DIY All-Natural Herbal Mouthwash for Healthy Teeth & Gums
DIY DIY Oral Care DIY Skincare & Beauty Natural DIY
Looking for a homemade natural mouthwash recipe that not only freshens breath but improves oral health? This DIY All-Natural Herbal Mouthwash for Healthy Teeth & Gums is exactly what you’re looking for!
Ah, there’s nothing that compares to that fresh and clean feeling of mouthwash!
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been stuck on a bus with busted AC all day next to an old Italian man with garlic seeping out of every pore (been there), swish a little mouthwash you’ll feel like a whole new you in an instant!
Related: The 5 Best Essential Oils for Healthy Teeth and Gums
But most store-bought mouthwashes are filled some pretty unhealthy ingredients.
Let’s take a look at the ingredients of one of the most popular mouthwashes out there:
Active Ingredients:
Thymol (0.064%) [ORGAN SYSTEM TOXICITY], Eucalyptol (0.092%), Methyl Salicylate (0.060%) [DEVELOPMENTAL/REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY], Menthol (0.042%)
Inactive Ingredients:
Water, Alcohol (21.6%) [ORAL CANCER], Sorbitol Solution, Flavoring, Poloxamer 407, Benzoic Acid [ORGAN SYSTEM TOXICITY], Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Benzoate [ORGAN SYSTEM TOXICITY], FD&C Blue 1 [ORGAN SYSTEM TOXICITY; has actually been banned for use in other countries]
Let’s take a deeper look at the alcohol. Not quite sure why this is considered an “inactive ingredient” since there is so darn much of it in there and certainly for its germ-fighting properties.
There is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that developing oral cancer is increased or contributed to by the use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes…
It is the opinion of the authors that, in light of the evidence currently available of the association of alcohol-containing mouthwashes with the development of oral cancer, it would be inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes. — McCullough and Farah, Australian Dental Journal
Time for a safer alternative, huh?
This DIY natural mouthwash gives you that fresh and clean feeling plus benefits the teeth and gums.
The salt and calcium-magnesium powder help to strengthen and remineralize teeth while the essential oils freshen breath, fight bacteria, and reduce gum inflammation.
DIY All-Natural Herbal Mouthwash for Healthy Teeth & Gums
Ingredients:
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 teaspoon Real Salt or pink Himalayan sea salt (rich in minerals; inhibits bacteria growth; helps heal cuts and reduce gum inflammation)
- 1 teaspoon calcium magnesium powder (helps remineralize teeth)
- 2 drops spearmint essential oil*
- 2 drops cinnamon essential oil*
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil*
- 2 drops clove essential oil*
- 2 drops myrrh essential oil* (myrrh is not an herb, it’s a resin, but I’m including it in here!)
*After doing the research, I consider these essential oils to be the best essential oils for healthy teeth and gums. If you’d like, you can instead just use one or a few rather than all 5.
Directions:
Add all of your ingredients to a glass bottle (I used an old ACV bottle!), shake it on up, and ta-da! You now have your very own DIY all-natural herbal mouthwash for healthy teeth & gums!
I use this mouthwash twice a day, morning and night after brushing with my DIY all-natural whitening + remineralizing toothpaste. While the salt and EOs inhibit bacteria growth, to play it safe I make a new batch weekly.
Interesting formula on mouthwashes. Out of necessity (could not afford the dental work), I slowly developed a mouthwash formula to stop my tooth pain and strengthen my gums. I used a formula based on minerals. I suspect the high PH of the formula helped lower the bacteria count and the minerals helped build back up my enamel and gum tissue such as ligaments. For the most part I avoided sugar. I concluded that the root of my problem was teeth grinding. The teeth grinding was creating cracks in my teeth that were letting bacteria grow more quickly.
It takes a while for the pain to go completely away. I found out the more and the longer I rinsed the better the results. Severe cavities with severe pain can require long rinse times.
