Laugh away, lovelies – we did. But is deodorant on your toothbrush really so bad? Well, depends on the formula, right?

Brushing your teeth with deodorant instead of toothpaste is one way to freshen your breath, but perhaps not the best way – even if happens to be a natural formula made with baking soda, eucalyptus and peppermint. Oh, and clay. Yum.

Our honorary beautygeek Craig MacInnis had this disturbing experience just a few days ago:

Happily, Craig hasn’t suffered any ill effects beyond yikes! and yuck. And Leaves of Trees Deodorant in Eucalyptus Mint does deliver in terms of minty freshness, although the clay component might be a taste and texture challenge (Divergent’s Shailene Woodley might disagree).

“There is nothing in it that would cause toxicity if someone brushed their teeth with it by mistake,” says Leaves of Trees founder and formulator Dr. Roohi Qureshi. “I’m not sure that it will lead to fresher breath for longer. Maybe stick to toothpaste for that!”

Really, the Leaves of Trees Eucalyptus Mint Deodorant ingredient list doesn’t seem all that different from a Tom’s of Maine mint toothpaste, save a surfactant and fluoride:

Leaves of Trees Eucalyptus Mint Deodorant ingredients:

Kaolin (clay), Sodium bicarbonate, Argania spinosa (argan) nut oil, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Cetearyl alcohol, Sodium cetearyl sulfate, Azadirachta indica (neem) oil, Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) oil, Mentha arvensis (peppermint) oil, Citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract and glycerin, Tocopherol (vitamin E)

Tom’s of Maine Simply White Toothpaste in Clean Mint ingredients:

Hydrated silica, water, sorbitol, glycerin, xylitol, sodium lauryl sulfate, peppermint oil, xanthan gum, titanium dioxide, carrageenan, sodium flouride 0.24% (0.15% w/v fluoride ion), sodium hydroxide    

I’ve had better luck with my own Leaves of Trees Deodorant experience, I must say. But Craig isn’t the only person I know who has used the wrong product by mistake – I once accidentally put tanning mousse in my hair. Do you have a beauty oops to share too? You know, to help Craig feel better?

Fun fact: Craig MacInnis wrote this men’s fragrance piece for Beautygeeks; it’s been shortlisted for a 2016 Canadian Fragrance Award. Even more fun fact: Craig is married to our Liza Herz, who has also been shortlisted for a Canadian Fragrance Award in the same category for this story! The 11th Annual Canadian Fragrance Awards will take place on April 28th. Wish Craig and Liza luck!