Lavender essential oil can be used to fragrance your home, your clothes, your skin and did you know that it can also be used to help keep your breath sweet smelling too? We all know that the fateful ‘morning breath’ can sometimes strike, but usually a quick trip to the bathroom and a good brush of the teeth sorts out any pre-breakfast breath unpleasantness without too much of a problem. But what if you, or someone you know, suffers from a bit more of a lingering issue? What can you do if Halitosis strikes? Lavender, that’s what!
Halitosis (bad breath) is often caused by a build-up of bacteria in a person’s mouth; on their teeth, gums, and tongue. As these bacteria combine with saliva they work to break down trapped particles of food and proteins, during this process the bacteria release gasses which are unpleasant smelling. Halitosis can also be caused by eating certain foods such as onions, garlic, and spices and by consuming strong-smelling drinks such as coffee and alcohol. Bad breath can also be the result of smoking and undertaking crash diets, such as low carbohydrate diets which cause the body to break down fat, which produces chemicals called ketones that can be smelt on the breath.
So what can you do to avoid or eradicate halitosis, and how can lavender help?
First it’s all about keeping an excellent oral hygiene routine to ensure that there aren’t any particles of food left in your mouth for the bacteria to feast upon. So that means brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes and flossing in between the teeth. You can also help to keep your mouth super-dooper clean with the addition of a little of our amazing lavender essential oil.
Lavender essential oil can be used to create a fantastic natural mouthwash, by simply adding a few drops of lavender oil to water and using this to rinse out your mouth and to gargle. Lavender oil has antibacterial properties and so can help to kill any bacteria that remain in your mouth after brushing and flossing (you can also use your lavender mouthwash to help to treat sore throats and other throat infections, as the antibacterial properties can help to kill the bacteria causing these). And of course lavender has a gorgeous natural fragrance that will leave your breath sweet smelling straight away.
This natural mouthwash can also be advantageous over commercially available mouthwashes, as many of these contain high levels of alcohol which, yes helps to kill the bacteria, but can be a cause of bad breath itself. Alcohol is a diuretic which dries up the saliva needed to break down and rinse away bacteria and so can end up making the problem worse.
So why not try adding a homemade lavender mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine?
