Recently, I came to a conclusion: I want to have really nice teeth forever. Or, I mean, as long as possible. Recently, my dude and I hit a big milestone: two years of no smoking! So that will obviously help me, but my coffee addiction and sweet tooth (read: sugar addiction) still threaten their overall health. While I brush my teeth as much as the average person, I still don’t feel like my teeth are where I want them to be both in strength and tone. Obviously, there are ways to fix these issues, but like every ethical shopper and broke life participant, I have some issues.
There’s this one thing where I really, really care about the understanding the ingredients in the stuff I put on and in my body.
I also have this really irritating habit of not supporting companies that I believe try to trick consumers into believing their products are good when they’re actually just crap. It’s unreal how many products will tell you right on the package they’re made with good ingredients when they’re actually just full of sugar. Let’s maybe keep the sugar away from our dental hygiene products, okay?
Go to your independent and natural body care section in the grocery store, though, and 80% of the time (unless you live near an awesome store) you’ll either find a dismal supply of natural products assuming that your local grocery store carries such brands. Oddly enough, sometimes the simplest things – like personal care products without unnecessary or harmful ingredients – are the hardest to find.
- Purified water
- Dead sea salt
- Aloe vera juice
- Xylitol*
- Tulsi oil (holy basil)
- Organic peppermint oil
- Spearmint oil
- Pure wintergreen oil
- Clove bud oil
…And that’s it. In a mouthwash! Considering the fact that it was formulated by dentists, it’s not surprising that these guys clearly did their homework. So unless you want to start saving for dental implants, spend a little more on personal care as prevention.
*Xylitol sounds like it would be something sinister, what with it’s bold X and all, but it’s actually just a sugar replacement. Well, more specifically it’s a sugar alcohol that is just as sweet as sugar, but contains 33% fewer calories, and actually several studies have shown that Xylitol is actually maybe good for you. One study even showed that Xylitol might actually reduce plaque, reduce cavities, and maybe even reduce inflammation in your gums, too! (All of those statements were found in a study published in Clinical Preventative Dentistry and this review in British Dental Journal, confirms those claims.)
Clove bud oil, aka clove oil, is kind of an exciting thing to see in a mouthwash, too. A while ago my boyfriend Milo had some really bad pain in his teeth and gums, so we did some research and actually ended up buying a small bottle of clove oil which apparently is used in dentistry all the time!It’s analgesic (pain killing) and antiseptic (reduces chance of infection), so it eased his pain long enough for him to schedule a dental appointment. We were both stunned at how effective it was! The Oral Essentials mouthwash doesn’t numb your mouth by any means, but the clove oil in it definitely contributes to the clean feeling, and helps with any sensitivity you have in your mouth or gums.
I’m always a little bit scared of mouthwash because of that terrible, no good, very bad sting that, nine times out of ten, puts a bummer in your pre-bed – or worse, post-waking moments… and I hope you have a cut or anything in there! If you think you might have a cut in your mouth but aren’t sure, your average mouthwash will be sure and tell you where it is by making it sting and throb with pain. That alcoholic stuff can really hurt!
Oral Essentials mouthwash is alcohol-free, as well as preservative-free and dye-free, so unless you have a severe mint allergy, there’s a pretty low chance that you’ll have a bad time with this stuff. But obviously check the ingredient list three to twelve times before consuming if you’re unsure!
Oral Essentials mouthwash is made in California and was formulated by two dentist from Beverly Hills – Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, DDS, and Dr. Hessam Nowzari, DDS, PhD. It’s actually small batch mouthwash, which you Oregonians can tell all of your friends once the package gets bike messengered to you. It’s just so hip!
Jokes aside, you’ll see those small batches and those high quality ingredients reflected in the price a little bit, as each 16oz. bottle is $11.99, but I honestly have to say that it’s worth the money if you’re into having products with really minimalist ingredients – many of which you can find in the pantry. Besides, you only need a couple caps worth of mouthwash each time you use it, so it’ll definitely last a long time. I personally only use it at night, right before bed. Since it doesn’t sting at all, it’s really easy to spend a full minute swishing it around your mouth. Our days of wincing while using mouthwash are over!
For travelers, stocking stuffers, and people who live out of their purse: they have six packs of 2 oz. TSA-compliant Oral Essentials mouthwash bottles for $15.99, and they are very cute and very useful.
Where to Find Oral Essentials Mouthwash
OralEssentials.com has the 16oz. Bottle of Oral Essentials Mouthwash and the 6 Pack of 2oz. Bottles of Oral Essentials Mouthwash with $1.99 shipping
*Get 10% off with the code FRESH
Amazon.com has the 16oz. Bottle of Oral Essentials Mouthwash and the 6 Pack of 2oz. Bottles of Oral Essentials Mouthwash with $5.98 shipping