Best Mouthwashes for Your Teeth, Gums & Breath
Natural mouthwashes for oral hygiene will help to prevent bad breath. They can ensure that any bacteria or food particles left in your mouth are eliminated. Those trying to keep their mouth healthy, get rid of infections, or prevent halitosis and gingivitis should look into natural mouthwashes.
The commercial mouthwashes may not be as good as you might think. There are many natural types of mouthwash that you can make at home. You may be surprised to find that these natural mouthwashes for oral hygiene. It will help to keep your mouth in good condition!
Natural Mouthwashes for Oral Hygiene: Why Go Natural?
Here are three reasons to consider making your own mouthwashes instead of buying the Listerine or Oral-B mouthwashes that are so popular today:
1. You know what’s in them
Few people take time to read the labels on the products that they buy, but even if you read the labels, you may not be able to understand what all the ingredients are.
Your mouthwashes may be natural, or they may contain lots of chemical ingredients that you just don’t know about. When you make your own mouthwash, you always know exactly what’s in it.
2. It’s cheap
You can make your own mouthwash for pennies on the dollar, while you will pay at least $5 for a large bottle of the cheapest generic bottle of Wal-Mart mouthwash.
The best mouthwash brands like Listerine will cost you more like $10 to $15 for a large bottle, so it can be costly to purchase mouthwash at the store.
A bottle of homemade mouthwash can cost as little as $2 for a large bottle, as the individual ingredients are usually fairly cheap.
3. There are no chemicals
Most mouthwashes have chemicals in them. Though the chemicals are often hidden by fancy names. Many commercial products contain sweetener, artificial coloring, and other ingredients that you no doubt want to avoid. When you make your own, you can be sure that there are no chemicals in your natural mouthwashes for oral hygiene.
As you can see, there are a few good reasons to make your own natural mouthwashes, so it’s worth considering. It may cost you a bit initially.
You can get all the ingredients to make plenty of mouthwash fairly cheaply. If you try these natural mouthwashes. You may be surprised when you see how effective they are.
Natural Mouthwashes for Oral Hygiene: Recipes for Your Mouthwash
Want to know how to make your own natural mouthwashes? Here are a few natural mouthwashes to make at home
1. Cinnamon and Mint Mouthwash
Here’s a pleasant tasting mouthwash with plenty of anti-bacterial properties to help keep your gums healthy. I love the cinnamon and mint combination. I found the mint to be very soothing on my canker sores too!
Peppermint along with the spearmint is great because it soothes and stimulates the gums at the same time.
Ingredients
- 3 drops cinnamon oil
- 3 drops spearmint oil
- 2 cups of water
- 3 drops peppermint oil
- 3 or 4 drops tea tree oil
- 1 tsp vodka
How to Use
Mix all ingredients properly. Swish this in your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds and rinse. Be sure not to swallow! It’s pleasant but strong!
Best kept in a sealed glass bottle or jar.
2. Alcohol-Free Baking Soda Mint Mouthwash
This is just a great refreshing mouthwash you can use to help with bad breath or to facilitate the healing of any type of mouth sores. This is also nice for those that are trying to avoid any alcohol in the recipe. I like this one a lot because I enjoy the extra clean feeling that the baking soda provides. Nothing cleans like baking soda!
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 drop pure peppermint oil
- 1 drop tea tree oil
- 2 oz. water
How to Use
Mix well, then swish for a few seconds and rinse.
3. Alcohol-Free Cloves and Rosemary Mouthwash
This mouthwash is especially nice because of the rosemary. Rosemary has many benefits that are helpful when you use it topically for oral care, and other uses too.
The cloves provide anti-fungal, anti-viral, and antiseptic properties making them big contributors to the effectiveness of this mouthwash.
It’s a very pleasant tasting and alcohol-free as well. If you’re a clove lover, this mouthwash will be a hit! My husband is a big clove lover and enjoys this stuff!
Ingredients
- 1 oz Cloves
- 3 oz. Rosemary
- Glass Jar with lid
- 2 cups of water
How to Use
Boil the water in a saucepan. While cooking the water place the Rosemary and Cloves in the jar. When water comes to a boil, pour it in the jar with the herbs and allow to steep overnight. Drain and use the next morning.
4. Minty Myrrh
This mouthwash is particularly good for those who have trouble with bleeding gums. The myrrh is specifically known for having astringent qualities.
