# Essential Oils in Mouthwash



## smeetree (Nov 27, 2014)

I've been making a homemade mouthwash of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary EO. Just wondering if you guys think these are safe to swish around in the mouth? It is hard to find good data on the safety of EOs.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 27, 2014)

smeetree said:


> I've been making a homemade mouthwash of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary EO. Just wondering if you guys think these are safe to swish around in the mouth? It is hard to find good data on the safety of EOs.



I only would if it's food grade personally.  Also I would dilute it quite a bit, I don't go above 10% EO.  I use food grade peppermint oil for my homemade toothpaste.


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## smeetree (Nov 27, 2014)

Earthen_Step said:


> I only would if it's food grade personally.  Also I would dilute it quite a bit, I don't go above 10% EO.  I use food grade peppermint oil for my homemade toothpaste.



I dilute it with 2 cups of water to ~ 1 tablespoon peppermint, and 1 teaspoon of the other two. Do you think that's safe? I use the Now Foods brand.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 27, 2014)

Now foods has some non-food grade from what I have seen.  I would personally call that dilution safe and would use it.  I put in about 1 tbs for 1/2 cup of my toothpaste.  If they label it as *GRAS then it is considered safe internally.  Some companies will just call it "food grade."

*Generally recognized as safe


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## DeeAnna (Nov 27, 2014)

I'd say you're pushing far past the limits of what I personally would be comfortable putting into my mouth, if only considering the issue of overly intense flavor. I wouldn't dream of putting 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract in 2 cups of frosting to cover a whole sheet cake. And peppermint EO is considerably more concentrated than extract.

Furthermore, these EOs will not dissolve in the carrier you're using -- water I assume -- so you're going to get a variable dose of EOs unless you're really careful to agitate the mixture before use or use a solubilizer. 

I hope you store this safely away from young fingers -- ingesting eucalyptus has caused serious illness and even been fatal to children. I can see some potential for harm in adults too. According to Robert Tisserand in Essential Oil Safety, "... Eucalyptus oil appears to be more toxic in humans than would be expected from the animal data..." Severe illness has occurred in adults who ingested as little as 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. Tisserand also reports rosemary can cause mouth ulcers. I know you're not swallowing these EOs, but you are applying them to delicate, porous mucous membranes, not just to regular skin, and you're doing this on a regular basis if you use this mouthwash at least daily, as most people do.

I have to ask the obvious -- If you're already using this mouthwash, why are you ~now~ asking about safety? Just because it's "natural" doesn't mean it's safe.


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## JustBeachy (Nov 27, 2014)

I'm with Deanna on this one and sorta confused. In other posts you have stated concerns about what to put on your skin, yet here you're putting stuff in your mouth. And in amounts that can't really be quantified, due to solubility?  No offense, but I would be way more concerned of this, than anything on my skin. Both will allow absorption, but there's a reason some vitamins are made to be sublingual as opposed to a skin rub. 

It may not be a problem, but then again, it might. I'd err on the side of caution.


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## smeetree (Nov 27, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> I'd say you're pushing far past the limits of what I personally would be comfortable putting into my mouth, if only considering the issue of overly intense flavor. I wouldn't dream of putting 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract in 2 cups of frosting to cover a whole sheet cake. And peppermint EO is considerably more concentrated than extract.
> 
> Furthermore, these EOs will not dissolve in the carrier you're using -- water I assume -- so you're going to get a variable dose of EOs unless you're really careful to agitate the mixture before use or use a solubilizer.
> 
> I hope you store this safely away from young fingers -- ingesting eucalyptus has caused serious illness and even been fatal to children. I can see some potential for harm in adults too. According to Robert Tisserand in Essential Oil Safety, "... Eucalyptus oil appears to be more toxic in humans than would be expected from the animal data..." Severe illness has occurred in adults who ingested as little as 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. Tisserand also reports rosemary can cause mouth ulcers. I know you're not swallowing these EOs, but you are applying them to delicate, porous mucous membranes, not just to regular skin, and you're doing this on a regular basis if you use this mouthwash at least daily, as most people do.



