herbal mouth & brushing rinse

Have You Made the Switch Yet?

If you are still using brands like Colgate, Crest, Listerine or even Arm & Hammer, it is very possible you are putting you and your family’s health in harms way via your oral care routine!

If you’ve never really looked at the ingredient list of one of these ever-popular brands, you wouldn’t really know that they contain harmful ingredients and other contaminants in the forms of irritants, hormone disruptors, allergens, and even carcinogens!

And if that’s not upsetting enough, we even have to question some of those “natural” brands of toothpaste out there as well that we thought were the safer solutions: Tom’s of Maine, Trader Joe’s, and Honest brands, to name a few!

Cornucopia.org has thankfully put together a super helpful scorecard with some of the best and the worst toothpaste brands to help you navigate your way through the store.

Although, if you’re a “Suzy Homemaker” like me that’s looking for a DIY alternative, you may have been trying some powders and pastes at home. While some are nice alternatives, others take a little bit more getting used to. I, personally, was still in search of something even easier to concoct and also to take with me places; that’s when I discovered an Organic Brushing Rinse at a local health food store.

It definitely didn’t take me long to become obsessed!!

Not only was it super easy to use, fully cleansing and truly refreshing, but it stole my heart when I read the plain and simple ingredients list. With Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide as the main ingredient, I had to know more about the magic of this stuff!

My Experience

I’ll be honest; I had never really given much thought to hydrogen peroxide in the past! My only knowledge of this substance previously was having memories of my mom sitting me up over the bathroom sink and pouring it all over my scraped up bloody wounds after I’d hurt myself playing outside. That foaming, bubbly sight and sound definitely frightened me – and OUCH did it sting – but, it would get me healed up and back to normal in no time without infection! Looking back, I definitely approve of my mom’s natural first aid decisions, even though I absolutely questioned it at the time. That’s all I had ever seen it used for though before, and back under the bathroom sink it went.

Many, many moons later my second encounter was when I randomly stumbled upon a couple of online videos of individuals using hydrogen peroxide to actually cure their lung or throat cancers! To the average person, these claims and images were definitely out there, yet it was extremely hard not to believe these convictions when these users showed to be living proof. These claims definitely intrigued me to look into it a little further.**

Now a days, I am hearing much buzz of the multitude of health benefits from food grade hydrogen peroxide, which I shared with you in the “Hydrogen Peroxide for Health?” post. While some people may be hesitant because of its power, I now too, like many others, am using it carefully as a daily staple in my home with such excitement!

For me, this stuff is totally gaining ranks right next to Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother and of course Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil with their many, many holistic health and beauty uses.

The store-bought brushing rinse was such a hit that we went through it so fast; that’s when I realized I could easily just make this myself and save money too!

**Side Note/Disclaimer: Since I thankfully do not have any serious internal health issues, I have never tried mimicking the inhalation as seen in the videos, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend you to do so either until you have done your own extremely thorough research and consultation with a homeopathic doctor. Also, always, always be mindful that not any one thing works for everyone. Be knowledgable, cautious, and conscious as to what works for you and your sacred body; listen to it!

I highly recommend reading more about Hydrogen Peroxide in my other article here, if you haven’t so already.

Oral Care

HP is commonly and effectively used in professional dentistry today. Higher concentrations are mixed into gel forms for typical tooth whitening routines, while other documented uses for HP treat gingivitis and periodontitis.

HP still needs to be treated with caution in oral care too, as overexposure of undiluted use or marketed whitening products could result in sensitivity and other problems.

If 3% solution seems too strong for you, dilute with purified water to make a 1.5% solution (which is what I do). The HP will kill viruses and bacteria in your mouth, and also naturally whiten teeth over time.

It is suggested to use it as a mouth rinse or in place of a mouthwash, after brushing or in my preference, for brushing. I either swish in my mouth for about maybe 10-20 seconds to let it foam, spit, use a little water to brush, spit again, and rinse; or I will try and brush while the rinse is still in my mouth, but beware; it’s definitely a little tricky to keep it all in there since it’s a liquid! (Challenge accepted!)

I also prefer to use some of the purest and locally crafted essential oils in many of my personal care products for either taste, smell, and natural health benefits – or all three! These oils and plants are great for oral health:

Clove
Cinnamon Bark & Leaf
Eucalyptus Radiata
Rosemary
Peppermint
Aloe Vera

Probiotics, or beneficial microorganisms, are also on the rise for being used in dentistry. That will be a future topic of discussion. But basically, just like we should be aiding our “good” gut flora to keep us healthy, functioning, and free from disease & illness, it is also important to replenish our “good” bacteria in our mouth after a cleanse for the same benefits and precautionaries. Eating a vibrant, fresh, plant-based diet and avoiding harmful chemicals in our foods and cosmetics, including our oral routine, will most definitely help you in keeping the healthy balance of beneficial microorganisms.
Looking to switch dentists? Search locally for a Probiotic Dentistry or a Holistic Dentist.

And here is the simple recipe:

Printable Recipe

DIY: