When going on a meeting or interview or hosting people over, the thing you worry about most is bad breath. You don’t want your mouth to smell foul amid all this.
Bad breath is a very common oral hygiene issue that we address by stocking our bathroom cabinets with those bright coloured liquid bottles, and rinsing our mouths with them every time we step out. But did you know that these attractively packaged mouthwashes on the market are an overload of artificial colours, flavouring and chemicals whose benefits don’t last over a couple of hours, and you feel your stale, acrid breath returning?
Now there are several causes of bad breath also called halitosis, from poor dental hygiene, certain medication or ailments, overload of bacteria, to eating food that is laden with garlic, raw onion among others. A condition that needs to be addressed by a healthy mouthwash that does no long-term damage unlike the market ones that use ethyl alcohol as an important ingredient. This alcohol component some studies have found, though inconclusive, linked to oral cancer and the general weakening of gums if used over an extended period.
So instead of relying on these synthetic, alcohol-spiked mouthwashes, how about making your own inexpensive DIY mouthwash that just needs three ingredients, and your dental hygiene and bad breath are taken care of. The effects of this homemade mouthwash is long lasting. You will have fresh breath and healthy teeth and gums.
Ingredients:
2 Lemons
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1 1/2 tsp Honey
1 cup Warm water
Why Lemon: Lemon’s refreshing, citrus fragrance helps fight bad breath.
Why Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a more effective ingredient than mint to fight foul breath. While the effects of mint only last for a while, cinnamon on the other hand fights the odour-causing bacteria and refreshes your breath. One of the studies by the International Association of Dental Research found that those who chewed a cinnamon gum had a 50% decrease in oral bacteria as opposed to the ones that chewed mint.
Why Baking Soda: Baking soda helps whiten your teeth and even fights odour-causing bacteria.
Why Honey: Honey has antibacterial property that helps fight bacteria that causes foul breath, and not to mention, tastes great.
Method of Preparation:
Add the cinnamon powder into a jar, tip in the juice of two freshly squeezed lemon and then add honey to the mix. Now pour the warm water into the jar and blend well. Every time you wish to use it, swish about two tablespoon of the mouthwash for a full minute. Instantly you will have fresh breath and your bad breath will be history.
Image Credit: StyleCraze
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