This simple, effective mouthwash will not only save you a lot of money compared to the purchase of most commercial or store bought mouthwash products, even more importantly, unlike 99% of said products, it does not contain any harsh chemicals, alcohol derivatives or other dubious ingredients that can get absorbed into the bloodstream through the gum tissue, jeopardise the healthy microflora of the mouth, or problematise healthy mineralisation of the teeth themselves.
To make 1 litre of mouthwash you will need:
The cleanest water you can get. A good quality spring water is best, followed by distilled, shungite/charcoal filtered or reverse osmosis.
1 heaped tablespoon of natural magnesium chloride flakes (you can purchase here).
1 flat tablespoon of high quality natural sea salt here (these are two of the very best).
10 - 20 drops of essential oils of your preference (depending on strength and desired strength). Recommended are clove, fennel, peppermint, spearmint, lavender, frankincense and rose. Choose 1-3 oils. This is by no means, a comprehensive list, merely a start. There are a good 50 other essential oils that can be used effectively for your oral health.
Step 1: Warm or boil the water. Add the two types of salts and stir occasionally with a clean fork until fully dissolved.
Step 2: Wait until temperature is safe and pleasant to the touch, and then vigorously stir in your essential oils.
Step 3: Immediately pour into a bottle (or couple of bottles), ideally, glass. Metal bottles are not recommended as the salts can interfere with the metal. Congratulations you have made your own natural mouthwash.
How to use: Simply swill the appropriate amount for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Though most people naturally use mouthwash after brushing, twice a day, or whenever they need to freshen-up, another excellent time to use our homemade magnesium and sea salt mouthwash is after eating, especially the eating of sugary, sweet or acidic foods, so as to reset and re-alkalise the mouth. As a result, you will enjoy decanting into a smaller bottle so you can keep in your handbag when out and about.
How does the mouthwash work?
Salt-water rinses have been used for thousands of years to ameliorate oral infections. Natural sea salt sterilises, cleans and alkalises, providing a better environment for remineralisation to occur, especially when a suitable diet is selected. Magnesium chloride salt alkalises and assists to prevent and ward off gingivitis and plaque, whilst strengthening tooth enamel density and hardness. Most people are aware that sufficient calcium is critical for healthy bone density and hardness, but relatively few seem aware of the equally fundamental role that magnesium plays in bone synthesis, formation and density. In short, if magnesium is not supplied in correct balance with calcium, then teeth enamel will naturally be softer and more prone to cavities. The magnesium ions that are released when magnesium chloride flakes are dissolved have been shown to increase the micro hardness of tooth enamel over time, and, as a wonderful side benefit both aesthetic and structural - it helps to naturally whiten the shade of teeth too. When magnesium chloride is swilled in the mouth, magnesium ions are literally released into the oral cavity, travelling into the tubules of the teeth, and also sublingually through tongue and through gum tissue into the bloodstream to feed magnesium into the body.
Kyle Vialli (2025)
