As I work to replace all of the conventional, store-bought hygiene products in my home with natural ones, I have given up some products that I once used because I can’t find a suitable replacement. Mouthwash was one of those products. I hadn’t considered making a homemade mouthwash before now, but I had checked out a popular brand of natural mouthwash only to find that it contained sorbitol and xylitol, both of which make me feel sick when ingested in even the smallest amounts. So, I gave up mouthwash altogether, and I’ve missed it.
I make my own toothpaste. I make my own tooth whitener. But, until now, I’ve been at a loss for a good homemade mouthwash recipe.
About a week ago, as I brushed my teeth with my homemade toothpaste (recipe soon, I promise!) it dawned on me that I could use the same essential oils in a mouthwash recipe that I used in my toothpaste and probably get an even better clean than a conventional mouthwash gives!
And I was right!
By combining water, thieves essential oil blend and peppermint essential oil, I have created a simple, but powerful homemade mouthwash that will both clean your mouth and knock out a headache! (No joke! I recently used it one evening while suffering from a headache that had been building all day and within 15 minutes, my headache was gone.)
Why thieves oil and peppermint oil? Well, thieves oil is an excellent microbial oil and supports strong immunity. The oils in the thieves oil blend have been found effective against MRSA, in fact. (source) As for peppermint oil, I love the flavor. Thieves oil has a wonderful cinnamon flavor, but I find it to be a little bitter. The peppermint oil balances it nicely and gives my homemade mouthwash the taste that I expect mouthwash to have.
Get to the point! How do you make it?
Here’s the recipe!
- 8 ounces of filtered water
- 10 drops of therapeutic-grade* thieves essential oil blend (buy therapeutic-grade essential oils here)
- 10 drops therapeutic-grade peppermint oil(buy therapeutic-grade essential oils here)
- In a glass container (only glass, no plastic!), mix the water, thieves oil and peppermint oil.
- Pour about a half-ounce into a small glass cup or shot glass, put in your mouth and swish for as long as is comfortable. Do NOT swallow the mouthwash.
- If you find that the mouthwash is too strong, add more water. If you'd really like to go for the burn, add five more drops of each oil to the mixture. (And if the mixture makes your lips feel too hot or numb, put a little olive oil or coconut oil on your lips and around your mouth first. I usually coat with lanolin, which is part of my bedtime routine anyway.)
- *You must use therapeutic-grade oils, preferably from Young Living. I cannot promise that any oils except the ones I use in this recipe are safe to ingest.
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