That's interesting about the peppermint oil mellowing out without losing potency. Makes me wonder if some herbs are just naturally more forgiving than others. I tried making a clove tincture once (supposedly good for toothaches, right?), and let me tell you, it smelled like Christmas exploded in my kitchen for days. Even after diluting it, the scent was pretty intense—like aggressively festive toothpaste.
But here's the kicker: even though the smell was strong enough to clear sinuses two rooms away, it didn't seem to do much for my toothache. Maybe I messed up the extraction method or something? Or maybe cloves are just stubborn little things?
Do you think certain herbs or spices have a sweet spot where they're effective without being overpowering? Or is it more about personal tolerance levels? Because honestly, I'd rather deal with a weird smell than tooth pain any day...
Clove tinctures can be tricky—honestly, it's not always about strength. Sometimes the toothache is deeper (like nerve-related), and topical stuff won't cut it. I'd say cloves aren't stubborn, just misunderstood...maybe try a warm salt rinse next time? It's simple but surprisingly effective.
Totally agree about the salt rinse—my grandma swore by that stuff, said it fixed everything from toothaches to heartbreaks, haha. But yeah, cloves can be finicky. I once tried making a peppermint tincture for headaches...let's just say it ended up smelling more like mouthwash than anything healing. Diluting it with extra carrier oil helped tone it down a bit. Sometimes less really is more (learned that the hard way!).
My dentist actually recommended salt rinses too, said they're great for inflammation. Cloves though...tried them once, felt like my mouth turned into a spice cabinet, haha. I'd stick with dilution or maybe blending in something milder—chamomile or lavender—to balance things out.
Salt rinses are definitely a solid recommendation—I've seen them help a lot with inflammation and general mouth discomfort. Cloves, though...yeah, they can be pretty intense if you're not careful. I remember once trying to make my own herbal mouthwash at home (got a bit ambitious, haha). Thought I'd toss in some peppermint and tea tree oil, but I totally misjudged the tea tree amount. Let's just say it tasted like I'd gargled a pine forest—lesson learned!
Dilution was my savior there. I ended up mixing it down with some extra distilled water and a touch of chamomile tea to mellow things out. Chamomile is great because it's gentle and soothing, and it really balanced out the sharpness. Lavender sounds like a nice idea too, especially if you're sensitive to stronger flavors. It's all trial and error, really...but that's part of the fun, right?
