Why Cocoshine Is the Ultimate Non-Fluoride Toothpaste

If you’re still stuck on the idea that fluoride is the one and only solution for strong teeth, let’s break down a game-changer: Nano-Hydroxyapatite (nHA). This powerhouse ingredient is the star behind Cocoshine Whitening Toothpaste, and if you're serious about dental care, it’s time to understand why. We’re diving deep into why nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) outperforms others in the oral care game, how different nHA versions stack up, and why nHA percentages matter.

Nano-Hydroxyapatite: Your Teeth’s New Best Friend

Unlike fluoride toothpaste, nano hydroxyapatite is a form of what’s already found in your teeth and bones. In fact, hydroxyapatite (HA) is the natural mineral that forms the backbone of your tooth enamel — aka, the stuff that keeps your teeth hard and resistant to decay. Did you know HA makes up 97% of tooth enamel and ~7% of tooth dentin? 

To get technical, here’s its chemical formula: 

Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ 

What this means: It is a crystalline structure composed of calcium and phosphate ions.

Nano-Hydroxyapatite, or nHA, is a created version — engineered on a microscopic scale to bond directly with enamel (think particles smaller than a grain of fine sand). The result? A non-fluoride option that dentists love.

Why Nano-Hydroxyapatite Is a Total Game-Changer

1. Effective Absorption

Research has shown that nHA, especially in its nano form, can penetrate deeply into the enamel, even the hardest-to-reach areas. It’s a bonus that it’s made from the same minerals found in teeth. 

2. Gently Whitening on Sensitive Teeth

If you’re tired of coarse whiteners that abrade enamel, nHA is your solution. It smooths the surface of your teeth, reflecting light better and making them appear brighter and shinier. The best part? No harsh chemicals or abrasives, which makes it kind to those with sensitive teeth. What’s revealed is a happier, whiter smile — up to 2 shades whiter in 1 week.*

The Two Faces of Hydroxyapatite: Micro vs Nano

To get serious about nHA, you first need to understand the difference between its micro and nano versions. It’s not just a matter of size—it’s about performance.

Micro Hydroxyapatite: Bigger Doesn’t Mean Better

Micro-HA particles (ranging from 1–10 microns) can form a layer over enamel, but they’re too big to penetrate deeply into your enamel. While it has some benefits, it’s not the heavy-hitting performance you need.

Nano Hydroxyapatite: Small Size, Big Impact

Nano-sized HA particles, typically under 100 nm are ideal for adhesion to enamel. This paper states, "Compared to HA, nHA is found to have superior properties such as increased solubility, high surface energy and better biocompatibility. This is due to the morphological and structural similarity of nanosized hydroxyapatite particles to tooth hydroxyapatite crystals." In fact, particles as small as 50 nm have 25x the adhesion efficiency of larger micro-sized particles, which don’t have great enamel adhesion. 

Synthetic vs Natural: Why Synthetic Nano-HA Wins Every Time

Not all nano-hydroxyapatite is created equal. Let’s talk about natural vs. synthetic sources.

Natural Hydroxyapatite: Full of Issues

The wellness industry right now is leaning heavily into terms like “clean,” and “natural,” and toothpaste is no different. Natural sources of HA (think fish bones or bovine bones) may sound "pure," but they come with a lot of baggage. To make them usable for oral care, these natural sources must be heated to extreme temperatures (700–1000°C), which alters the structure of the HA, potentially making it less effective — not to mention extremely processed, which is the opposite of what most conscious consumers want. Plus, it’s difficult to account for variables like diet, age of the source, and more, all of which can introduce inconsistencies in particle size and efficacy, as well as potential contaminants, like heavy metals.

Synthetic Nano-HA: Purity, Precision, Performance

Synthetic nano-HA is engineered in a lab under controlled conditions. This means no organic materials, no cross-contamination, and most importantly, a precision-engineered particle size and shape. The best synthetic nHA, like nanoXIM CarePaste in Cocoshine, uses patented technology to ensure uniform particle size, creating a superior product that’s effective, safe, and reliable. Plus, unlike natural sources, synthetic nHA doesn’t carry any ethical concerns—no animals, no risks.

While natural hydroxyapatite from eggshells does have the advantage of being a renewable, environmentally friendly material, synthetic nano-hydroxyapatite is often the better choice for applications like toothpaste. It offers superior purity, consistent particle size, and reproducibility, ensuring the product is both effective and reliable.

NanoXIM: The Best nHA You Can Get

Cocoshine features a high-performance synthetic nHA known as nanoXIM, which is produced by Fluidinova. What sets nanoXIM apart? Let’s start with the shape. Unlike some other nHA products that use spherical or irregularly shaped particles, nanoXIM uses rod-shaped particles. And believe it or not, the shape matters. Rod-shaped particles have been proven to bond effectively to enamel.

But it’s not just the shape—nanoXIM is the only nHA certified as safe for oral care by the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). So, when we say “best in class,” we mean it. 

