The Dangers Of Mouthwash & DIY Recipe

Mouthwash. It’s one of those items that is a staple in the majority of peoples bathrooms. A step in the oral care routine that is not often questioned or given much thought whatsoever. Here I will explain the dangers of mouthwash and share a DIY recipe I use everyday.

Indeed, I love to take a closer look into much of what we deem “normal, everyday” products. As a result, damn have I been floored at what is really in this stuff. Mouthwash is one of these products. Once I realize how toxic a product is, I either look for a non-toxic substitute to buy or I make it myself. Mouthwash is super easy and cheap make, so why not do it yourself?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read this Affiliate Disclosure for more information. Thank you.

First off, the whole idea of mouthwash obviously makes sense; an easy way to combat bad breath, simple enough. Who wouldn’t think this is a great product to buy? However, using most of the mouthwashes on the market today, especially the big brand ones, actually damage your oral hygiene instead of helping it.

They look fun, with their bright colors and clever packaging. Saying things like, “for a whole mouth clean”, or how many number of benefits it gives you. Don’t be fooled. Most are full of chemicals which end up killing the good bacteria in your mouth. Similarly to our guts, our mouths include good bacteria and bad bacteria, and a microbiome. The oral microbiome supports the remineralization of our teeth. Saliva is an important component in the remineralization process, and mouthwash interferes with our mouths production of it, drying out our mouths. Next, we will discuss more dangers in mouthwash; chemicals, and I will share my go-to DIY recipe!

Additionally, this study shows how an antiseptic, called chlorhexidine, in many conventional mouthwashes kill good bacteria. Which leads to an imbalance in the oral microbiome and raising blood pressure levels. The impact our oral hygiene has on our health is quite underestimated. Alcohol is associated with killing good bacteria and drying out your mouth. What is more, other studies demonstrate how an altered oral microbiome contributes to a growing list of diseases/conditions, including colorectal cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Crazy!

Ingredients such as: alcohol, chlorine dioxide, zinc chloride, sodium fluoride, parabens and tons of others don’t belong in your mouth. You need to think too, every time you swish mouthwash or brush your teeth, a wee bit of this stuff is ingested. Surely, when a mouthwash states it will kill 99.9% of bacteria and germs in the mouth, it’s telling you it’s harming you!

By all means look into this further as I have just given you a little taste of the hazards of mouthwash. With all this in mind, I will now share with you my homemade DIY mouthwash recipe 🙂

DIY Mouthwash Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups of filtered, un-fluoridated water
• 2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• A few drops of all or either; peppermint, tea tree, neem or clove essential oils

Directions

1. Combine water, salt and baking soda in a small pot. Dissolve ingredients over low heat, do not boil. Once dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
2. When cooled, add your essential oils of choice and stir.
3. All done, easy as that!

Sources:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02920-w

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324621#Mouthwash-may-do-more-harm-than-good

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/308

• What Grief Has Taught Me
• Unique Gift Ideas For The Spiritual Person In Your Life
• Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe
• My Weird Everyday Health Habits
• 6 Easy Ways To Enter The Present Moment