I’ve used Listerine Mouthwash on and off over the years, as a child and as an adult. I remember using Original formula and hating the taste of it. Yet I’d rinse my mouth out with it anyway, since it fought plaque and gingivitis, and claimed that it would fight bad breath. I really thought it would make my mouth healthy and clean.
I recently bought a bottle of Listerine’s Citrus Mouthwash since I hated the original flavor, at my piercer’s suggestion after I got my lip pierced. He said the Listerine would help to prevent me from getting an infection because it would kill the germs, so I swirled the Listerine in mouth and felt that immediate tingle that I’d forgotten about, as soon as it entered my mouth. Seconds later the tingle had morphed into that slow and awful burning sensation that is supposed to mean that your mouth is clean. After spitting it out the skin inside my mouth felt taut and a bit dried out even though my mouth was still wet, but I did like the Citrus flavor it was sweeter and more refreshing than the original kind I grew up on.
A few months ago, I’d read in a magazine that the only reason why small babies has such fresh breath all of the time was because they produced saliva constantly, and the moisture kept their breath smelling great. I’d read that most mouthwashes, like Listerine were made of alcohol that killed the germs but also dried the mouth out. So that even though your mouth would feel and smell clean for the moment, the bacteria would return and thrive off of the sugars found in the mouthwashes and the warm dry environment. Inevitably the breath would just smell worse which defeated the purpose of using a mouthwash.
I realized that this was true and all of the times that I used Listerine my mouth would feel dry afterwards and the skin inside wouldn’t feel that great, and my breath would always be worse later on. So I decided to buy a bottle of Tom’s Natural Cleansing Mouthwash days after purchasing the Listerine when I saw that it was devoid of alcohol. I love that on the back of the bottle the label gives the 7 ingredients that are present in the mouthwash, and it also tells you the purpose of each ingredient. The first is water which is for consistency, glycerin for flavor and body, witch hazel and vitamin C for an astringent feel, aloe vera leaf juice for a soothing feel, poloxamer 335 which disperses the flavor of the oils, spearmint oil for flavor and menthol for a flavor and a refreshing feel.
Since Tom’s of Maine’s Mouthwash is natural and alcohol-free I didn’t expect it to pack much of a punch when I swirled it around in my mouth. Yet it does, it doesn’t burn as badly as Listerine does, but I can definitely feel more than a tingle around my gums which might be because of the menthol and the witch hazel. When I rinse with Listerine, it feels like I’m rinsing with flavored alcohol and it feels really thin but Tom’s of Maine mouthwash feel richer and a bit thicker in my mouth so I don’t have to use as much.
I must admit I don’t like the Spearmint flavor as much as the taste of the Listerine Citrus which is sweeter, but this mouthwash makes my mouth feel better in the long run. My mouth does feel about 20% drier than normal after using Tom’s Alcohol-free Mouthwash, but that’s way more moisturized when compared to how it feel with Listerine. My cheeks don’t feel sore, my skin doesn’t feel taut and I don’t feel like I need to rinse my mouth out with water.
Instead my mouth does feel refreshed and I also notice that my teeth feel really clean with it. After about five minutes after rinsing my mouth with Tom’s of Maine, my mouth does start to feel slicker and produce more saliva than it normally does, which makes my breath smell fresher. Whereas with Listerine after ten or twenty minutes, my mouth usually will still feel warm and dried out, and less fresh than before I used it.
I stopped using the Listerine mouthwash as soon as I found Tom’s of Maine’s Cleansing Mouthwash, even though I had a fresh lip piercing. I rinsed twice a day with it, and I believe that the witch hazel kept the germs and infection away without drying my mouth out in the process. I also believed that it helped to bring the swelling down since the witch hazel that it contains is a natural anti-inflammatory.
I think that everyone who is really into dental hygiene should put their Listerine down and give Tom’s of Maine Natural Alcohol-Free Mouthwash a try. Your mouth will still feel clean and healthy, but it will also feel soothed. You’ll love the texture of the mouthwash and how it makes your mouth feel, as well as how good your breath will smell.
