I’ve researched and tried all the non toxic and plastic free chewing gum and I’m sharing the best ones. The best gum is made with natural plant ingredients and no plastics, synthetics, artificial sweeteners, dyes, or preservatives.
I hate to admit it but for most of my life I had no idea that typical gum is made from plastic. It’s no wonder historians will call our era the “Plastic Age”! I’m sharing what to avoid in gum, what to look for and my brutally honest thoughts on the top rated ones.
Why You Should Switch to Plastic Free Gum
Most gum base is legally allowed to contain plastic polymers without ever saying so on the label. Here’s what to avoid, look for, and the brands that are 100% natural without any questionable ingredients, plus my brutally honest thoughts on each.
🚫 What’s in Conventional Gum
- “Gum base” can legally hide up to 46 different substances without individual disclosure — including polyvinyl acetate (a synthetic plastic polymer), polyethylene (the same polymer used in grocery bags), and butyl rubber.
- You’re likely swallowing microplastics as you chew. A 2025 pilot study found 100 to 637 microplastic particles released per gram of gum during normal chewing.
- Titanium dioxide is used as a whitener in many gum coatings. It’s been banned from food in the EU since 2022 over genotoxicity concerns, but it’s still legal in the U.S.
- Synthetic dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1) have been linked to decreased attention in children, and Red Dye 3 specifically was banned from cosmetics back in 1990 after it caused cancer in lab animals.
- Aspartame, common in sugar-free gum, was classified by the IARC in 2023 as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
- BHT, a preservative used in some gum bases, is classified as a possible carcinogen and has been under active FDA review since early 2026.
- That “clean” feeling is a trick of temperature, not cleanliness. Menthol activates cold receptors in your mouth, creating the sensation of freshness — it’s a temperature signal, not an actual measure of reduced bacteria.
🔍 What to Look For
- A named, natural gum base — chicle (tree sap), mastic resin, or a clearly listed plant-based base, rather than an unspecified “gum base.”
- No titanium dioxide or synthetic dyes — flavors and colors should come from natural sources.
- Xylitol, stevia, or cane sugar instead of aspartame or other artificial sweeteners.
- Biodegradable — real chicle and mastic-based gum actually breaks down, unlike synthetic gum base.
- Third-party certifications like USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, or vegan certification where it matters to you.
Best Non-Toxic Gum Brands
Simply Gum
One of the most widely available plastic-free gums in the US and made with 100% natural ingredients and zero synthetics or plastic. They have the most interesting foodie flavors like fennel, coffee and ginger besides just mint.
This has been my overall favorite non-toxic chewing gum. It’s made with acacia gum, chicle gum, spruce gum, mastic gum, organic raw cane sugar, organic rice flour, organic glycerin, tapioca starch, and natural oils for flavor. It’s soft and easy to chew compared to others, and the coffee flavor has great long-lasting flavor — the ginger and fennel flavors fade faster. I love that the box comes with paper wrappers, which solves a real pain point: I can easily throw my gum away somewhere even if a trash can isn’t immediately available.
Base: Acacia gum, chicle gum, spruce gum, mastic gum · Also contains: organic raw cane sugar, organic rice flour, organic glycerin, tapioca starch, natural oils for flavor · Flavors: peppermint, spearmint, ginger, fennel, coffee, cinnamon · Price: $17.99 for a pack of 6 (90 pieces total)
Vanman’s Remineralizing Chewing Gum
A similar remineralizing concept to Underbrush, but sources its hydroxyapatite from grass-fed cattle bone rather than a lab-synthesized nano form.
Vanman’s uses a chicle and mastic base with hydroxyapatite sourced from grass-fed cattle bone instead of a lab-synthesized nano form, plus organic peppermint extract for flavor. Texture-wise it’s super similar to Underbrush. This doesn’t have much flavor and just tastes of natural gum. I actually find that super useful when I want to clean my mouth on the go after a meal or coffee, don’t have natural mouthwash on hand and want something neutral.
Base: Chicle and mastic · Add-ins: grass-fed cattle bone hydroxyapatite, organic peppermint extract · Notes: sugar-free · Price: $12 for 1 tin
Milliways
A plant-based, plastic-free gum brand sweetened with xylitol that’s the closest dupe to typical gum I’ve tried.
Milliways all natural gum is made with 8 plant-based ingredients: natural chicle gum base (from the sapodilla tree), vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, gum arabic, magnesium stearate, xylitol, stevia and carnauba wax with no synthetic gum base. It’s the most identical to regular gum and a great starting point if you’re new to non toxic gum and don’t want to be put off by it. This has a crispy outer shell and soft inside with a strong minty flavor that lasts longer than any other brand I’ve tried.
Base: Plant-based · Flavors: peppermint, spearmint, mighty mint, bubblemint, watermelon · Notes: aspartame-free, sugar-free, gluten-free · Price: $9.99 for 4 packs (40 pieces total)
Underbrush
A remineralizing gum with a chicle-mastic-spruce base, nano-hydroxyapatite and calcium bentonite clay added for tooth support. .
Underbrush is made with a chicle-mastic-spruce base plus nano-hydroxyapatite and calcium bentonite clay, and zero synthetics, chemicals or fillers. There’s no sugar, gluten artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, or acesulfame K. This has a nice crispy outer texture that melts into the softer interior, which I noticed hardens very fast while chewing. I can’t say I noticed a difference from the remineralizing but it’s nice knowing it’s helping the health of my teeth (kinda like a dental chew for dogs but for humans!). It gives a nice strong burst of cinnamon flavor at first but does fade WAY faster than a mainstream gum.
