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Herbal Mouth Wash Recipe

April 3, 2013 by Katie Wells
Herbal Mouth Wash Recipe Tutorial
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Mouth
  • Herbal Mouth Wash Recipe
  • How to Use Herbal Mouth Wash
  • Mouthwash Alternatives:
  • Other DIY Products for A Healthy Mouth:

Our family has now completely switched to a natural oral health routine. We eat to boost oral health and even make our own remineralizing toothpaste.

The one thing we hadn’t used since changing our oral health routine was mouthwash, as most commercial versions are filled with chemicals and artificial colors and flavors.

This homemade herbal mouth wash was the solution for us. It combines herbs that are naturally cleansing and healing to the teeth and gums in a convenient tincture for easy use. It cleanses and freshens the mouth while naturally killing germs and alkalizing the mouth.

Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Mouth

  • Cloves – traditionally used in oral health preparations for their natural antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Clove paste and clove oil even help sooth toothache or minor cavities until they can be healed or filled.
  • Peppermint – adds the traditional mint flavor, but is also antibacterial and cooling to the mouth.
  • Plantain – antibacterial and antimicrobial and is traditionally used in healing preparations for its ability to speed wound healing.
  • Rosemary – an aromatic and cooling herb that is also antibacterial and soothing to sore gums.
  • I also use cinnamon or peppermint essential oil
Herbal Mouth Wash Recipe Tutorial

Herbal Mouth Wash Recipe

Katie Wells
Make a natural herbal mouth wash at home using herbs and essential oils.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Extraction time 14 d
Course Tincture
Cuisine American
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp cloves (or ground cloves)
  • 2 TBSP dried peppermint leaf
  • 2 TBSP dried plantain leaf
  • 1 TBSP dried rosemary leaf
  • water (boiling)
  • 8 oz rum (or vodka)
  • 15 drops cinnamon essential oil (or peppermint essential oil)

Instructions
 

  • Place the herbs in a pint size mason jar. 
  • Pour enough boiling water over the herbs to just dampen all of them.
  • Pour the rum or vodka into the jar with the herbs and hot water.
  • Cover tightly and place in a cool dark place for 2-3 weeks. 
  • Each day, shake the jar to help the herbs infuse into the alcohol mixture.
  • After 2-3 weeks, use a cheesecloth or a very fine mesh strainer to strain the herbs out of the tincture. 
  • Discard the herbs and pour the tincture into small dropper bottles or another glass jar to store.
  • Add the essential oils, return lid and shake well.

Notes

Combine 40 drops of mouth wash with 2-3 tablespoons of water and swish in mouth for 30 seconds. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How to Use Herbal Mouth Wash

Keep a glass bottle with herbal tincture on the bathroom counter with a small cup or glass.

For each use, mix a mouthful of water with about 40 drops of the tincture and swish well for 30 seconds.

For extra cleansing, add 40 drops of the tincture to a half and half mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water instead of plain water and swish for 30 seconds.

Mouthwash Alternatives:

If you’d prefer to avoid the hassle of making mouthwash, oil pulling can be a simple one-ingredient alternative. The basic idea is that an oil, like unrefined coconut oil, is swished in the mouth for up to 20 minutes as a way to help remove plaque and support gum and tooth health. There is even some evidence that coconut oil may be effective against the streptococcus mutans bacteria that causes tooth decay.

Though oil pulling is somewhat controversial and experts debate its ability to whiten teeth or benefit other parts of the body, they all seem to agree that it is a safe and effective alternative to mouthwash.

Here is a full tutorial about how to try oil pulling.

Other DIY Products for A Healthy Mouth:

If you enjoyed this recipe and like making your own products, you might also enjoy these other natural oral health products:

  • Homemade remineralizing toothpaste
  • Simple whitening toothpaste recipe
  • How to whiten teeth with charcoal
  • How to remineralize teeth naturally

Ever made your own herbal mouthwash? Share below!

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Category: Natural Home

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (84 Comments)

  1. Veronica Obregon

    May 15, 2013 at 9:57 AM

    hello i am from mexico.. can you tell me what exactly are cloves..?? i tried to look it up but can’t find what it is.. is it garlic???? thks…

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      May 16, 2013 at 2:01 PM

      It is a spice that is often used in pumpkin pie…

      Reply
    • Melisa Crosby

      May 17, 2013 at 2:21 PM

      Cloves= clavos en espanol

      Reply
  2. Tiffany Kruger

    May 13, 2013 at 7:47 PM

    Hey, silly question 😉 what if I accidentally added the essential oil to the mixture to infuse…do I need to toss and start over? Thanks in advance and thanks again for all your recipes! 🙂

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      May 13, 2013 at 8:36 PM

      Nope… its ok, just keep it covered so they don’t evaporate…

      Reply
      • Tiffany Kruger

        May 13, 2013 at 11:23 PM

        Ok, thank you so much! 🙂

        Reply
  3. charity

    April 17, 2013 at 2:22 PM

    I heard you can’t take mint with homeopathics….do you know if this applies to cinnamon as well? I would like to make this but may omit the peppermint. Love your blog!! So grateful for you!!

