Pharmacies offer a wide range of mouth rinses. But why buy unknown products if you can make an effective product yourself?
To maintain oral hygiene, toothpaste and a brush are not enough: various rinses can significantly improve the health of your gums and the condition of your teeth. In addition, a brush is not always at hand, and after eating you can clean your teeth by rinsing.
Mouth rinses sold in pharmacies are effective and useful, but these products are often quite expensive. Why overpay if you can make a healthy mouthwash with your own hands and from natural ingredients? In terms of quality and effectiveness, products made at home will not be inferior to “professional” ones.
What are the benefits of home remedies?
The right combination of natural remedies, healing herbs and essential oils will help get rid of many dental problems: relieve swelling and inflammation, reduce the likelihood of caries, get rid of germs and infections, and even lighten your teeth a little.
In addition, the “author” of a unique hand-made mouthwash will know exactly the composition, and there will be no chemicals in it. Not all components of purchased mouthwashes are useful. Triclosan, for example, affects not only harmful bacteria, but also beneficial ones, and alcohol-containing preparations dry out the oral mucosa.
Terms of use
One of the disadvantages of homemade mouthwash is that it does not last long. This pharmaceutical product can stand on the shelf for months: homemade decoctions can last in the refrigerator for a maximum
a week, and more often - just a couple of days. Therefore, stocks must be replenished regularly.
Mouth rinsing time is up to two minutes, and most products can only be used by adults. It is best to consult a doctor before giving mouthwash to your child. It is better to dilute children's portions with water in larger proportions than for adults.
Do not swallow mouthwash under any circumstances. In addition, it is worth remembering: it is not a complete alternative to toothbrushing; oral care must be comprehensive.
Mouthwash composition
Unfortunately, most store-bought mouthwashes contain ingredients that are far from safe for health. Here are the ingredients in some of the most popular mouthwashes from the store or pharmacy.
Thymol is an antiseptic component. Thymol is present in many essential oils. But in industry it is not obtained from essential oils at all. It is contraindicated for pregnant women, kidney disease, stomach ulcers and a number of other diseases.
Methyl salicylate is an antiseptic substance. According to information from Wikapedia, it is toxic and not intended for internal use. It is used in medicine only as an external remedy.
Menthol. This is not the same menthol that is present in peppermint essential oil. Natural menthol is not enough for all needs. It is synthesized chemically.
As a rule, in addition to the active ingredients, mouth rinses also contain those that must ensure shelf life and sales quality. These are ethyl alcohol, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, flavorings and other components.
We will not dwell on some scientific evidence that the increased content of alcohol-containing components in mouth rinses increases the risk of developing oral cancer. There is no exact substantiated data yet. But the traffic police checks car owners for blood levels... by smell. Analyzes are carried out later.
Recipes based on natural remedies
A decoction of oak bark will help get rid of bleeding gums and strengthen them. You can supplement the mixture with sage, chamomile or rose hips. If only oak bark is used, it is better to cook it in a water bath: a couple of tablespoons of crushed oak bark are placed in an enamel bowl and filled with water. The dishes are placed in a saucepan with water; it all needs to be heated for about half an hour.
When adding other herbs, a tablespoon of the mixture per one and a half glasses of water is enough. Bring to a boil and simmer a little under the lid, pour into a convenient container and cool. An important point: it is better to store the product no longer than a day, after which all the beneficial substances will evaporate.
For fresh breath, mouthwashes with mint are always useful. For half a liter of water you will need two tablespoons of dry green tea without additives and natural dried mint. Pour the herbs with clean hot water (500 ml),
leave to infuse overnight. In the morning, add a teaspoon each of benzoin tincture and myrrh infusion. Keep refrigerated.
An unusual recipe that will get rid of germs. It is only suitable for adults: add a tablespoon of thyme, myrrh and sage (dry herbs) to a cup of cognac and leave to steep for two weeks. The infusion is filtered and diluted with water (1:1) before rinsing. For a light whitening effect, you can add a spoonful of lemon juice.
How to make a car fragrance?
It’s much more pleasant to ride in your favorite “swallow” if there is a natural rather than artificial fragrance in the cabin.
This type of car flavor is very easy to make. Think about which figure do you like best? A traditional Christmas tree or maybe a butterfly, an elephant, a car? Enlarge the picture to the desired size and print.
Here's what you'll need to make your car freshener:
- a piece of felt;
- harsh thread or thin ribbon;
- awl;
- essential oil.
Place the cut out stencil on the felt and cut it out.
Make a hole at the top of the figure, thread a ribbon or thread through it, and tie it. This loop is needed to hang the fragrance. Apply a couple of drops of essential oil to the preparation and enjoy. Over the course of a few days, it will saturate the fabric and the smell will become more persistent.
If you make several car fragrances, apply a different essential oil to each. Do not mix them, otherwise the smell may not be what you would like.
