I tried a bunch of mouthwashes over the years and these are the best ones that are safe and actually work. The best mouthwash is made with plant-based ingredients and without alcohol, artificial dyes, synthetic fragrance, SLS, and fluoride.

I’ve bought and tested all these mouthwash brands myself with some I’ve been using for five years and ongoing. I’m also rating the strength of the minty fresh feeling it leaves after and what type of hydroxyapatite is used, so you can find the best non toxic mouth wash for YOU.

Ingredients to Avoid in Mouthwash

• Alcohol: listed as “alcohol,” “ethanol,” or “SD alcohol 38” and what causes that burning sensation and dry mouth
• Chlorhexidine gluconate: often on prescription-strength or “clinical” rinses and can cause tooth staining with prolonged use
• Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC): found in “germ-killing” or “24-hour protection” formulas and is an antiseptic that can disrupt your oral microbiome
• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): the foaming agent, sometimes listed as “sodium dodecyl sulfate” that can trigger canker sores in sensitive people
• Artificial dyes: there’s simply no reason this should be in a mouthwash
• Triclosan: less common now, but still shows up in some “antibacterial” formulas — linked to hormone disruption in some studies
• Propylene glycol: used as a solvent/humectant, sometimes flagged for skin/mucous membrane irritation in sensitive people
• Synthetic fragrance: also no reason for this to be in a mouth wash. It usually just says “fragrance” or “parfum” on the label with no breakdown of what’s actually in it.

Why Switch to Natural Mouthwash

• No alcohol burn: conventional mouthwash dries out your mouth and can actually make bad breath worse long-term
• Protects your oral microbiome: antiseptic rinses kill good bacteria along with bad, which throws off your mouth’s natural defenses
• Great for sensitive teeth and gums: no harsh chemicals, articial dyes or synthetic fragrance that can irritate sensitive gums
• Safe and edible: not that you’d want to ingest mouth wash but there’s peace of mind if you accidentally do
• Fluoride-free options: for anyone limiting fluoride exposure, non-toxic options usually use some form of Hydroxyapatite in nano, micro or macro form (or not at all!).
• Remineralizes instead of just masking: hydroxyapatite formulas actually help rebuild enamel, not just freshen breath for an hour

A Note on Hydroxyapatite and Its Safety

So what is hydroxyapatite, why are we seeing it in all the natural dental products, and how safe is it?

Hydroxyapatite is the exact mineral that makes up 97% of human tooth enamel and a popular lab-made alternative to fluoride in oral care to remineralize teeth. It was first used by NASA, who developed hydroxyapatite to help astronauts combat bone and tooth mineral loss in zero gravity and has been used in Japan for decades.

Nano Hydroxyapetite Safety

Some people have been worried Nano Hydroxyapatite can penetrate the mouth tissue, so I’m sharing the latest findings and alternatives if you’d rather avoid it.

Back in 2020, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) flagged some initial concerns about nano-hydroxyapatite in personal care products. But in 2023, after reviewing further data, the SCCS concluded that nano-hydroxyapatite is safe at concentrations up to 10% in toothpaste and up to 0.465% in mouthwash.

Today, some would rather avoid it altogether, while others like it as a more natural and holistic method cavity prevention.

Nano Hydroxyapetite Alternatives

• Micro and Macro-hydroxyapatite: The larger particle size may be less likely to cross cell membranes, so some people prefer this type.
• Xylitol: A plant-based sweetener that helps fight the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.
• Mineral tooth powders: These use whole-earth ingredients like bentonite clay, calcium carbonate, and magnesium to support the body’s own ability to remineralize teeth.

The trade-off is that these don’t remineralize teeth quite as effectively as the nano version.

I tried Davids Hydroxi Fresh Breath Mouthwash Refill Concentrate

Davids Hydroxi Mouthwash is a great starting point in my opinion if you’re new to natural mouthwash and want something that performs similarly to conventional. It stands out from the rest because of how clean and minty fresh it leaves my mouth feeling, the eco-friendly sustainable refills, it’s EWG verified and affordable. The formula contains a vegetable glycerin and water base, has sodium bicarbonate, nano hydroxyapatite, peppermint oil, sodium benzoate, spearmint leaf oil, anise seed extract, wintergreen leaf oil, lemon peel oil and sweetened slightly with stevia leaf extract. Davids gives my mouth that super fresh minty feeling that I love without burning or drying out my mouth.

Instead of having to pay for a new bottle and water each time you’re done, you can simply buy the refill concentrate and endlessly refill the original hefty jar. Davids also has an oil pulling version I’d like to try next.