I'm just asking about safety now because I never realized EOs could be dangerous until recently. I see there's controversy over it the more I read so I wanted to hear opinions.

So I do shake it well each time I use it, so the amount swishing in the mouth should be relatively the same each time and diluted. I also researched commercial "natural" mouthwash, and they mainly use eucalyptus. 

Do you think using less of each oil in the 2 cups would be safer? Maybe just make it less potent? Many commercial mouthwashes use alcohol, which is probably much more toxic than EOs, and people seem to think they are fine. I wanted to try EOs because I don't think alcohol is fine to put in the mouth...


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## mel z (Nov 28, 2014)

Hi smeetree. I thought about this once, but I got too scared. I thought about it because of the ingredients in Dr. Tichenor's Peppermint Mouthwash. Here are the ingredients:

Active Ingredients

Alcohol SD 38B70%

Inactive Ingredients

Water , Oil of Peppermint , Arnica Montana (Montana Flower)

To use it you are supposed to dilute one part mouthwash to five parts water.

I was a bit leery to try as I am uncertain of an sort of reaction. There is also some sort of FDA issue with it. Not sure if it is because of it's "medicinal" claims, or if there are other issues. Here is a link to that:

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2011/ucm251938.htm

With that said, I simply decided to skip trying my own, and buy some smaller mouthwashes to try until I find one I like. Be safe, and let us know what you may discover!


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## DeeAnna (Nov 28, 2014)

"...Many commercial mouthwashes use alcohol, which is probably much more toxic than EOs, and people seem to think they are fine..."

Um, okkaaaaayyyyy..... Take a class from a qualified teacher in essential oil safety and use and see what you think after the class.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 28, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> I'd say you're pushing far past the limits of what I personally would be comfortable putting into my mouth, if only considering the issue of overly intense flavor. I wouldn't dream of putting 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract in 2 cups of frosting to cover a whole sheet cake. And peppermint EO is considerably more concentrated than extract.



I started off with 1 tsp in my 1/2 to 1 cup of toothpaste blend and barely could notice it in there.  I moved it up 1 tsp at a time until 3 and it was perfect. This is an estimation -- I make my toothpaste like I make my food no precise measuring.  Personally I would just go by flavor for peppermint EO, especially since you aren't completely ingesting it.  You will absorb quite a bit in your mouth. But I would be surprised if it's over 25%, you sure can smell it strongly in what you spit out.  I put far more repulsive and possibly deadly food in my mouth fairly often and swallow it into my belly for digestion. You probably do as well -- search around for foods/additives that cause cancer, heart disease and other ailments.  I'm not very worried about the levels of peppermint EO i'm absorbing through my toothpaste. I would also happily use a mouthwash I make at the levels that taste appropriate  (as long as it's food grade).  



smeetree said:


> I'm just asking about safety now because I never realized EOs could be dangerous until recently. I see there's controversy over it the more I read so I wanted to hear opinions.



I can't easily find safe levels of peppermint oil to ingest.  But, like I said above I would not put any EO in my mouth that was not labeled as "GRAS" or "Food Grade".  If I find any legit documentation on safe levels I'll post it here.  I will dig around a little more through the day, so far I'm not finding anything scientific.

BTW I have never seen food grade Eucalyptus EO.  It does exist but none of the manufacturers I frequent carry it.

*I have only made the toothpaste twice now and it's great at cleaning the slow buildup that occurs, to me at least, while using store toothpastes.  I make it with coconut oil, baking soda, sea salt, and peppermint EO.


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## smeetree (Nov 28, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> "...Many commercial mouthwashes use alcohol, which is probably much more toxic than EOs, and people seem to think they are fine..."
> 
> Um, okkaaaaayyyyy..... Take a class from a qualified teacher in essential oil safety and use and see what you think after the class.



I mean when diluted properly. from everything I've read there's a pretty strong correlation with alcohol mouthwash and oral cancer. My dentist told me not to use ones with alcohol.


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## smeetree (Nov 28, 2014)

Earthen_Step said:


> *I have only made the toothpaste twice now and it's great at cleaning the slow buildup that occurs, to me at least, while using store toothpastes.  I make it with coconut oil, baking soda, sea salt, and peppermint EO.



