How Oil Pulling Can Change Your Life

The first time I ever heard about oil pulling, I wanted to gag. As if keeping mouthwash in your mouth for two minutes isn't agony enough. When I heard that oil pulling required a solid 20 minutes of swishing and pressing the oil through your teeth, I thought, forget about it!

Well, I decided just to do it. I'll be honest: I couldn’t do the entire 20 minutes. I had to break it down into two sets of 10.

For those of you who have never heard of oil pulling, you’re probably wondering what the heck I am babbling about.

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that uses pure oils to pull nasty crap from your throat, gums and teeth. Did you know our mouths are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria? All of those little buggers can apparently grow in your mouth. Gross, right?

So, if care at all about your oral hygiene (and your breath, for that matter), you should really try oil pulling. This practice works. It’s the real deal.

You may still be skeptical, but hear me out.

Wow. Who knew? But you know me. I’m an essential oil freak, so I have them all at home anyway, so oil pulling is simple and easy to do.

Basic Recipe for Oil Pulling:

1 tsp of organic sesame oil, organic coconut oil or sunflower oil

Combine with a single drop of essential oil (this is optional, and be sure you're using a high-quality essential oil).

How To Oil Pull:

Once you've added the essential oil to the carrier oil, stir and place 1 teaspoon of the oil in your mouth. It doesn't taste as bad or weird as you might think, and the essential oils help with flavor.

Set a timer. First time? Shoot for 10 minutes.

Try this first thing in the morning before you eat. Once you have the oils in your mouth, hop in the shower or check your emails to pass the time.

Start swishing the oils around in your mouth. No need to get rigorous. Remember, you have at least 10 minutes!

Try to push the oil through your teeth; in the beginning it won't feel like enough liquid, but once it mixes with your saliva you'll have enough to keep swishing.

Some people ask why they need so swish for so long. You must swish for 10-20 minutes so the oil has time to actually absorb the toxins and bacteria from your mouth and throat.

Try to build up to 20 minutes.

Once you hit your time limit, spit out the oil and rinse your mouth with raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. IMPORTANT: Don't swallow any of the oil. It's FULL of TOXINS.

Immediately brush your teeth afterward; rinsing your mouth thoroughly is key.

If you're prone to bad breath, oral hygiene issues, tonsil stones or allergies, you might want to make oil pulling your new best friend. I've done it, and I'm sure you can, too.