Price: Starter kit: $15.95 | $13.95 (4 oz concentrate makes 16 oz of mouthwash
Freshness strength: Strong
Hydroxyapatite type: Nano

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I tried Rowe Casa Organics Mouthwash

Rowe Casa Organic’s mouthwash is the only nontoxic option that avoids hydroxyapatite entirely and instead relies on organic fractionated coconut oil, Himalayan sea salt, colloidal silver, and a blend of therapeutic-grade essential oils like spearmint, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, and cinnamon bark. This one “tastes” furthest from your typical mouthwash compared to the others I’ve tried. It feels like I’m swishing cinnamon milk is the best way I can describe it. It tastes very very sweet so I actually crave a second mouth rinse to get the lingering taste of cinnamon out of my mouth. It comes housed in a very hefty glass bottle like Davids, so if you’re not a fan of lifting something heavy that’s something to be aware of.

I would only recommend this to crunchy, granola or purist readers as this is a more “advanced” natural mouthwash.

Price: $21 for 16 oz
Freshening strength: Mild
Hydroxyapatite type: None used in their formula

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I tried Boka Restore Mouthwash Tablets

Boka’s Mouthwash Tablets are made with hydroxyapatite and probiotics and completely free of water, alcohol, and artificial colorants. Instead of a liquid rinse, mouthwash tablets are waterless solid mouthwash that activates with your saliva. I’ve found them to be a lifesaver (breathsaver?) when I’m on the move and don’t have access to a toothbrush, toothpaste and/or bathroom. This is the most eco friendly and sustainable mouthwash option that’s plastic free and zero waste. Plus it’s incredibly convenient when on the go or traveling.

Boka’s mouthwash tablets have a jampacked formula of Isomalt, baking soda, sodium coco-sulfate, yeast, microcrystalline cellulose, nano hydroxyapatite, acacia gum, xylitol, wild mint oil, magnesium stearate, stevioside, aroma, calcium carbonate, citral, menthol, peppermint oil, papain, green tea leaf extract, lactobacillus ferment, and aloe vera leaf powder.

It doesn’t taste overly strong or harsh to me and has a pleasant gentle minty taste.

Price: $19.99 for 90 tablets
Freshening strength: Moderate
Hydroxyapatite type: Nano

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I tried Happy Tooth Mineral Mouthwash

Happy Tooth Mineral Mouthwash with Hydroxyapatite is enamel safe, dentist formulated, alcohol-free, fluoride-free. They use a 5-micron (5,000 nanometer) particle size of hydroxyapetite that’s well above the nano threshold of 100nm. It’s got xylitol, baking soda, and peppermint and spearmint oils in a water base to balance pH and freshen breath without wreaking havoc on your oral microbiome. I find that this mouthwash has a noticeably fresh mintiness to it that’s not intensely sharp but adequately refreshing. I love that it comes in multiple flavor options like mint and sweet orange for kids, both with clean formulas.

Price: $25 for 20 oz
Freshening strength: Moderate
Hydroxyapatite type: Non-nano micro

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I tried Selfwise Oil Pulling Mouthwash

Where has an oil pulling mouthwash hybrid been all these years? If you can’t get over the icky feeling of oil pulling but love the concept, I recommend Selfwise Oil Pulling Mouthwash. It takes the ancient practice of oil pulling and makes it so convenient and pleasant that I actually look forward to oil pulling first thing in the morning right after I wake up and before I drink my coffee. Instead of straightup coconut oil, this is an emulsified, alcohol-free mouthwash infused with nano hydroxyapatite, organic coconut oil, peppermint, spearmint, and tea tree oil.

It feels like a normal mouthwash just more unctuous. I find it swishes smooth and light with zero tacky sensation. It’s fluoride-free and gentle enough for people with crowns, veneers, or sensitive teeth. I noticed les bad breath occurring overall and reduced tooth pain after using it consistently. My only complaint is that I used itup so fast because it’s only an 8oz bottle.

Price: $16.99 for 8 oz
Freshening strength: Strong (almost Listerine-level intensity)
Hydroxyapatite type: Nano

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I tried RiseWell Balancing Mouthwash

RiseWell is an OG dentist-backed natural oral care brand, and their mouthwash has no SLS, no parabens, no propylene glycol, just simple ingredients you can actually read. They source their micro-hydroxyapatite from a mine in France, in its natural (non-lab-synthesized) form

This tastes very gentle to me, lightly sweet and doesn’t have a loud minty blast that conventional mouthwash gives. I love using Risewell’s mouthwash for everyday use and maintaining a healthy mouth, since it doesn’t dry out my mouth or leave that lingering chemical aftertaste.

Price: $20 for 16 oz
Freshening strength: Mild
Hydroxyapatite type: Non-nano micro

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I tried Bite Mouthwash Bits

I first started using Bite’s Mouthwash Bits five years ago. They make clean ingredient and eco-friendly mouthwash bits made with xylitol, nano-hydroxyapatite, and peppermint menthol. Bite bits aren’t overpowering or super strong but still give me that fresh feeling in my mouth and effectively fights bad breath. Bite’s mouthwash is made with 11 ingredients: xylitol, isomalt, calcium carbonate, erythritol, natural mint flavor, baking soda, hydroxyapatite (nano), guar gum, zinc citrate, menthol, and silica.

Price: $20 for 124 bits (lasts up to 4 months)
Freshness strength: Moderate
Hydroxyapatite type: Nano

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