The Eco-Friendly Mouthwash Brands To Know In The UK

Looking for the best eco-friendly mouthwash? From mouthwash tablets to plastic-free mouthwash in glass bottles, here are my sustainable favourites.

You’ve flossed your teeth with sustainable dental floss. And you’ve brushed your teeth using a plastic-free toothbrush and eco-friendly toothpaste. You might think that your dental routine couldn’t get any greener.

However, you can now push plastic bottles of mouthwash to the side. Yes, the mouthwash market has had an eco-friendly makeover.

From zero-waste toothpaste tablets in glass jars to plastic-free bottles of mouthwash – there’s a sustainable solution for almost every taste. And you don’t have to compromise on performance. Unlike the natural mouthwash of old, you can now buy sustainable mouthwash brands that contain fluoride.

The Best Eco-Friendly Mouthwash

Here are my favourite sustainable mouthwash brands that, as well as offering plastic-free or zero-waste packaging, will gently look after your smile and the planet.

Ben & Anna

If you are looking for an eco-friendly mouthwash that comes in liquid form, then try Ben & Anna (£4.75 for 500 ml at Big Green Smile). Its mouthwash comes in a fully plastic-free glass bottle with a metal lid. No sneaky plastic here!

Some plastic-free swaps can be tricky to adapt to, as they come with a learning curve of trying something new. Not here! This mouthwash works exactly the same as conventional mouthwash. This means it makes for an easy plastic-free swap, without having to do anything differently.

Ben & Anna’s fluoride-free mouthwash is both vegan and cruelty-free. Containing nourishing aloe vera, disinfecting sage, and sea buckthorn – a powerful natural anti-oxidant – it cleans those hard-to-reach places whilst naturally fighting gum irritation and inflammation.

What’s more, it’s free from many controversial ingredients. This includes phthalates, parabens, microplastics, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and formaldehyde. This allows you to swish your mouthwash with confidence that there are no hidden nasties.

ecoLiving

Whilst all the eco-friendly mouthwash options have so far been fluoride-free, you might think that you can’t get plastic-free fluoride versions. Well, step forward ecoLiving (£6.50 from Ethical Superstore).

This is the only sustainable mouthwash option that I’ve found that contains fluoride (fluoride-free options are also available). And they don’t contain dye, so they won’t dye your tongue!

These mouthwash tablets make for a great zero-waste alternative. Simply take one peppermint-flavoured tablet, and dissolve it in 20 to 30 ml of water, before swilling it and then spitting it out.

Made in the UK, these tablets are packaged in a resealable home-compostable pouch. This contains 125 tablets – around a 2-month supply for 1 person. Personally, I would decant these tablets into a glass jar to help protect them from moisture.

Whilst they do contain fluoride, you don’t have to make any compromises on eco-ethics. The tablets are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.

ecoLiving also says that its mouthwash tablets are free from preservatives, binders, parabens, SLS, SLES, phthalates, triclosan, genetically modified ingredients, and palm oil. And they don’t contain aluminium or nanoparticles, which is good news if you are looking to avoid those particular ingredients.

This mouthwash also gives back. ecoLiving is a member of the 1% For the Planet and donates a portion of its profits to projects that protect our oceans against plastic pollution. It also donates to the Eden Reforestation Project.

Georganics Oil Pulling Mouthwash

Georganics oil-pulling mouthwash (£7.90 for 100 ml at Ethical Superstore) is, shall we say, a little less conventional than the other eco mouthwash options. In fact, I would say that it is not really a mouthwash in the strictest sense – it’s more of an oil.

Made from coconut oil and peppermint essential oils, Georganics say to take 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and swish it around your mouth for between 5 and 20 minutes before spitting it out.

I know many people who use it whilst in the shower or doing other activities. That being said, it does take a lot of concentration to swill the oil around your mouth for that duration without swallowing or spitting it out.

Apparently, it’s this action of pushing and pulling oil around the mouth that allows the oil to collect and trap bacteria hiding under crevices in the gums, pores, and tubules within the teeth. Georganics says it’s based on an ancient Ayurvedic practice used to draw toxins from the body and reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth.

The oil starts to feel watery when it’s time to spit it out. It might turn a milky white colour too. However, I would not spit oil down your sink. Spit it down the toilet instead to avoid potentially blocking your sink.

The fluoride-free oil is vegan-friendly and comes 100% plastic-free. It’s packaged in a recyclable aluminium bottle and comes in a compostable box. It’s also free from parabens, SLS, SLES, mineral oil, microbeads, phthalates, triclosan, palm oil, and synthetic fragrances.

Georganics Mouthwash Tablets

If oil pulling isn’t for you, then Georganics also make eco-friendly mouthwash tablets (£9.60 for 180 tabs), which are much more conventional.

Like the other tablets, simply dissolve one vegan-friendly tablet in a little water before swishing it around your mouth and spitting. You can opt for peppermint or spearmint flavour, or an activated charcoal version.

You can buy your initial pack in a glass jar. When that’s done, you can buy a refill bag to top it up. This saves on the packaging weight and carbon.

As well as coming in plastic-free packaging, these tablets are free from parabens, SLS, SLES, mineral oil, microbeads, phthalates, triclosan, palm oil, and synthetic fragrances. And for bonus eco points, they are made in the UK.

Aesop

Finally, if you are specifically after a plastic-free mouthwash that looks beautiful on your bathroom shelf, then look no further than Aesop (£19 for 500ml at Space NK).

This luxurious, vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and alcohol-free mouthwash is a great choice for sensitive mouths. It’s flavoured with clove, anise, and spearmint leaf for a fresh and natural taste that freshens your breath naturally, whilst maintaining your mouth’s natural pH balance.

What’s also to love is that the mouthwash is packaged in glass, so it can be easily recycled. However, the bottle is so pretty that you’ll probably want to refill it again and again.

What About Making Your Own Mouthwash

There are heaps of products I’m happy to DIY, rather than buy. I make a lot of my own cleaning products, for example. But there are some things I don’t like to DIY. Dental care is one area where I just wouldn’t make my own products.

This is because it’s really difficult to test the effectiveness of homemade products, and you could risk enamel damage and/or gum irritation. You only get one set of teeth, and it’s really important to look after them. For me, it’s not something I want to risk.

Should You Use Mouthwash Straight After Brushing?

Whilst it has been ingrained in us that we should use mouthwash straight after brushing our teeth, dental experts have begun to advise us differently.

The NHS, for example, advises not to use mouthwash (even a fluoride one) straight after brushing your teeth. This is because they say that using mouthwash immediately after brushing your teeth washes away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth. 

Instead, they advise choosing a different time of day to use mouthwash, such as after lunch. The NHS also advises not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash. With this in mind, mouthwash tablets make a great portable option for when you are out and about.