How do you make elephant toothpaste without yeast or hydrogen peroxide?

Elephant toothpaste is the foamy substance formed by rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of household dish soap. This experiment is also known as the “marshmallow experiment” due to the fluffy foam it produces! Since it’s a simple experiment with easily obtainable ingredients, it’s a very popular class demonstration/party trick for kids.

The basic principle of the reaction is this: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) decomposes over time, forming water and oxygen (H2O + O2) (if you’d like a refresher on decomposition reactions, click here!). Below is the full balanced reaction.

2H2O2 (aq) -> 2H2O (l) + O2 (g)

A catalyst speeds up this reaction. The oxygen combined with the dish soap is what creates the massive amounts of foam!

Elephant Toothpaste Ingredients

• 3% hydrogen peroxide
• Dish washing soap
• Catalyst- can be yeast solution (dry yeast in warm water), potassium permanganate (dissolved in a small amount of water), manganese dioxide, or potassium iodide
• Container – could be a beaker, plastic bottle, graduated cylinder- whatever chemistry lab glassware you’d like to use!
• Food coloring (optional)
• A nice, easy-to-clean space

Elephant Toothpaste Recipe

1. Pour ½ cup of peroxide into your ‘toothpaste’ container.
2. Add a generous amount of dish soap.
3. If you want to add color, now is the time. Add it directly to the peroxide for a solid color, or let it gently drip down the sides of the container to create stripes!
4. Add your catalyst.
5. Enjoy the bubbles!

What if I want a bigger foam-splosion?

You can achieve a more dramatic reaction in one of two ways. One- use more of your catalyst. This will speed up the reaction and cause oxygen to be released faster. Two- use a more concentrated peroxide. While 3% is the most readily commercially available peroxide, it is possible to get concentrations of up to 50%. When you use more concentrated peroxide, more oxygen will be released in the reaction. As a result, you’ll end up with a much more dynamic reaction!

However, exercise extreme caution if you choose to use highly concentrated peroxides! Hydrogen peroxide is extremely corrosive, and could cause serious burns if mishandled. If you’re conducting this experiment with a younger audience (or volunteer!) it might be better to stick with a safe 3%. If you do choose to use a more concentrated peroxide, it might be better to start with a smaller volume at first, and use less catalyst so the reaction proceeds at a controlled rate.

People who want a more dramatic reaction generally use 30% hydrogen peroxide. We don’t recommend using a higher percentage than that, and be sure to wear gloves.

Choosing a catalyst

Yeast will work as a catalyst, and it is safe and easily available. However, the reaction is not overly dramatic. The best choice is potassium iodide or sodium iodide, as it does not stain like manganese dioxide or potassium permanganate. Potassium iodide is also safer to use than potassium permanganate, which is a very strong oxidizing agent. Although safer, it is still recommended that you avoid contacting potassium iodide with the skin or eyes, as it is mildly toxic.

Can I touch the toothpaste?

In general, yes, but be cautious! When you use higher concentrations or an excessive amount of peroxide, it is possible to have some unreacted peroxide still in the foam, and this could cause serious burns. This reaction is also exothermic, meaning the flask will be hot to touch after the reaction takes place. Visit our safety notes page for more safety information.

That’s really all there is to it! If you’d like to see this experiment in action, click here to see the elephant toothpaste tips and tricks video on our channel. Good luck!

While some science experiments are best left to experts (or no one), others are safe enough to try at home with kids. One that falls in the latter category is known as “elephant toothpaste”—and the recipe might not even require a trip to the store.

Why Is It Called Elephant Toothpaste?

First off, elephant toothpaste has nothing to do with actual elephants or toothpaste. It’s a kind of foam that, as it explodes out of a cylindrical container, looks a bit like toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube. And because there’s way more foam than you could fit in a regular-sized toothpaste tube, it seems like an animal much larger than a human—say, an elephant—would use it.

How the Elephant Toothpaste Chemical Reaction Works

As Scientific American explains, elephant toothpaste results from speeding up the reaction that occurs when hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) breaks down into water and gaseous oxygen. To do this, you need a catalyst: a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen at a quicker-than-normal rate. The catalyst in this case is dry yeast, which harbors a certain enzyme—catalase—known for swiftly breaking down hydrogen peroxide. 

But before you add the yeast, you toss in some dish soap, which increases the surface tension across the hydrogen peroxide. Then, when the yeast causes oxygen to break off and form bubbles, they won’t burst right away—and the foamy concoction will pour forth from its receptacle.

A Kid-Friendly Elephant Toothpaste Recipe

By this point, you’ve probably already gathered that you’re going to need hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and dry yeast. In Science Bob’s recipe, he recommends 6 percent hydrogen peroxide over 3 percent (which won’t generate quite as impressive an eruption). You’ll also need a 16-ounce plastic bottle, 3 tablespoons of warm water, and food coloring. Safety goggles are recommended for safety purposes, plus a funnel for easy pouring.

First, pour 3/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide into your bottle, and then squeeze in roughly 10 drops of food coloring. (Scientific American suggests adding your food coloring toward the top of your bottle, so it runs down in streaks along the inside. That way, your foam will have toothpaste-like stripes.) Next, pour in about a tablespoon of dish soap and swirl your bottle so it gets evenly distributed throughout the hydrogen peroxide. Mix your 3 tablespoons of warm water with one tablespoon of dry yeast and then pour that concoction into the bottle, too. After that, just step back and watch the magic happen.

Elephant toothpaste is an exothermic reaction—meaning it generates heat—so don’t touch the foam or the bottle during or right after the eruption. There could also be leftover hydrogen peroxide that didn’t break down, so if you used the heavy-duty, 6 percent stuff, it’s best if you keep your hands off the foam altogether.

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