You’ve brushed your teeth, feeling minty fresh and ready to tackle the day. Then you sip your orange juice – and instantly regret it. That zingy, refreshing flavour? Gone. Replaced by something bitter, metallic and completely wrong.

So what’s going on? Why does orange juice taste bad after brushing teeth – and how can you stop it?

The culprit: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)

The real villain in this early morning drama is Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, better known as SLS. It’s a foaming agent found in most supermarket toothpastes – the stuff that makes the bubbles when you brush.

But SLS doesn’t just make foam. It also disrupts your taste buds, temporarily dulling your ability to detect sweetness while enhancing bitter flavours. That’s why orange juice suddenly tastes so off – it’s still the same juice, but your mouth is out of sync.

SLS suppresses sweet taste receptors while increasing sensitivity to bitter compounds like limonin and nomilin – naturally found in citrus fruits.

So while you think your toothpaste is clashing with your juice, the real issue is chemical: your taste buds have been temporarily hijacked by SLS.

Does it only affect orange juice?

Not at all. While orange juice is the classic example (and the most common breakfast casualty), this SLS effect can show up with any sweet or acidic food or drink – from pineapple juice to strawberries.

But because orange juice is both acidic and sweet, it’s the perfect storm for tasting awful after brushing your teeth.

What about brushing after drinking orange juice?

It might seem like a smart swap – drink first, brush later. But there’s a problem: brushing immediately after drinking orange juice can damage your enamel.

Why? Because orange juice is naturally acidic, and acid temporarily softens tooth enamel. Brushing during this weakened window can actually wear away your enamel, leading to long-term sensitivity and erosion.

NHS dental guidance recommends waiting at least 30 minutes after eating or drinking anything acidic before brushing.

Are there toothpastes that don’t make orange juice taste bad?

Yes – and ours is one of them.

The secret? No SLS. At Life Supplies, we’ve left it out entirely. Our toothpaste skips harsh foaming agents and artificial additives, giving your taste buds a break and your mouth a better clean.

“We left out SLS for a reason,” says Majedeh Mazraei, Formulation Chemist and dental expert at Life Supplies.

“It’s been linked to mouth irritation and can worsen conditions like ulcers or dry mouth. We designed our formula to be gentle, effective, and kind to your entire mouth – not just your teeth.”

And yes – you can sip your orange juice afterwards without regret.

Here’s how else we stand out from the supermarket crowd:

So clean, it’s clear

No unnecessary dyes. No Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. Just a clean, colourless formula with no harsh chemicals that can irritate your mouth.

Smooth, not gritty

We skip the fillers and abrasives, giving you a serum-like texture that cleans thoroughly without damaging enamel (or leaving a chalky residue in your sink).

A whiter smile, naturally

Forget harsh bleach. Our enzyme-powered formula gently lifts stains – supporting enamel while keeping your smile bright.

No more plastic tubes

300 million toothpaste tubes end up in UK landfills every year, taking centuries to decompose. Our refillable system changes that.

Made from renewable sugarcane and eucalyptus, our plastic-free pouches are home compostable, biodegradable, and totally waste-free. Just refill your glass bottle, and toss the pouch in your compost or garden bin.

The bottom line?

If your orange juice tastes weird after brushing teeth, your toothpaste is probably to blame. SLS-free formulas like ours help you dodge the bitterness, protect your enamel, and give your mouth the kind of clean it actually deserves.

Because brushing your teeth doesn't need to ruin your breakfast.