“There are a lot of hydroxyapatite suppliers out there. It was important to me that Cocoshine contains a form of hydroxyapatite with proven efficacy. Fluidinova, creator of nanoXIM and Cocoshine’s source of nano-hydroxyapatite, was born out of a university’s chemical engineering lab. Their patented manufacturing methods are clean and highly reproducible, yielding a rod-shaped nano-hydroxyapatite product I felt good about using. Additionally, the scientific literature indicating nanoXIM’s efficacy was convincing. Of course, I had to use the product myself, and have personally experienced a reduction in tooth sensitivity ever since.”

• Dr. Chrystle, Co-founder & Co-CEO of COCOLAB

Clearing Up the Nano-Hydroxyapatite Percentage Mystery

Here’s a common confusion in the world of nHA toothpaste: percentage content. Some products claim to have 10%, 15%, or even more nHA, but what do these percentages even mean? Does more mean better? Not necessarily.

Let’s clear this up with a simple analogy — making hot chocolate. 

Imagine you’re making a rich, creamy cup of hot chocolate. To do this, you need to mix cocoa powder, sugar, and milk at the perfect ratio. If you use too much cocoa powder, your hot chocolate will end up too clumpy, bitter, and hard to drink. Too much milk and nothing emulsifies, leaving you with separated milk and lumps of cocoa powder. It’s the same with nHA in toothpaste. Higher percentages of nHA don’t automatically mean better results. In fact, the right balance is what ensures everything works smoothly and effectively.

Too much nHA can overwhelm the formula, making the toothpaste clumpy or unevenly distributed — just like adding too much cocoa powder makes your hot chocolate too thick and overpowering. What you want is the right balance of cocoa powder to milk. The goal is a smooth texture and maximum effectiveness without being overwhelming (which could irritate your gums or enamel).

Let’s Make Some Hot Chocolate

Think of Cocoshine toothpaste like a perfectly blended cup of hot chocolate. 

We Start With Our Milk

80.65% of our toothpaste formula is composed of thoughtfully chosen ingredients, the primary ones being water (you know, H₂O), glycerin (a natural hydrator), silica (a naturally-derived mineral that gently polishes), and xylitol* (plant-based sweetener that’s oral microbiome-friendly). See the full list here. 

We Add the Cocoa

Our "cocoa" is nanoXIM CarePaste, a water-based solution with nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) that makes up the remaining 19.35% of our toothpaste formula. 15.5% of this is specifically nano-hydroxyapatite. Think of this as the cocoa solids vs the cocoa butter in your cocoa powder.

It’s All Mixed Together

When all this is blended up together, the toothpaste formula perfectly emulsifies like a hot chocolate that doesn’t separate. This yields a 3% total concentration of pure nHA in Cocoshine. (19.35% of 15.5% is approximately 3.01%.)

This amounts to the perfect ratio of nHA to toothpaste formula - exactly what you need for a clean, happy smile without overloading your teeth with too much of the active ingredient. Just like hot chocolate, where the right amount of cocoa powder ensures your drink is rich and flavorful without being too intense, the right amount of nHA ensures your toothpaste is effective and smooth.

Why More Isn’t Better

When other brands are calling out 10% or 15%, they might be referring to their toothpaste base (like our nanoXIM CarePaste) vs the actual amount of pure nHA. Cocoshine’s 3% pure nHA is the ideal balance for achieving maximum effectiveness — without compromising on texture or absorbability. It’s like having the perfect cocoa-to-milk ratio: everything blends smoothly, giving you optimal results without the risk of it being too thick, gritty, lumpy, or bitter. Too much nHA can also affect how well your body absorbs it, making it less effective overall.

So, just like with making hot chocolate, the key isn’t more — it’s just the right amount. A well-balanced nHA formula makes for superior toothpaste.

Cocoshine Is the Smart Choice

It’s simple: Cocoshine is packed with the right type of nHA, the right amount, and no fluoride. And it’s dentist-loved. 

It used to be that “natural” and “clean” toothpastes were the only non-fluoride options available, but unfortunately, none of these could claim anything that remotely compares to the efficacy of fluoride’s performance. Nowadays, especially within the last year, it’s become more common to see nano-hydroxyapatite as a proven option — Boka, FYGG, and David’s are a few that come to mind. The key is understanding what version of nHA is actually best, which supplier makes all the difference in the world, and what percentage is actually key to effectively achieving results. 

Don’t settle for a toothpaste that barely scratches the surface. Cocoshine isn’t just a product—it’s your dental powerhouse, crafted for maximum efficacy, safety, and results. With our synthetic, rod-shaped nanoXIM, you’re getting the best, safest, and most effective version of nano-hydroxyapatite on the market.

Are you ready to switch to the science-backed solution that actually works? Cocoshine is waiting for you.

*After 1 week’s worth of brushing for a single tooth, the Delicious Mint toothpaste formulation whitened by a maximum of 1.96 VITA® tooth shades.