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 17, 2013 at 3:13 PM

      I have never heard that this applies to cinnamon as well as they are in different plant families..

      Reply
  4. Megan Orsi

    April 12, 2013 at 2:53 PM

    Hello there! Quick question: My husband and I are TTC #2 and I’ve ready that you should stay away from Peppermint and Rosemary Essential Oil (shame since they smell so wonderful together). I read that they were estrogen inhibitors or something like that. Will using them in this capacity be cause for concern if one is TTC or in the 1st Trimester? PS: Loving your site! Thank you so much for posting great Homemade Natural Recipes =D

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 12, 2013 at 7:04 PM

      In those concentrations and just in the mouth, I would feel comfortable using them while TTC or pregnant. Best of luck!

      Reply
  5. Sarah Emily Laeger

    April 10, 2013 at 3:57 AM

    I have used your remineralising toothpaste and it has worked wonders. I love LOVE love your site

    Reply
  6. Courtney Roberts

    April 4, 2013 at 3:08 PM

    If I dont have any of the leaves can I sub for clove, rosemary, and peppermint eo?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 4, 2013 at 3:15 PM

      Yes

      Reply
      • Hannah

        October 24, 2014 at 7:50 AM

        I couldn’t find all the dry ingredients either so would like to use EOs instead. I’m fairly new to using essential oils, how much of each would you recommend if it’s a substitute for the dry ingredients?

        Reply
  7. Dora Ruilova

    April 4, 2013 at 1:52 PM

    Could I sub water for the alchohol?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      April 4, 2013 at 3:15 PM

      You can, but it will make a tea not a tincture so it won’t store more than a day…

      Reply
      • Cee

        March 16, 2015 at 8:54 PM

        I thought it was a little weird to use alcohol. I don’t think I would do that for little kids because they kind of swallow toothpaste and mouth wash a lot.

        Reply
  8. Iryna Aarruutte

    April 3, 2013 at 5:20 PM

    Can you just dilute the tincture with water and store it in a bottle ready to use instead of putting drops in a mouthful of water each time?

    Reply
  9. Viviane Longis-Ferol

    April 3, 2013 at 4:14 PM

    Hi, in mine i use myrrh EO, echinacea root, and peppermint EO to boost receding gums.
    I had gums trouble after first pregnancy, and like you, i had all the blabla dentist talk.
    Since i passed to all natural teeth care, everything is almost back to normal.

    Reply
    • Jennifer L.

      April 4, 2013 at 12:29 PM

      Can receding gums be helped with natural remedies without grafting? My dentist pointed out that I have that problem (now after baby #2).

      Reply
      • Wellness Mama

        April 4, 2013 at 1:13 PM

        Yes… have you heard of OraWellness? Their founders reversed severe gum issues and if you email them they can offer some suggestions…

        Reply
      • Josie

        August 2, 2014 at 6:38 PM

        i had a issue as well with receding gum surrounding a crown. after doing research i learned that aloe vera juice is good for gum disease. ( organic lily of the dessert- inner fillet) i am a living witness it does work. after brushing my teeth with a natural toothpaste( tea tree- neem- wintergreen oils w/ baking soda) i swish and swallow with 1 to 2 oz twice daily. i have been using for approx 9 months. i would recommend researching essential oils as well for gum issues. hope this help. i know post is more than a year old , but maybe info will be beneficial to others.

        Reply
        • maggie

          August 19, 2014 at 1:47 PM

          Thanks JLC I found your comments very interesting and will certainly be trying out the aloe vera and tea tree toothpaste

          Reply
        • Angela

          November 8, 2014 at 9:46 AM

          Thank you your post certainly was beneficial to me. I have issues with my gums receding and it is great help.

          Reply
  10. Jan

    April 3, 2013 at 4:01 PM

    Love the idea of home made mouthwash, but what alternative to alcohol could be used?

    Reply
    • Stan

      May 23, 2013 at 2:29 PM

      I would like a alternative to alcohol as well. Do you have any ideas?

      Reply
    • Nina

      June 5, 2013 at 6:07 AM

      You can make tinctures in apple cider vinegar as well.

      Reply
    • Harvey

      April 17, 2015 at 11:15 AM

      Non alchol witch hazel

      Reply
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