That sounds like a great toothpaste, and one I considered making. I have a hard time figuring the abrasiveness scale because baking soda is very low, yet many claim it strips enamel. Yet they don't say this about toothpastes that are much higher on the scale. This could be big industry trying to hide data, but I'm not sure what is up. Have you noticed any issues with baking soda on your enamel? How does it feel? Abrasive or no? I've read calcium carbonate is also excellent and alkaline.


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## smeetree (Nov 28, 2014)

Earthen_Step said:


> I started off with 1 tsp in my 1/2 to 1 cup of toothpaste blend and barely could notice it in there.  I moved it up 1 tsp at a time until 3 and it was perfect. This is an estimation -- I make my toothpaste like I make my food no precise measuring.  Personally I would just go by flavor for peppermint EO, especially since you aren't completely ingesting it.  You will absorb quite a bit in your mouth. But I would be surprised if it's over 25%, you sure can smell it strongly in what you spit out.  I put far more repulsive and possibly deadly food in my mouth fairly often and swallow it into my belly for digestion. You probably do as well -- search around for foods/additives that cause cancer, heart disease and other ailments.  I'm not very worried about the levels of peppermint EO i'm absorbing through my toothpaste.



That's a good point that we eat things that are far worse. Think of the "pink slime" fiasco from a year ago. But just simple things like sugar (malt dextrose is notorious for glycemic spikes, for example, which is linked to diabetes, etc). After reading this thread, though, I added another cup of water to my mouthwash. Next batch I'll use 2.5 cups and then add less EOs. 

The eucalyptus mouthwash I saw was actually at a dentist office in LA. They were a fancy place that pampered you with foot rubs during dental cleanings (lol). Anyway I asked about it and they said it was a new product yada yada, so I looked at the ingredients and eucalyptus was the 2nd after water. I told her I had just begun making mouthwash with that so it was a relief to know a commercial product contained it (stupid since commercial products contain many things that kill us, but it was a false sense of security).

Would steeping eucalyptus leaves into water be a better idea? We actually have many of those trees where I live in California.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 28, 2014)

smeetree said:


> That sounds like a great toothpaste, and one I considered making. I have a hard time figuring the abrasiveness scale because baking soda is very low, yet many claim it strips enamel. Yet they don't say this about toothpastes that are much higher on the scale. This could be big industry trying to hide data, but I'm not sure what is up. Have you noticed any issues with baking soda on your enamel? How does it feel? Abrasive or no? I've read calcium carbonate is also excellent and alkaline.



I haven't noticed any problems at all.  I have sensitivity issues and have for years.  I brushed way too hard when I was a kid and have a lightly receded gum-line.  Cold used to hurt my teeth so bad it was insane.  I talked to a few dentists and have now figured out a pretty good system.  I switched to a very soft bristle brush "Nimbus" and I switched to toothpaste for sensitive teeth.  It's been some months now that I have been using the homemade toothpaste and my teeth are doing great.  I still use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth 2-3x a week in attempts to keep my enamel stronger.  I don't know what would happen if I only used the stuff I make, I may get terrible sensitivity issues again.  I have a friend who says he cant use baking soda because it strips his enamel, but I haven't noticed it.


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## Earthen_Step (Nov 28, 2014)

smeetree said:


> Would steeping eucalyptus leaves into water be a better idea? We actually have many of those trees where I live in California.



I don't know really, but I personally would try it.  I'm adventurous on myself .  You could also try to make an Eucalyptus hydrosl for your base instead of water, then add the rest of your blend of Peppermint and Rosemary.

How to make hydrosol without fancy equipment:
http://www.sustaincreateandflow.com/how-to-make-rosewater-and-other-hydrosols/

http://mamarosemary.com/blog/2013/07/26/how-to-make-a-hydrosol

http://dandelionessherbals.blogspot.com/2013/08/do-it-yourself-hydrosols-making-and.html


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## smeetree (Nov 28, 2014)

Good info, thanks. 

