After the wild popularity of my post on how to make toothpaste, I decided to give another go at a homemade recipe. This time I did a little digging and found out how to make natural and homemade mouthwash. I haven’t yet tried it myself, so you can be the guinea pig this time. 
What you need to make homemade mouthwash
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups distilled or mineral water
- 1 tsp fresh mint leaves
- 1 tsp rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp anise seeds
Steps to make your rosemary/mint mouthwash
- Boil the water, add herbs and seeds, infuse for 20 minutes.
- Cool, strain and use as a gargle/mouthwash. If you wish to make up a larger quantity, double or triple the recipe
- (Optional) Add 1 tsp of tincture of myrrh as a natural preservative.
- Enjoy the fact that you are no longer using store-bought chemical-based mouthwash.
Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? If you try making this mouthwash, let me know how you like it!
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Good idea, but I have to be honest. That sounds fairly disgusting (I absolutely hate cloves), Bob. However, would like to try this out with using a few different ingredients.
Well, let me know if you do and share your “improved” recipe with the rest of us
I have made a similar concoction using peppermint and thyme oil. Turned out pretty good though some people will probably hate the taste of thyme oil. Thyme oil is a serious antimicrobial agent though
Other flavoring oil options include, lavender oil, lemon oil, tea tree oil. All are pretty good at killing microorganisms.
I really liked your web-site until you mentioned using Vodka in the mouth wash. I really thought this was a Christian based web-site. I really need to tell my friends about this issue concerning this web-site. Dave
Get a grip Dave! You spit the stuff out! Store bought stuff is mostly alcohol too!
Garyatk,I understand,but I have to go to the store and buy the Vodka. I could never get myself to go out and buy Vodka,even though I will spit it out.Do you understand what a Christian witness is all about in the market place and at home? Dave
Dave, I initially thought the same as you, but I think it’s kind of harsh to judge a persons christianity and character based on something like this. I grew up in a house where drinking was NOT an option, so I see your view, but don’t let that turn you (or others) away from the site since there are so many other things to gain from it. You mentioned you really liked the site, so sometimes you have to forget the bad and just keep the good. I don’t know about you, but I even have to do that while watching TV!
I probably won’t be making my own mouthwash for the same reason you aren’t, but I have to stick up for Bob on this one.
Dave,
sorry that the article rubbed you the wrong way. Honestly, I never would have thought that anyone would be offended by the fact that alcohol is one of the ingredients. I guess I still have a lot to learn. But I will keep it in mind for next time – thanks for the feedback
Dave (and Rose),
Are you kidding me? Buying alcohol at the store will ruin your witness? The only people that are going to even bat an eyelash at you buying alcohol are other self-righteous “Christians.”
This is one of the big problems with the Church today. We major on minor issues (or in this case, non-issues) instead of really worrying about our true witness.
Instead of worrying about whether someone sees us buying alcohol, how about we walk in humility, purity, and the other fruits of the spirit. Then maybe they’ll want to know more about Christ and what makes us different.
It makes me sick that you have been brainwashed into thinking that way.
God save the Church.
austin,
just because i have a conviction about something that you don’t have a conviction about doesn’t mean that i am more legalistic. i also as a general rule don’t watch R rated movies. that is a personal choice and i don’t care if other people agree with me or not because it is really just between me and God. i have a personal conviction about buying alcohol and i just am not going to do it. i will not judge anyone who chooses to, but i do see value in following my conviction.
i’m not brainwashed, i can think for myself and i do see your point, i just choose to live my life differently.
Rose,
My comments weren’t really directed towards you and they shouldn’t have been. I respect your convictions.
If I could edit my response to take your name off I would.
no problem austin, i’m not upset of offended. i see both sides of it and just wanted to comment.
Who would have guessed a recipe for mouthwash would have started this much discussion?
Anyway, I think the thing I am learning here is that we have a wide variety of people hitting this site who have very different views. The point of this post obviously was not to start a debate, I just wanted to provide a helpful recipe. Sorry to Dave and anyone else who may have been offended by it, I will remember this in the future…
Well,Bob, it did not offend me , but…it did suprise me.
I won’t stop reading your site because of it ,but I too am concerned about how I appear before a lost world. Believe me, those not saved, KNOW that Christians abstain from alcohol.( If they are true to God’s Word.) How can I as, a Christian, witness to a lost person when he sees me….SIN! The Bible does say to avoid even the appearance of evil.