Car air fresheners can be made a little differently. Here's what you'll need for the following:
- food gelatin - 1 sachet;
- water;
- glycerin - 1 tsp;
- essential oil.
Dilute gelatin with water according to instructions.
To make the consistency thicker, you can add only half the amount of water. When 40–60 minutes have passed, the gelatin swells, add glycerin to it and stir. Take small containers. Boxes of similar store-bought flavors are perfect. You just need to wash them very well and ventilate them first so that the smell disappears. After you pour the mixture into the molds, add 5-6 drops of essential oil to each.
Now your car will smell amazingly with natural aromas, which will make being here even more pleasant.
Essential oils
A recipe based on a weak chamomile decoction will help soothe gums and relieve bleeding: half a liter of decoction, a tablespoon of natural liquid honey and ten drops of several types of essential oils: orange, mint, pine, eucalyptus, cloves, sage. The oils are first added to the honey, everything is mixed well and dissolved in water. Another advantage of the composition is that it has a good whitening effect, and the enamel is not damaged.
Propolis and calamus will help quickly relieve any inflammation: a teaspoon of propolis and calamus tinctures, five drops of tea tree oil and one hundred ml of water. The solution must be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
Dry herb for fragrance
Sachet (emphasis on the last syllable) translated from French means “bag”, “small bag”. Such small pillows are filled with dry fragrant herbs, soaked in essential oils, decorated with lace, embroidery or beads and hung in the room or in the wardrobe. A sachet with a gentle soothing scent of lemon balm or lavender is placed under the pillow; such an aroma will contribute to a good rest.
Of course, you can buy sachets, but often the filler in industrially produced bags is artificial, and as we found out earlier, it is better to use natural one.
Here's what you'll need to make the aroma sachet:
- natural, not very dense fabric;
- dry herbs or petals;
- essential oil;
- decorative elements (braid, lace).
We start making this air flavoring by sewing a fabric base. It can be of various forms, in the form of:
- geometric shapes;
- pouch;
- hearts, etc.
Those who love strict shapes can sew a rectangular sachet pad. Usually its size is no more than 12x13 cm. If you want to make it in the form of a round bag, then cut a circle out of fabric, put dry grass inside, fold the edges, tie it with flying or braid. For a rectangular pillow, you need to sew a bag of this shape, and then put natural filling inside.
But such a sachet will be a wonderful gift for a loved one. Such bags can be created even without a sewing machine. Cut out 2 hearts from knitted fabric, place a ribbon inside, folded 2 times, to use it to hang the finished work. Fold the blanks with the wrong sides facing each other, sew along the edge with a needle and thread. Leave a small gap. Fill the bag with aromatic herbs through it and sew up the hole.
The following plants are perfect for such air flavoring:
- mint;
- geranium;
- lavender;
- sagebrush;
- carnation;
- tarragon;
- rose;
- acacia flowers;
- jasmine.
You can add spices to fragrant plants, but they should be added only in small quantities, as they have a sharp, intense odor. The following flavors are used: vanilla, cinnamon, anise, dried orange and lemon zest, sweet peas.
Typically, such sachets are stored for no more than 3-4 months, since then they lose their aroma. Impregnation with magnesium carbonate or crushed iris root with concentrated resin will help preserve it for a longer time. You can add a few drops of essential oil here.
This powder is left for several days in a sealed container. During this time, dry herbs are soaked in oils and resins, after which they are poured into bags. It is imperative to leave the filler to sit, then it will not release moisture and greasy stains will not appear on the fabric of the bag.
To preserve the smell, you can use artificial or natural musk; it must be ground with fine quartz sand or pumice powder.
"Kitchen" products
One of the most famous and simple recipes is a rinse with soda or salt. One teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of soda are dissolved in a glass of warm boiled water, the resulting composition is thoroughly stirred until all particles are completely dissolved.
You can use a rinse with natural apple cider vinegar to combat swelling. You will need to mix a third of a glass of vinegar, a teaspoon of glycerin, 10 drops each of mint and lemon oil, 5 drops of myrrh oil. The mixture should be infused for four days in a dark place, then stored in the refrigerator and shaken before use. For rinsing, half a teaspoon per glass of water is enough.
A teaspoon of baking soda and five drops of iodine will help you quickly get rid of acute toothache: dilute this with a glass of boiled water, rinse for at least two to three minutes, up to five times a day.
Orange, cinnamon, clove and anise flavoring
One of the warmest winter scents. Many people make fragrant “hedgehogs” from oranges or tangerines and cloves. This flavor works great for a week. The version with a can is longer-lasting.
Cut the orange into slices, add a few cinnamon sticks, 8-10 cloves and a few anise stars. The ratio can be changed depending on which scent you like best.
Fill the jar with water. In order for the mixture to release its aroma, it must be heated (an important rule for all water-based flavors). To do this, you can use a fondue pot, USB drink warmers, teapot stands with candles, or just a radiator.
