
Natural mouthwash: Does it work?
Botanical and natural products have seen a rise in popularity in many aspects of healthcare, including oral health. However, there still remains a certain cynicism around natural ingredients and products. Can they really be as effective as the synthetic alternatives cooked up by commercial companies?
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to this as we are constantly learning, discovering and rediscovering the benefits and disadvantages of both natural and synthetic ingredients. Where mouthwash is concerned, though, there is some interesting evidence emerging that natural is the way to go.
Does natural mouthwash work?
This depends very much on which one you are using and what you expect a mouthwash to do. A cosmetic mouthwash will do little more than rinse the mouth and freshen the breath. A therapeutic mouthwash can help to fight bacteria, reduce and prevent plaque, protect gums and keep a balanced pH and happy oral microbiome.
It is certainly possible to find an array of natural ingredients that can do just this. In fact, often natural ingredients have the benefit of causing fewer adverse reactions.
It has been proven through case studies that mouthwashes that contain alcohol (ethanol) can actually cause bad breath to worsen as it dries out the mouth. Similarly, chlorhexidine used for receding gums was found to cause staining and an increase in tartar amongst frequent users.
Natural alternatives to synthetic compounds such as aloe vera or ginseng were found to be just as effective and with the benefits of fewer adverse effects on both the mouth and the environment.
Does natural mouthwash fight bacteria?
This can depend on the ingredients. Some mouthwashes work mostly to refresh breath. Look for natural ingredients such as aloe vera, and botanical extracts that can fight plaque and bacteria. There are an ever-increasing number of studies to back up this claim. That is not to say that commercial mouthwashes don’t fight bacteria. They do, but some of the chemicals tend to be strong, and can potentially leave the whole mouth with damage to cheek and gum tissue.
Natural ingredients vs synthetic ingredients
Given the obvious benefits of natural mouthwashes, it begs the question; why even use synthetic ingredients?
Largely, this comes down to money. It is much cheaper to mass-produce mouthwash made of synthetic ingredients than it is to harvest them from organic plants. This inevitably has an impact on the environment in terms of toxic wastes and carbon emissions.
It could be argued that the existing cynicism surrounding natural products has been perpetuated by commercial manufacturers and used to generate mistrust in their overall effectiveness.
On the other hand, research in this area is relatively new and ongoing. It’s encouraging to see natural ingredients holding up to scientific scrutiny.
Should I use a natural mouthwash?
It is always worth looking at what ingredients are used in any of your oral care products. Whilst any adverse effects were minimal in comparison to commercial mouthwash, it’s important to take into account allergies and other health conditions.
The research leans very much towards natural mouthwash as the best choice for your mouth and for the planet!
Sources
Davis RH, Donato JJ, Hartman GM, Haas RC (1994) Anti-inflammatory and wound healing activity of a growth substance in Aloe vera. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc
Swathi Vangipuram, Abhishek Jha, and Mamtha Bhashyam (2016) Comparative efficacy of aloe vera mouthwash and chlorhexidine on periodontal health: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry
Bushra Karim et al, (2014) Effect of Aloe vera mouthwash on periodontal health: triple blind randomized control trial. Oral Health Dent Manag
Nadeem Jeddy, Shivani Ravi, T Radhika, and L J Sai, Lakshmi (2018) Comparison of the efficacy of herbal mouth rinse with commercially available mouth rinses: A clinical trial. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
Let customers speak for us
from 1484 reviewsReally amazing product , I’m trying my hardest to be free from any fluoride intake within toothpaste and to find a company who does this all natural and without fluoride !it’s just perfect for me . Will keep on buying here now !

Really helped my bleeding gums, been great for me!. A bit messy when using my electric toothbrush but as long as it improves my gum health l don’t care.
I’ll definitely continue using these products. Thank you.

I love it! I have quite bad gum disease and the combination of the paste and the probiotic mouthwash is really helping the inflammation. Thankyou 😊

Have been using Truthpaste mouthwash for less than a month have noticed the difference to my sore gums and tongue. I will definitely be buying this product again.

You must try this - highly recommend.

Just started using it and like the feel it leaves. Im hoping it helps with oral microbiome...

Original: Peppermint & Wintergreen (100ml)

Really is great
Gums happy and tastes good

My mouth , teeth and gums have never felt this good . Clean . My gums calm . No sensitivity . Smells and tastes so fresh . 5* or more

Never liked cleaning my teeth! Sensitive teeth and gums the bane of my life. However enjoying the jar and spatula experience. Teeth feel very clean and polished to the tongue. However, slightly more sensitive as used to Sensodyne. Have you thought of adding clove to it to help with the sensitivity? Will keep using and trust my oral health will adapt.

I ordered some truthpaste to try after reading all the positive reviews. And I have not been disappointed! I’ve not had bleeding gums since I started using it, and it leaves my mouth feeling really clean and fresh. I also think the jar is going to last for ages! Really happy I gave this a try and will definitely be ordering more in the future ☺️

So it's been just over a year using truthpaste....I well not use anything else. My gums are better from using no fluoride mouthwash. Teeth feel much cleaner, not sensitive as did with a leading brand.

I’ve been using truthpaste for just over a week now and it has made such a difference. Previously I had problems with my gums bleeding and a sore tongue. It’s all settled down, even in this short period of time I can see and feel a real difference.I think my teeth look whiter too.

I've only been using this product for a week and already I can feel a huge difference in the cleanliness of my mouth. The flavour is wonderful and I am genuinely excited to brush my teeth!

Nice a refreshing. Good quality and worth subscribing monthly for this as an alternative to fluoride toothpaste.

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