Home remedies for bad breath, such as clove tea, parsley leaves or propolis extract, have an antibacterial and refreshing action, helping to eliminate the bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath.
Bad breath can arise due to cavities, gingivitis or periodontitis, but it can also be caused by health problems such as sinusitis, sore throat, diabetes or liver or kidney failure. Find out all the causes of bad breath.
Although they cannot replace medical or dental treatment, home remedies are a good option to help improve bad breath and can be used to complement the treatment recommended by your doctor or dentist.
Some home remedy options for bad breath are:
1. Clove tea
Cloves are rich in essential oil and eugenol, which have an antiseptic and antibacterial action, helping to fight and eliminate bacteria that cause bad breath, in addition to being refreshing, keeping your breath fresh.
Ingredients
- 10 units of cloves;
- 1 cup of water.
Preparation mode
Put the cloves and water to boil for 5 minutes and cover. Wait for it to cool, strain and swish for 20 to 30 seconds, twice a day, after brushing your teeth. Spit out the tea afterwards.
Some studies show that propolis extract has antibacterial properties, which help eliminate bacteria that cause bad breath, in addition to inhibiting the production of sulfur compounds by bacteria, making it a good home remedy option for bad breath.
Ingredients
- 20 drops of propolis extract;
- 1 glass of warm water.
Preparation mode
Mix the ingredients and gargle 2 to 4 times a day, after brushing your teeth. Do not swallow the solution after rinsing your mouth.
3. Parsley leaves
Parsley leaves have a fresh aroma and a large amount of chlorophyll, which has antibacterial properties, helping to eliminate bacteria in the mouth that cause bad breath.
To use parsley for bad breath, you must chew the fresh leaves after each meal for a few minutes, and after chewing, rinse your mouth with water.
4. Eucalyptus infusion
Eucalyptus infusion is rich in eucalyptol, a substance with antibacterial and antiseptic action that helps to remove and eliminate bacteria in the mouth that produce sulfur compounds and cause bad breath.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon of chopped eucalyptus leaves;
- 1/2 cup of water.
Preparation mode
Put the water to boil and then the eucalyptus leaves in a cup covering with boiling water. Once warm, strain and use as a mouthwash 2 to 3 times a day.
5. Witch hazel extract tea
Witch hazel extract tea has an antibacterial effect, helping to eliminate bacteria from the mouth and combat bad breath, being especially useful for bad breath caused by a sore throat.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of witch hazel extract;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Add witch hazel extract to a cup of boiling water. Once warm, strain and use as a mouthwash 2 to 3 times a day, after brushing your teeth.
This tea should not be ingested, as it can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting or liver problems. Furthermore, it should not be used by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women.
6. Peppermint essential oil
Peppermint essential oil is rich in menthol and menthone, with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, which help eliminate bacteria that cause bad breath and keep your breath fresh.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 drops of peppermint essential oil;
- 1 glass of water.
Preparation mode
Add the drops of peppermint essential oil to the glass of water and mix. Swish your mouth for 30 to 40 seconds, 2 to 3 times a day, after brushing your teeth. Spit then.
7. Green tea
Some studies show that green tea, scientifically known as Camellia sinensis, has phenolic compounds in its composition, such as epigallocatechin, which works by preventing the production of sulfur compounds by bacteria in the mouth, which cause bad breath. Furthermore, green tea has a disinfectant and deodorizing action, keeping your breath fresh.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons of green tea leaves or 2 green tea bags;
- 2 cups of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Add the leaves or green tea bag to the cup of boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain or remove the sachet and leave in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, drink the tea in small sips throughout the day.
Green tea should not be consumed by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people who have insomnia, hyperthyroidism, gastritis or high blood pressure. Furthermore, as it contains caffeine in its composition, you should avoid drinking this tea at the end of the day or in quantities greater than recommended as it can cause side effects such as insomnia, irritation, a burning sensation in the stomach, tiredness or heart palpitations.
8. Licorice tea
Licorice tea has licoricidin and licorisoflavan A in its composition, which are antibacterial substances that act by inhibiting the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath.
This tea should be used to rinse your mouth, as a mouthwash, and should not be ingested.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of licorice root;
- 1 cup of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Add the licorice to the cup of boiling water, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain and use the tea as a mouthwash, rinsing your mouth, up to twice a day.
Licorice tea should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women and by people with heart problems.
9. Thyme infusion
Thyme infusion is another good option for a home remedy for bad breath as it is rich in substances such as rosmarinic acid, apigenin and luteolin, which have antibacterial action and, therefore, help fight the bacteria that cause bad breath.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 coffee spoons of dried thyme leaves;
- 200 mL of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Add dried thyme leaves to boiling water. Cover for about 10 minutes, strain and rinse 2 to 3 times a day.
Thyme infusion should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women and by people with heart problems, gastritis or stomach ulcers.
10. Lemongrass, thyme and rosemary rinse
The lemongrass, thyme and rosemary mouthwash helps combat bad breath as it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help combat bad breath caused by periodontitis or gingivitis.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 drops of lemongrass essential oil;
- 2 to 3 drops of thyme essential oil;
- 2 to 3 drops of rosemary essential oil;
- 1 glass of water.
Preparation mode
Mix the ingredients and use 5 drops of this rinse diluted in 1 glass of water, rinsing for 60 seconds, up to twice a day, after brushing your teeth. This rinse can be used for a maximum of 3 months.
