Go Greener Tips

For many individuals, oral health is a very important part of personal hygiene and general health.  Our mouths are, after all, one of the primary entry points for bacteria to enter the body, not to mention that it is the second most used orifice, after the nose.  Did you know, however, that in your pursuit of good oral health through the use of commercial mouthwashes that you are exposing your general health to danger and your environment to slow ruin?  Yes, you are.

Health Effects

Commercial mouthwashes contain ingredients that have no business coming into contact with your mouth. You have formaldehyde, polysorbate, sodium lauryl sulfate and cetylpyridinium chloride to contend with in mouthwashes, all of which produce harmful reactions in the human body.

Sodium lauryl sulfate and its derivatives, which are used to provide foam to mouthwashes, soaps and shampoos, are even worse.  You can experience eye and scalp irritation as well as swelling of the hands, face and arms especially for highly sensitive people.

Environmental Effects

The same ingredients are also harmful to the environment especially when concentrated in large pools.  Yes, not only do you harm your body but you also harm the planet on which your body takes its sustenance from.

Once you spit out the mouthwash into the drain, it will travel down the sewage system and then on to the oceans.  It will then form part of the millions of other individuals’ used mouthwashes to form cesspools of chemicals that are highly toxic to aquatic organisms.  And you should know by now how connected we are to the life forms of the seas.

Eco-Friendly Mouthwashes

Fortunately, you need not sacrifice your oral health for the sake of environmental health.  You have many options in making your own homemade, eco-friendly and affordable mouthwashes.  Here are some ideas:

- Mix in ordinary table salt with lukewarm water.  Use for final rinse and for gargling as well as to fight off minor infections and bad breath.
- Combine a glass of tap water with about a half teaspoon of baking soda.  It will neutralize the effects of acidic bacteria that cause halitosis.
- Mix together I cup of warm water with 1 teaspoon of salt and hydrogen peroxide.  It will serve as a homemade mouthwash and teeth whitener.
- If you are into herbal preparations, bring to a boil about 3 cups of distilled water, turn off the heat, add 1 teaspoon each of rosemary leaves and anise seeds as well as 1 fresh mint leaf, and then let it cool for about 20 minutes.  Strain the plant material and use as mouthwash.  You can make larger quantities – just increase the proportions – by adding a teaspoon of tincture of myrrh as natural preservative.

Becoming healthy means taking care of the environment’s health, too. You should remember that, ultimately, our health as human beings rest on the health of the planet we live in.