I’ve tried adding honey or mint too, but sometimes those strong flavors just linger no matter what. Ever tried diluting the batch with more carrier oil or liquid? I wonder if that’s safer for sensitive teeth, or just waters it down too much.
I see where you’re coming from with wanting to dilute a strong batch, especially if you’ve got sensitive teeth. I’ve been down that road a few times—tried making my own clove oil rinse for sore gums and ended up with something that felt like it could strip paint. I did try to fix it by adding more olive oil, thinking it’d soften the punch, but honestly, it just made it greasy and didn’t do much for the taste. Plus, it still irritated my gums.
From my experience, watering things down can help a little with intensity, but sometimes the flavor just lingers anyway. And if you add too much carrier oil, you end up with this weird texture that doesn’t really feel right in your mouth. For me, especially with sensitive teeth, oil-heavy mixtures actually made things feel worse—almost like they coated my teeth in a film.
What worked better was starting over with less of the strong stuff to begin with. It’s annoying to waste ingredients, but sometimes there’s no rescuing a batch that’s gone sideways. I also found that letting tinctures mellow out for a few days helped the flavors blend and settle a bit. Kind of like how soup tastes better the next day.
And about safety—if your teeth are sensitive, even mild oils can be irritating if they’re not properly diluted. I learned that the hard way after using too much peppermint oil once; my teeth zinged for hours afterwards.
If you’re worried about lingering flavors or sensitivity, maybe skip trying to mask it and just start small next time? That’s what finally saved me from some very questionable homemade mouthwashes…
For me, especially with sensitive teeth, oil-heavy mixtures actually made things feel worse—almost like they coated my teeth in a film.
I can relate to that oily film feeling—tried a homemade herbal rinse once, thinking I could outsmart the store-bought stuff. Ended up with this weird aftertaste that just wouldn’t quit, and my teeth felt almost slimy. It’s tempting to just keep adding things to “fix” a batch, but in my experience, it usually just makes it more complicated (and less pleasant).
I’ve seen a lot of folks try to dilute or mask strong flavors, but honestly, for sensitive teeth, sometimes less is more. Some essential oils are potent even in tiny amounts and can actually make sensitivity worse if you’re not careful. I remember thinking a little extra peppermint would be refreshing—nope, just tingling teeth for hours.
If you’re set on DIY, starting with super small amounts and building up seems safer than trying to rescue an overpowering batch. And yeah, letting it sit for a day or two sometimes helps mellow things out…but if it still tastes off, I’d just toss it and chalk it up as a learning experience.
- Tried to make my own mouthwash once—thought I’d go all natural and fancy. Ended up with something that tasted like spicy grass clippings and left my mouth feeling like I’d licked a candle.
- I get the temptation to “fix” a weird batch, but every time I tried adding more stuff, it just got grosser. At one point, I was basically sipping salad dressing.
- Agree on the essential oils thing. One drop too many and my gums were on fire. Peppermint is not messing around.
- For me, if it’s too strong or weird-smelling, I just accept defeat. No shame in tossing it and starting fresh.
- Letting it sit sometimes helps mellow out the flavor, but if it still tastes like regret after a day or two… probably not worth saving.
- Sensitive teeth + DIY experiments = a lot of learning what NOT to do.
I had a phase where I thought I could outsmart the entire oral care industry with my kitchen experiments. Spoiler: I cannot. Tried making a clove and mint rinse once—thought I’d nailed the proportions, but it was like gargling with Vicks VapoRub mixed with salad bar leftovers. My tongue tingled for hours. Ever get that weird numb feeling and wonder if you’ve just permanently altered your taste buds? Yeah.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s any shame in tossing a batch that went sideways. There’s only so much “fixing” you can do before it turns into a chemistry project you wouldn’t want anywhere near your mouth. I used to keep trying to dilute, add honey, lemon, whatever was in the fridge... just ended up with more of something I didn’t want. At some point, you gotta call it.
I hear you on the essential oils—those things are potent. One drop too many and suddenly it’s like your gums are auditioning for a fire-breather gig. Ever tried cinnamon oil? Don’t. Unless you want to feel like your teeth are doing cardio.
Letting stuff sit sometimes works, but sometimes it just gets weirder. I left a batch of sage rinse in the fridge for two days, hoping the flavor would mellow out... instead it started smelling like old socks and regret.
I figure, if it’s burning or tastes like punishment, that’s nature’s way of saying “try again.” Sensitive teeth make all this even trickier—my gums have filed several complaints at this point.
You gave it a shot, learned what not to do, and hey—at least you’re not stuck using something that tastes like spicy grass clippings every day. That’s progress, right?
That’s honestly my biggest worry—messing around with homemade stuff and then accidentally making something way too strong or just… off. My kid’s got sensitive teeth and gums, so I’m always super cautious about what goes near his mouth. I tried making a chamomile rinse once, thinking it’d be gentle, but even that tasted weirdly bitter and he refused to even swish it. I just kept staring at the jar in the fridge, wondering if I could somehow “fix” it or if I was about to poison us both by accident.
I totally get what you mean about trying to salvage a batch by adding random things—been there, done that, ended up with a weird science experiment nobody wanted. At some point, it feels safer to just toss it and start over, but then I feel guilty for wasting ingredients.
Has anyone actually found a way to tone down something that’s too strong? Or is it basically a lost cause once the flavor’s gone sideways? Especially with essential oils—I’m nervous about using them at all since I read they can be dangerous for kids if you’re not careful with the amounts. The cinnamon oil thing made me laugh but also… yikes. That sounds like a nightmare if you’ve got a little one with sensitive gums.
I keep thinking maybe there’s some trick I’m missing—like letting it sit longer (though apparently that can make things worse), or maybe mixing in something bland like coconut oil? But then again, maybe it’s just not worth the risk when there are store-bought rinses that are actually tested and safe. Still, part of me wants to get it right just once, without ending up with “spicy grass clippings,” as you put it.
Does anyone else worry about accidentally making things worse instead of better? Or is this just my anxious parent brain doing its thing?
