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5 Best Natural Homemade Mouthwashes


Table Of Contents

  • The Purpose Of A Mouthwash
  • How Effectively Do Mouthwashes Work?
  • Recipes For Homemade Mouthwashes
Those spicy, mouthwatering delicacies and your mouth have a love-hate relationship. Your taste buds say yes, whereas the odor that emanates later says otherwise. This is where mouthwashes come to your rescue. While one of the main purposes of a mouthwash is to help you fight the awful and unavoidable post-meal odor, it has other benefits too.
You may be quite familiar with the various mouthwashes sold in the market. But have you ever thought of making one yourself? Don’t worry – it will not take more than a few minutes. Read on to know more about the effectiveness of mouthwashes and a few interesting recipes to make one on your own!

The Purpose Of A Mouthwash

The main purpose of a mouthwash is to promote oral health. Many people are still unaware of the various benefits associated with using a mouthwash regularly.
The benefits of including a mouthwash in your oral hygiene regimen are (1):
  • Makes other oral regimens like flossing and brushing more effective
  • Decreases oral cavities
  • Strengthens your teeth and gums (in the presence of fluoride)
  • Freshens your breath
  • Prevents plaque build-up
  • Loosens any debris inside your mouth (when used before brushing)
  • Helps treat mouth sores
Now that you are aware of the uses of mouthwashes, let us look at how they work.

How Effectively Do Mouthwashes Work?

Oral rinses are an integral part of your oral hygiene. They contain a variety of ingredients, such as fluoride and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), that help battle the bad bacteria in the mouth (2).
Other common ingredients used in mouthwashes include povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, and essential oils. These compounds help reduce plaque build-up and also fight oral germs (3).
Studies also state that adding an oral rinse to your oral hygiene regimen can treat plaque and gingivitis more effectively as compared to brushing alone (4).
While you can get hold of a variety of mouthwashes in the market, you can also make one at home. The following are some simple yet effective recipes to make your own mouthwashes.

Recipes For Homemade Mouthwashes

  1. Baking Soda
  2. Coconut Oil
  3. Salt
  4. Aloe Vera Juice
  5. Essential Oils

Best Homemade Mouthwashes

1. Baking Soda

You Will Need
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate
  • ½ glass of warm water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add half a teaspoon of table salt to half a glass of warm water.
  2. Mix well and rinse your mouth after or before brushing your teeth.
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 3-4 times daily.
Why This Works
Baking soda is a great fix for bad breath and oral bacteria. Its alkaline nature can increase salivary pH (5). This can help neutralize the acids produced by oral bacteria upon consumption of soda drinks and caffeine.

2. Coconut Oil

You Will Need
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil
What You Have To Do
  1. Swish a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil in your mouth for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Spit the oil and go about your oral care routine.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this once daily, prior to brushing your teeth.
Why This Works
Oil pulling with coconut oil is not only good for your oral hygiene but is also a great way to detoxify your body. It can help in decreasing plaque formation as well as plaque-induced gingivitis (6).

3. Salt

You Will Need
  • ½ teaspoon of table salt
  • ½ glass of warm water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add half a teaspoon of table salt to half a glass of warm water.
  2. Mix well and rinse your mouth using the mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 2-3 times daily, following a meal.
Why This Works
Rinsing your mouth with salt water is almost as effective as any other over-the-counter mouthwashes that contain compounds like chlorhexidine. It can help in reducing dental plaque as well as the oral microbial count (7).

4. Aloe Vera Juice

You Will Need
  • ½ cup of aloe vera juice
  • ½ cup of distilled water
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda
What You Have To Do
  1. Mix half a cup of aloe vera juice with half a cup of distilled water.
  2. Rinse your mouth using this mixture after brushing your teeth.
How Often You Should Do This
You can do this 3-4 times daily.
Why This Works
Aloe vera mouth rinses can be effective in reducing periodontal indices. They can also help reduce gingival bleeding and plaque (8).

5. Essential Oils

a. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint Oil - Homemade Mouthwashes 
You Will Need
  • 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil
  • 1 cup of distilled water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add two to three drops of peppermint oil to a cup of distilled water.
  2. Mix well and use this solution to rinse your mouth.
How Often You Should Do This
You may do this 2-3 times daily, preferably after every meal.
Why This Works
Peppermint oil mouthwashes are especially effective in combating halitosis (bad breath) (9). 

b. Cinnamon Oil

You Will Need
  • 2-3 drops of cinnamon essential oil
  • 1 cup of distilled water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add two to three drops of cinnamon essential oil to a cup of distilled water.
  2. Mix well.
  3. Use this mixture to rinse your mouth.
How Often You Should Do This
You may do this multiple times daily.
Why This Works
Cinnamon oil is antibacterial and is effective in the treatment of dental caries caused by oral bacteria (10)

c. Tea Tree Oil

You Will Need
  • 1-2 drops of tea tree oil
  • ½ cup of distilled water
What You Have To Do
  1. Add one to two drops of tea tree oil to half a cup of distilled water.
  2. Mix well and use the mixture to rinse your mouth.
How Often You Should Do This
You may do this 2-3 times daily, preferably after every meal.
Why This Works
The anti-inflammatory nature of this essential oil can be quite beneficial in reducing the symptoms of bleeding and inflammation triggered by gingivitis (11).
All these recipes are great alternatives to the vast number of over-the-counter mouthwashes. With these recipes in hand, you don’t have to worry about your oral rinses running out! They can be prepared in a jiffy, that too, while sitting in the comfort of your home.


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