Jan,
Thanks for sharing, I appreciate your comments. I found another recipe for the mouthwash that has replaced the previous version. I wish I would have found this one in the first place
cardamom seeds can also be used as a “mint” …doesn’t taste bad either
Thanks for your thoughts Jan,Rose,Bob and Austin. I really don’t think I’m to legalistic. I really take my faith and my witness to heart.!!!!Yes I really will still be reading this Web-site.(it’s my favorite site) But it did bother me about buying Vodka at Walgreen’s while at the same time teaching Sunday school class(11&12th)to abstain from being part of this world. Don’t go overboard with this issue but let’s not go underboard with it either.I know that people who read this Web-site are probably already Christians. That’s why I like this site. We work so so so hard to be a witness in our community that the littlest thing like buying Vodka would put my students in a state of confusion about what we Christians stand for.Just my thoughts.Thanks,Dave
To Bob,Keep up the good work here on this web-site. I still love this web-site.I should’nt of voiced my thoughts.Thanks,Dave
Bob,
A good discussion never hurt anyone! Your site is great! I look forward to it daily! Thanks for the new recipe!
Jan
@Dave
Thanks for coming back to further explain your stance, brother. However, I believe the way you handled your 1st comment was a bit pharisaical with your hasty condemnation.
Bob’s post was for purely practical purposes. There was no evil intent. Nevertheless, if you feel that strongly about alcohol consumption/association, it may have been better to simply say that you wouldn’t be buying the vodka…or to have posted an alcohol-free recipe in its stead.
—————————-
Anyway, I felt so strongly about this that I’ve decided to start a thread on the forums. Seems like a subject worthy of discussion. It’s called Christians and Alcohol in the “Anything Goes” section.
Wow…. And all I wanted was the recipe !!
Bob – I mentioned this to my wife and she wanted to know if you had seen anything for natural shampoo’s and/or body soap?
@Joshua
I have a couple books that have some of these recipes I will take a look
I’m assuming, based on the comments, that you went back and changed the recipe. The recipe you have now appears to be for an infused herb water. It will probably taste pretty good but I’m not sure what qualifies it as mouthwash. Unless those herbs have some sort of anti-microbial properties of which I am unaware. Sure proves how in the blog world you never know which of your posts will get a big response!
I think you should keep in the essential oils, they do have anti-microbial properties. They will separate from the water without the alcohol to bond the two ingredients together but you can simply shake the mixture up before use.
Thanks for your contribution to Take Charge of Your Health Care Carnival. Am I missing something? I don’t see where alcohol is listed. It’s meant to be a mouthwash, so the alcohol should be okay as long as you don’t drink it.
Didn’t Jesus turn water into wine? Am I missing something? Well, I just wanted a mouthwash recipe and this is what Google produced. Sounds like a good recipe and I don’t care about alcohol. I don’t see what the big deal is (you know, for the whole aforementioned water into wine bit…)
@Mary:
No, the herbs don’t have anti-bacterial properties. That’s actually what the ALCOHOL is for! It kills the bacteria in your mouth that feed on sugars and excrete tooth weakening acids. The bacteria are the cause of bad breath and tooth decay. The alcohol kills them. There are other ways to kill the bacteria, using ingredients found in many of today’s mouthwashes (although it’s possible to just get “fluoride rinse”) but for a home recipe you really need alcohol. Otherwise the mouthwash doesn’t really do anything, and you might as well chew some mint gum and gargle with water instead.
Thank you Chelsea! Jesus did it and never said not to drink alcohol. I am a Christian, too. There are many Christian religions (most of them, actually) that do not forbid alcohol. I rarely drink, mostly because I don’t like the taste of all those things. Now, give me chocolate LOL!
Tim,
I know for a fact that Tea Tree Oil has anti-bacterial properties. I’m not sure about the others in the recipe.
Bob,
!
Great site
I see my reply is perhaps extremely late but it is brainwashing Dave. Did not Jesus himself drink alcohol on occasion? The problem with alcohol amongst other things is that it will effect your inhibitions, ‘this’ is why it is not good to drink it. But, it goes without saying that alcohol, at times is not bad for you.
Addiction of any kind is bad, and that includes addiction to the bible. After all, it’s a book written by men and to assume something written by men is perfect is..well..wrong. Especially considering God has not made anything perfect himself – “and it was good”
…Just some food for thought.