Fresh Peppermint Mouthwash - DIY-Style!

As a continuation of this ongoing journey to green-up little areas in my life I've braved the unknown and -- quite frankly, scary -- waters of...(dun dun dunnnnn)...MOUTHWASH!!  

That label probably speaks for itself... Peppermint mouth wash...DIY style!

Oral hygiene is very important to me, so things like toothpaste, tooth powder, and mouthwashes just HAVE to work, and work well. I happened upon this blog, via my beloved Pinterest, several months ago, and thought, "huh, that looks interesting...I'll save that one for later."  Well, now it's later, and I've given it a try.

Results?  Let's rate it on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), shall we?

• Tastiness:  4 - but only after adding a packet of stevia sweetener; before the stevia, it was a 3...not bad, but not great.  When you think about it, what mouthwash does taste good?  None that I've ever tried, so this was an improvement, even before the stevia. :)
• Mintiness:  5  - It's awesome!  Love this part of it!
• Long-lasting effects:  4  - Lasts nearly as long as Listerine, but without burning my mouth.

Now, you may be asking WHY I would do such a thing when there is a myriad of different mouthwashes available at the local grocery store or pharmacy.  Well, many of them contain more alcohol than can legally be sold outside of a liquor store, and you don't have to produce a driver's license or be of legal drinking age to buy it.  Whoa!  AND, did you know that extended use of mouthwash containing alcohol will alter the pH balance in your mouth, and has been linked to mouth and throat cancer?  Seriously scary stuff, folks!  (Source)

Research the alcohol content in this...yikes!!

There are also a number of other unknown chemicals and dyes in traditional mouthwash.  I've become increasingly skeptical of products that contain ingredients that I can't identify or pronounce.  Some of the ingredients might well be natural stuff that the manufacturer has chosen to hide by using it's scientific name. Why? If it's natural, just call it what it is!

Overall, I think it's an industry who wants us entirely-too-vain Americans to spend more money on stuff that can't possibly do all it promises to do without having serious, negative side effects.  

Okay, enough of my soap box!  :)  This is the first of a couple of different mouthwash recipes I plan to try, so you can count on another article or two when I've tried the next ones.

Ready for the INGREDIENTS??  

• 1 cup aloe vera juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp witch hazel
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp, or packet, stevia
• 40 drops peppermint essential oil

Put it all in a cute bottle (I found mine at the local craft store for about $2), and shake, shake, shake!  Then, take a swig and swish around your entire mouth for about 30-60 seconds before...well, you know what to do next.  :)  Your mouth is going to feel sooooo clean, and minty fresh!

(Tempted as I was, I will refrain from including yet another photo of my teeth...I'll just let your imagination go to work seeing stars and sparkles around my super-clean mouth!  Haha!)

Here are a couple other recipes I plan to try next... If you get to them first, be sure to come back and post a comment to tell me what you think?!

• Honey peppermint mouthwash (yummmmm!)
• Peppermint, clove, rosemary mouthwash (whoa, sounds refreshing!)

I'd love to hear your experiences with green living, and how it can be done in REAL LIFE!!

Till next time, friends...