Oil pulling is a great way to clean your mouth from toxins and bacteria.
This ancient Ayurvedic practice of swishing oil in your mouth has gained a lot of popularity in recent years.
In today’s article I talk about the health benefits of oil pulling and why you should really give this a try if you haven’t yet. I will also explain how to make your own DIY coconut oil pulling cubes with essential oils.
What is oil pulling?
Oil pulling or Kavala Gandusha originated in India.
It helps detoxify your mouth and whole body by simply swishing a natural oil in your mouth.
You pull the oil between your teeth and around your mouth for 15-20 minutes and then spit it out. Afterwards you brush your teeth as usual.
Oil pulling helps remove bacteria and plaque. It helps maintain healthy teeth and gums, reduces tooth decay, whitens teeth and freshen your breath.
Sounds amazing right? Wait, there is more.
Oil pulling also helps your whole body detox. According to Ayurveda as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine, each part of the tongue represents a different organ such as the heart, stomach, colon and kidneys.
When you keep your mouth clean, it helps keep your whole body clean and to maintain a healthy immune system.
Regular oil pulling can help boost your immune system, improve your skin, reduce inflammation, minimize headaches and give you more energy.
How to oil pull
I’ve been oil pulling for 5+ years now and the benefits are amazing.
Some of the things I’ve noticed are a cleaner mouth and teeth, less sensitive gums and less frequent dental checkups.
Oil pulling is easy but you might need some time to adjust to it, so start at an easy pace.
I oil pull every morning on an empty stomach before I wash my mouth and clean my teeth.
While you can use different oils for oil pulling such as sesame oil, coconut oil is especially suitable for oil pulling due to its strong antimicrobial properties.
I oil pull with organic virgin coconut oil, the same one I use for cooking and my skin and hair.
You can just scoop it out of the jar and put it in your mouth.
Start out with a small amount such as one teaspoon.
Gently swish the oil in your mouth and between your teeth.
You can begin with 5-10 minutes and build it up to 20 minutes.
Make sure not to swallow the oil. When you’re done, spit the oil out in the trash and rinse your mouth well, then brush it as usual.
I give more tips and tricks about oil pulling here.
You can also make your own DIY coconut oil pulling cubes with essential oils.
Oils such as clove and thyme are great for oral hygiene. Peppermint oil also adds some nice freshness to it.
Make sure to use essential oils that are suitable for internal use and can be ingested.
Coconut oil pulling cubes with essential oils
Ingredients:
1/2 cup / 125 ml organic virgin coconut oil
5 drops clove essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops thyme essential oil
Melt the coconut oil au bain marie in a bowl placed in a pan with shimmering water.
Once it’s fully melted, you can remove the bowl and mix in the essential oils.
Pour the mixture into silicon molds with shapes big enough to hold between 1 tsp and 1 tbsp of coconut oil.
Put the mold in the fridge so the cubes can solidify.
Once the cubes are solid, pop them out of the molds into a jar or container.
Use one cube each time for oil pulling.
These DIY coconut oil pulling cubes with essential oils in a jar also make a cool gift to get someone familiar with oil pulling!
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Note: some natural ingredients such as coconut oil melt at higher temperatures. Their properties stay the same and you can put these DIY coconut oil pulling cubes with essential oils in the fridge for an hour to solidify.
Just make sure to use a container that protects the content from leaking, especially if you carry it with you in your bag.
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