Base: Chicle, mastic, spruce · Add-ins: nano-hydroxyapatite, calcium bentonite clay, eggshell powder · Price: $29 for a 2-pack (36 pieces total)
Larineco
Another hydroxyapatite remineralizing gum, this one using a nano-hydroxyapatite form paired with xylitol, in flavors like cinnamon and mastic mint.
Larineco’s healthy non toxic gum is dye-free and aspartame-free, and the texture lands somewhere between Underbrush and a normal stick of gum. It feels firmer than mainstream gum but not as dense as straight mastic.The mastic mint has a nice freshness and slightly resinous, herbal edge to it.
Add-ins: nano-hydroxyapatite, xylitol · Flavors: cinnamon, mastic mint · Notes: dye-free, aspartame-free · Price: $29.99 for a 2-pack (36 pieces total)
Greco Gum
Not a traditional gum even in the plastic free gum space. It’s pure mastic resin droplets from Chios, Greece that’s ideal for jaw exercise and digestive support.
One of the toughest to chew plastic free gums I’ve tried! Greco Gum isn’t really “gum” in the way anything else on this list is — it’s 100% mastic resin droplets, no chicle, no gum base at all. It takes a good few minutes of steady chewing before the droplet actually softens into something chewable, and until then it’s genuinely hard, almost brittle. Once it softens, my jaw definitely felt like it had worked harder than with a normal stick of gum. It’s not something I’d reach for the way I would Simply Gum day-to-day, but it’s an interesting one to try if you want the most minimal, single-ingredient option on this list.
Base: 100% mastic resin, no chicle · Format: droplets or nuggets in a tin · Notes: plastic-free, sugar-free · Price: $33.48 for 1 tin
True Gum
True Gum is made with a plant-based, biodegradable gum base, xylitol, and natural flavors. The texture is a touch firmer than Simply Gum but not distractingly so, and the they have a ton of interesting, fun flavors
Base: Plant-based, biodegradable · Flavors: mint, lemon, mango, ginger & turmeric · Notes: vegan, xylitol-sweetened, made in Denmark · Price: $14.99
Chewsy
Chewsy has one of the biggest flavor selections of any natural gum I’ve tried. The texture is soft right out of the wrapper, closer to a conventional stick of gum than some of the chewier natural options on this list. Watermelon fades fast, but wintergreen held its flavor surprisingly well.
Ingredients: Xylitol, natural gum base, gum arabic, lecithin, carnauba wax · Price: $19.99 for a pack of 2
Georganics
Georganics is known for their toothpaste, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the gum. It’s made with xylitol, a gum base of chicle, candelilla wax, and citric acid, plus mint flavor, menthol, arabic gum, and carnauba wax. Their gum feels on the firmer side and the peppermint flavor is immediately strong but fades pretty fast. This is the only plastic free gum that comes in a glass jar.
Ingredients: Xylitol, gum base (chicle, candelilla wax, citric acid), mint flavor, menthol, arabic gum, carnauba wax · Price: $7.90 for 30 pieces · May contain traces of soy
⚠️ Brands to Watch Out For
These brands market themselves as natural or dental-focused, but still rely on an undisclosed or synthetic gum base.
PUR Gum
Undisclosed synthetic gum base that contains plastic polymers.
XyliChew
Generic gum base, not biodegradable.
Spry Gum
Proprietary synthetic base, not chicle-based.
Epic Dental
Synthetic polyvinyl acetate gum base.
B-Fresh
Standard synthetic gum base containing plastics.
❓ Quick FAQ
Is chicle-based gum actually plastic-free?
Yes — chicle is a natural tree latex tapped from the sapodilla tree, unlike the synthetic elastomers (polyvinyl acetate, polyisobutylene, and similar) used in most conventional “gum base.”
What is hydroxyapatite doing in chewing gum?
Hydroxyapatite is the mineral that makes up most of your tooth enamel, and it’s used in some toothpastes as a fluoride alternative for remineralization. The evidence for it working the same way in a gum you chew for a few minutes is still early — treat the remineralizing claim as promising, not proven.
Is mastic gum the same thing as regular chewing gum?
Not really — mastic gum is pure hardened resin tapped from mastic trees on the Greek island of Chios. It starts out much harder than a stick of gum and takes longer to soften, and it’s traditionally chewed for jaw exercise and digestive support rather than fresh breath.
Does natural gum go stale faster than regular gum?
Often, yes. Chicle-based gum tends to dry out and harden faster than synthetic gum base, since it lacks some of the plasticizers that keep conventional gum soft for months. Flavor also tends to fade faster — usually within a couple of minutes rather than lasting through the whole chew.
Is natural gum actually better for the environment?
Chicle and other plant-based gum bases are biodegradable, unlike synthetic gum base, which behaves like plastic litter. That said, most discarded gum — natural or not — still isn’t composted in practice, so the environmental upside mostly shows up if it ends up somewhere it can actually break down.
Microplastics figure source: Mohanty, S. & Lowe, L. (2025). Chewing gums: Unintended sources of ingested microplastics in humans. Pilot study presented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2025 meeting, San Diego, CA. UCLA Newsroom
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Andrea is a clean beauty expert from Los Angeles, California with 10 years of experience in natural skincare and organic living. She writes for Organic Beauty Lover using her expertise to guide readers in choosing the best clean products. Andrea graduated from the University of Southern California in 2012 and has worked at multiple skincare companies, big and small. Connect with her @organicbeautylover.
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