Today, I still use the mineral and oil formula, but only sparingly. If I notice tooth pain coming on, for instance when I have been eating a lot of ice cream, I increase the mineral density, frequency and length of rinses, and every time it seems to do the trick.
I was concerned about toxicity of the minerals. All of the minerals I use are minerals that are considered nutrients and have RDA minimum values.
The link to the general formula can be found here.
You don’t have to really mix the formula, I just chew mineral tablets with some cinnamon and ginger for flavor and then use a tablespoon of coconut oil to mix it in my mouth.
Shouldn’t! None of these oils have a strong color.
Will any of these stain teeth? Just want to make sure..
Yes, if you’d like!
I was also just thinking and wondering if I might add some of my aluminum-free baking soda to it?
Hi Nadia,
Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe! I bought some of the Trace Minerals to make my bodyunburdened toothpaste with, and I have a lot extra. Is it ok to put some of the trace minerals into my mouthwash as well?
Thanks!
-Mariah
If you don’t have calcium magnesium powder can you use baking soda instead?
Hey Lindsay: You are getting green mould because a small amount of water is getting into your jar for your toothpaste. Coconut oil spoils like most oils when water in any amount is introduced. If you are dipping your wet toothbrush into the jar as an example this might happen. Try using a clean tiny spoon or baby spatula to keep the toothpaste moisture free 🙂
It’s the mouthwash, not the toothpaste, that is giving me the mold problem! The container I’ve been using for the mouthwash is clean….any ideas?
Oh no! That really just shouldn’t happen: coconut oil is a natural antibacterial as are a number of these essential oils. Are you adding water to the mixture? That is the only way wold would form. Or if your container is dirty.
I’ve been using your toothpaste for a while now and recently decided to try this mouthwash. I don’t think mouthwash is really all that necessary, especially if using such a great toothpaste, but I do like using it! it’s just a refreshing final rinse and helps get rid of any last particles of the toothpaste! However, I’ve made 2 batches so far, and I can only use it maybe twice before I start seeing green mold on the bottom of the jar! How do you make yours last a week!? I can barely get it to last more than a day! Would keeping it in the fridge make it last longer? Is there another ingredient I could add to help keep the mold away? I really love this and hope I can figure out a solution! Thanks!
Thank you for the warning about clove EO. I will definitely have to look into that.
Methyl salicylate is wintergreen oil and thymol is thyme oil. Those are the two main active ingredients that actually fight gingivitis in mouthwash… and you take them out, so this would not actually qualify as a useful mouthwash. Technically, according to the ADA, mouthwash cannot stop cavities, but can be used to treat slight gingivitis. The remaining oils you use a primarily flavoring agents according to MSDS, except clove oil. I’m a dental student who does research on essential oils as part of her doctorate in dentistry. In fact clove oil (aka eugenol) is more hepatotoxic than thymol and methyl salicylate. We use it to sedate inflamed pulps as it is incredibly powerful stuff. Sometimes people use it at home to quell tooth pain, but we do not recommend it due to its high toxicity potential unless we explicitly tell you or we apply in the office it as an temporary filling material. In the end, flossing / brushing is a million times more effective at preventing gingivitis and periodontitis than mouthwash anyways. Mouthwashes really are just a marketing gimmick except for prescribed Chlorhexidine rinses.
Hmm I don’t see why not!
Would replacing the water with boiled cinnamon water be a good idea too? Like would it make the mouthwash more effective?
Hi there,
Why won’t you add a pdf link or something, so readers can download the recipes more easily?
Thanks.
I have some cal-mag tablets…can I smoosh them to powder and use this? I hate to buy more what I already have.
Thanks for the recipe…searching for a appropriate container now….
Great , but I’m on a yeast free diet and mint is a real no-no.
Thakns so much for this recipe. I’ve never really used mouth wash because of these ingredients but now I’ll just make my own. I also heard that neem oil and powder was good for teeth. Do you not recommend it? I tried it once as a mouth wash and it was really bitter.