It’s been known to soothe sore throats because of it’s anti-inflammatory benefits, so gargling with it can be helpful. I found this mouthwash to be quite soothing.
Ingredients
- 10 drops myrrh oil
- 10 drops peppermint oil
- 3 drops lemon oil
- 3 drops thyme oil
- 4 or 5 oz. either vodka or brandy
How to Use
Just do a quick swish and rinse for a soothing and refreshing feeling throughout your mouth. This one is strong too, so try not to swallow.
5. Fennel and Fruit Mouthwash
If you’re a lover of the anise flavor, this mouthwash will be right up your alley. The fennel combined with the fruity component from the grapefruit oil in this makes it a different, but pleasant flavor.
The fennel when used topically, is a good anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory substance to soothe sore, bleeding gums. Just a nice everyday mouthwash to freshen things. Again, substitute with water if you’re trying to stay away from the alcohol.
Ingredients
- 12 drops fennel oil
- 3 drops chamomile oil
- 12 drops grapefruit oil
- 3 drops thyme oil
- 5 or 6 tablespoons of vodka
How to Use
Mix properly. Then swish for a few seconds and rinse.
6. Essential Oils
Ingredients
- Wintergreen
- Water
- Clove
- Tea tree, or cinnamon oil
How to Use
- Mix wintergreen, clove, tea tree, or cinnamon oil in a glass of water.
- Adding about 20 drops per cup of water.
- Shake the ingredients well in a glass jar, and use it to rinse your mouth.
You can store the mouthwash in a glass jar. You should remember to shake it before each use in order to mix the oils with the water.
7. Full Strength
This mouthwash calls for vodka to be mixed with a number of very strong ingredients.
Mix 5 ounces of vodka with the same amount of water, and drop in ½ ounce of powdered myrrh gum and vegetable glycerin each.
With 5 drops each of cinnamon and clove essential oil. This powerful mouthwash is ready to scour your mouth for germs to eliminate!
8. Aloe Vera
Mix some aloe vera juice with water. Making a solution 75% aloe vera and 25% water.
Swish it around in your mouth, and spit it out.
You can store this solution for a couple of days in the fridge, but it’s best to use it right away.
9. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide isn’t just good for washing cuts. It can be wonderful when swished around your mouth.
Dilute the liquid in a glass, adding about 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide to the same amount of warm water. Swirl it around in your mouth, swish it back and forth, and spit it out. You should only make enough for single use. The hydrogen peroxide may weaken if it is left standing.
10. Simple Mint
For this mouthwash, you will need some peppermint oil, water, and baking soda.
Drop a teaspoon of baking soda into a cup of water, and add about three drops of the oil into the cup.
Shake the ingredients around inside a sealed glass jar.wish it around inside your mouth. This mixture can be stored in the jar, as it will keep for a few days without losing its potency.
11. Herbal Rinse
Steep ½ an ounce of cloves in two cups of water, along with some Oregon grape root and rosemary.
Place the almost-hot water in a glass jar along with the herbs, and let the concoction sit overnight.
Strain the spices out of the water using a small sieve, and swish it around in your mouth.
You’ll need to store this mouthwash in the fridge, as it will last for up to 7 days if you keep it properly sealed in the jar.
12. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has long been used as a mouthwash, though not the most pleasant-tasting one.
Mix a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with a cup of water, and shake the ingredients together in a glass jar.
Swish the rinse around in your mouth, and you can either swallow it or spit it out.
You will find that this mixture will stay potent indefinitely, as apple cider vinegar doesn’t lose its strength.
13. Lemony Rinse
Squeeze 1 large lemon into a glass of water, and use it as a rinse.
You can rub the lemon onto your teeth to whiten them. Let the rinse flood your mouth with the potent Vitamin C – which lemons are full of.
It won’t be the best mouthwash, but it will be a tasty one – and the lemon will whiten your teeth.
Conclusion
These quick and easy homemade mouthwashes are a great alternative to conventional, Scope, Listerine, and many others.
In general, the herbs involved in these homemade mouthwashes have great cleansing and anti-bacterial qualities to keep your mouth clean and fresh for the day.
I’ve enjoyed all of these over the years and I know you’ll find them to be pleasant alternatives for your oral care regimen.
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