Technically we do not even need toothpaste. We can brush just with water. The brush itself is abrasive enough to remove food, then we floss between the teeth. The most important part of the tooth to clean is right at the gumline. This is where, if food goes under the gum, bacteria will grow and the gum will recede. The rest of the tooth can contain plaque/tartar without a problem. On the rest of the tooth you just want to avoid leaving sugar or food particles that can cause decay. There are also good bacteria that grow in the mouth, and the alcohol based mouthwashed tend to strip indiscriminately. This is one reason I wanted to try EO mouthwash. It feels more gentle...no burning. But we don't even need mouthwash...it just makes the mouth feel fresh but nothing else, really, unless you get into the RX ones that claim to stave off gum recession.


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## mel z (Nov 28, 2014)

smee;

Be careful with eucalyptus. Some excerpts from webmd.com:

"Eucalyptus oil should not be taken by mouth or applied to the skin full-strength. It must be diluted for safety. The diluted oil is taken by mouth for pain and swelling (inflammation) of respiratory tract mucous membranes, coughs, bronchitis, sinus pain and inflammation, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory infections. It is also used as an expectorant to loosen coughs, antiseptic, fever reducer, and in vaporizer fluids. Other uses include treatment of wounds, burns, ulcers, and cancer."

"In dentistry, eucalyptus oil is included in products used as sealers and solvents for root canal fillings."

I did try adding some spearmint once to Lysterine, but, I got scared, it was strong, and I was uncertain of the source.

Best bet would be growing fresh mints of different varieties and chewing the leaves before brushing. If in an apartment and no sun, you can buy mint sprigs in the salad section if you want, but they seem to be flavorless to me. So, a grow light and perhaps warming pad if cold there, would be fine. Mint grows like crazy in a humid condition, and a long and deep trough like planter would be better. Mint roots are like ferns, they are runners.

I'm still curios about homemade mouthwash, so I will keep reading along.


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## smeetree (Nov 28, 2014)

mel z said:


> smee;
> 
> Be careful with eucalyptus. Some excerpts from webmd.com:
> 
> "Eucalyptus oil should not be taken by mouth or applied to the skin full-strength. It must be diluted for safety. The diluted oil is taken by mouth for pain and swelling (inflammation)



So it sounds like it's okay if diluted. The question is just how much.


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## mel z (Nov 29, 2014)

smeetree said:


> So it sounds like it's okay if diluted. The question is just how much.



That is my take. And, Dr. Tichenor's has been around a long time. Unfortunately I look up every ingredient, even xylitol is known to cause cancer. So, I leave you a Joe Jackson song "Everything Gives You Cancer". 

And I may experiment when I make my own, or a company states food grade, most don't for good reason, so make your own. In the old days birch branches were tooth brushes, and xylitol (spelling) can be made from birch and other things according to the non specific labels.

If I had fresh Eucalyptus, I would try one day. If I got high, I would know I was not a koala bear, lol, lol, lol.


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## smeetree (Nov 29, 2014)

mel z said:


> That is my take. And, Dr. Tichenor's has been around a long time. Unfortunately I look up every ingredient, even xylitol is known to cause cancer. So, I leave you a Joe Jackson song "Everything Gives You Cancer".
> 
> And I may experiment when I make my own, or a company states food grade, most don't for good reason, so make your own. In the old days birch branches were tooth brushes, and xylitol (spelling) can be made from birch and other things according to the non specific labels.
> 
> If I had fresh Eucalyptus, I would try one day. If I got high, I would know I was not a koala bear, lol, lol, lol.



Yeah we need to keep in mind Native tribes around the world uses their local plants. Here's an article on it.

http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/how-the-rest-of-the-world-brushes-their-teeth

That isn't a fantastic source or anything, but it gives an idea what simpler cultures use. We're probably fine diluting the EOs and rinsing. I think I once saw Survivorman use manzanita and sweet gum tree to clean his teeth. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Dgd1-Gbp0[/ame]

In the Africa episode he used something else called creosote. You can read about that on here. http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/chaparral.pdf
You can see it is used as a mouthwash.


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