Commercial mouthwash is usually made with a sharp minty flavor to make our breath smell fresh and pleasant. However, mint only masks the smell and actually feeds odor-causing bacteria with more sugar. Also, most commercial brands of mouthwash mainly consist of synthetic colors, flavors, and chemicals that are not so good for you.
Better than masking your breath smell, you can make your own mouthwash at home using natural ingredients that will clean your mouth from the bottom up. This mouthwash is made from ingredients that you likely have at home, so give it a shot (so to speak) and get to know the homemade goodness you’ve been missing!
Recipe for one small bottle of mouthwash
- Juice of 2 freshly-squeezed lemons
- ½ tbsp. ground cinnamon
- ½-1 tsp. baking soda (more whitening properties)
- 1-½ tsp. honey
- 1 cup warm water (to melt the honey)
- A clean bottle or jar with a lid
Honey has a number of antibacterial properties that kill off all the bad bacteria in your mouth instead of feeding them with sugar.
Also, adding honey makes the wash taste better. Use organic or raw honey for the best results.
Cinnamon: A miracle spice in every way, cinnamon gets rid of odors by killing off the odor-causing bacteria in one blast. The International Association for Dental Research found that people who chewed cinnamon gum had a 50 percent decrease in oral bacteria versus people who chewed mint gum.
Lemon: The last ingredient of this mouthwash is a given – lemon is strong, refreshing and cleansing, so it will wash all the hidden food and bacteria from your mouth. It also has whitening properties. Just make sure not to add too much lemon because it can erode your enamel if not used properly.
Directions
1. Mix together all of the ingredients and give it a shake.
2. Swish or gargle 1-2 tablespoons of the mouthwash for a minute after brushing your teeth or whenever you want to freshen your breath.
3. Don’t use the mouthwash more than once to twice a day (the lemon is very acidic).
