what to look for
• Kosher vitamins for kids: gummies, chewables and liquids
• Cholov Yisroel vitamins and supplements
• Is creatine kosher? Powder, capsules and gummies
• Kosher protein powder: whey, casein and plant protein
• Kosher protein bars: dairy, pareve and Cholov Yisroel
• Kosher cough drops and throat lozenges: is Ricola kosher?
• Kosher iron supplements: tablets, liquids and chewables

Sources

• OU Kosher: kashruth issues of toothpaste
• Kol Torah: the kashrut of toothpaste and mouthwash, year-round and Pesach
• OU Kosher: toothpaste, mouthwash and lipsticks on Passover
• OU Kosher: glycerine and detergent issues