Do you make your own mouthwash? First off, we’re so happy you’re taking a step in the right direction (aka, away from the big-brand chemical mouthwashes that have dominated the market for so long). If you’re into homemade mouthwash, that probably means you’ve seen through the promises of conventional mouthwash. Maybe you’ve discovered a few ingredients in name brands that are not-so-great for your mouth, your body, or the planet. So you’ve taken it upon yourself to come up with a better solution, and we truly admire that.

At Davids, we’ve done the same thing. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to formulate an incredible natural mouthwash that nurtures your oral microbiome, your body, and the planet. (But keep that between us, since we haven’t quite launched it yet.) The truth is, we’ve spent so much time perfecting our natural mouthwash that we simply can’t wait to talk about it....and how it’s worth choosing over your DIY mouthwash.

what’s usually in homemade mouthwash?

You can find a lot of homemade mouthwash recipes out there for different concerns. The simple, catch-all recipes typically include some combination of filtered water, baking soda, and essential oils (such as peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, and tea tree).

You might also find recipes that add antioxidant ingredients such as cloves, thyme, turmeric, and aloe vera. Some DIY mouthwash recipes for specific concerns (such as “disinfectant” and “whitening”) might include ingredients like apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.

The truth is, there’s so much variation when it comes to homemade mouthwash. Although there might be some benefits to doing it yourself (like the ability to reuse your bottle or buy ingredients in bulk), you really have to understand exactly how each ingredient could impact your oral health in the long run. For example, too much hydrogen peroxide can lead to serious tooth and gum sensitivity. Too much apple cider vinegar can wear down your enamel from the sheer acidity of the vinegar. Even too many drops of essential oils can lead to burning and tingling!

To us, your long-term oral health is too important to risk by experimenting with different DIY recipes. That’s why we prefer ditching homemade mouthwash and leaving the formulation to the professionals.

the perks of leaving it to the professionals

The professionals (the right ones, at least) know exactly what concentration of each ingredient will support your long-term oral health, not damage it. This is not to say that all mouthwash is created equal. We’ll be the first to call out the concerns surrounding conventional mouthwash, as it can be full of alcohol, artificial dyes, harsh chemicals, and who-knows-what disguised under the label of “natural flavor.”

Be sure to consider that caveat when we say that the right professionals know exactly how to formulate a natural mouthwash that will nurture your oral microbiome. Finding a trusty natural mouthwash just requires a little effort and label reading (more on that in the next section).

When you leave the mouthwash making to the professionals, not only do they know exactly how to formulate it, but they have access to the best ingredients! Ingredient quality and sourcing truly matter, and experienced professionals have way more sourcing opportunities than the average person. At your local store, you’re limited to what’s on the shelf. Even with the accessibility of online shopping, it can be hard to know exactly where ingredients come from or how they’ve been processed. In the context of natural mouthwash, the importance of sourcing shines through a few very specific ingredients.

• xylitol: some xylitol comes from corn and beets, but at Davids, we use a premium US-produced xylitol derived from birch trees. It’s the best option for you and the environment!
• hydroxyapatite: not all natural mouthwash contains hydroxyapatite, but it’s in your best interest to seek it out! The particle size (and concentration) of the hydroxyapatite can play a huge role in the safety and efficacy of the ingredient. At Davids, our hydroxyapatite particle size and concentration produce noticeable positive results, and our third-party lab tests prove it!
• premium essential oils: essential oils have a wide spectrum of quality. The essential oils we use at Davids come from reliable suppliers around the US, and we combine them in a way that creates incredible flavor profiles and antibacterial properties.

Not to mention, we always ensure the ingredients we source ethically and sustainably. This isn’t the case for many ingredients you might come across in your DIY oral care projects!

how to choose your natural mouthwash

First, here are a few tips you can keep in mind to spot and secure the natural mouthwash in the colorful sea of conventional products.

• Make sure the mouthwash you choose is clear, not bright blue, purple, yellow or green.
• Check how long the ingredient list is. Is it so long it’s making you go cross-eyed? Can you decipher the ingredients or not?
• See if it claims to kill 99.9% of anything. We don’t want that.
• Look out for glaring warnings. Does it say, “Do not use in children under X.”? This is a sure sign to step away from that option.
• Is the cap child-proof? This is another sure sign it’s not the safest option.

Now let’s cover how to choose the best natural mouthwash of the bunch. As you might know, we’re huge fans of xylitol and hydroxyapatite. These two incredible ingredients work together as a remineralizing dream team, and we want to make sure your teeth are getting a regular healthy dose of remineralization to fight sensitivity and tooth decay. As xylitol works to increase saliva production and starve the bad bacteria in your mouth, the hydroxyapatite particles weave into microscopic “holes” in your enamel to rebuild them at the foundation.

In other words, we encourage you to search for a natural mouthwash that contains xylitol and hydroxyapatite along with delicious mint oils, moistening vegetable glycerin, and neutralizing baking soda. Stay tuned in the coming months for a special announcement from us about an incredible new natural mouthwash! Until then, you can stock up on our sensitive + whitening toothpaste, formulated with xylitol and hydroxyapatite.

buy now.