Writer
Milla Alexander
So you like the idea of trying something new: Mouthwash tablets that fizz like a mini bath bomb on the tip of your tongue for exquisite freshness and flavour. But before you take the plunge, you’ve got a few questions you’d like answering. What do they do? How do they work? When do I use them? Why should I use them?
Don’t sweat it; here’s everything you could possibly need to know about solid mouthwash - and then some.
What are solid mouthwash tablets?
Pretty much what it says on the recyclable bottle - a little tablet packed full of mouthwatering ingredients which dissolve in your mouth to flavour and freshen your breath. The use of a mouthwash should be the final step in the oral hygiene process both in the morning and in the evening. It’s a useful addition to brushing and flossing, and should not be used alone as a substitute.
How do I use them?
After brushing your teeth with a toothpaste tablet or toothpaste jelly, pop one mouthwash tablet into the mouth and take a sip of water to start the fizz. Nibble and swish before spitting out. You can also dissolve a mouthwash tablet in a small amount of water and rinse the mouth that way. They can also be used throughout the day whenever you fancy a bit of oral refreshment.
What are the benefits?
When using liquid mouthwash, the amount of product you take into your mouth can vary, and so mouthwash tablets have been carefully formulated and tested to be the perfect concentration of ingredients when taken with a sip of water, whether big or small. Just remember to spit!
Lush has four mouthwash tablets to try with a variety of benefits. Zing floods your mouth with rich, ripe flavour thanks to a combo of real essential oils grapefruit, Sicilian mandarin and litsea cubeba. Add to that purifying fine sea salt, menthol crystals and Himalayan salt and you’ve got a refreshing mouthwash that will keep you smiling all day. Inspired by the art of Khoomei (a type of Mongolian throat singing) to clear the pipes the sodium bicarbonate, stimulating sea salt and cure-all tea tree oil in Cool perform a deep cleanse, while soothing extra virgin coconut oil and cucumber extract harmonise in a cooling sensation.
Tracing gin’s classic botanical blend of juniperberry and angelica (both renown for their ability to eliminate impurities), stimulating coriander, and caraway, which is thought to help relieve coughs, the cocktail of ingredients in Gin & Tonic combine with legendary remedy-all-rounder tea tree oil, to form an intoxicating tipple to treat your mouth and gums to. Sure to whet your aperitivo, Spritz was inspired by a famous Italian drink. Fizzy, sharp and orangey, it sparkles with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste. The flavours here are true to its origins. A tangy trio of gentian extract, tincture of rhubarb and tincture of cinchona give a dry, bitter note that is sure to amuse your bouche. Brazilian orange oil, which is extracted from the peel, is packed into these tabs to ensure that the citrus hit is crisp and bold.
What are they packaged in?
Products in the dental industry contribute to a great deal of landfill waste and so these solid tablets are packaged in recycled and recyclable plastic bottles which can be recycled at with your domestic collections. These compact bottles contain roughly 80 solid, self-preserving mouthwash tabs, which are perfect for stowing away in handbags, backpacks, carry-ons or jet-packs for galactically good breath on the go.
Why do the mouthwash tablets contain ingredients like citric and malic acid? Could they erode the enamel on my teeth?
Citric acid helps to form the solid shape of the tablet and creates fizz when combined with sodium bicarbonate. Malic acid increases the flavour and therefore the effect of the ingredients used, for example, menthol and peppermint oil. That extra flavour enables your mouth to feel fresher and enhances the experience.
The pH of saliva ranges from 5.6 to 7.9, with an average value of 6.75, and enamel erosion starts in earnest below 5.5. When developing and testing the mouthwash tablets, we found the pH of saliva after using a tab was between pH 6.45 and 7.0 - not in the danger zone of acidic erosion. That’s because sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and neutralises the effect of citric and malic acid, as well as deodorising and refreshing your mouth.
Why don’t mouthwash tablets contain fluoride?
Lush does not use fluoride in the oral products we make. The use of fluoride has always been controversial and therefore we do not feel comfortable adding it to our products. To take care of your teeth, a good diet, regular brushing, flossing and trips to the dentist and hygienist is advisable.
Can I use mouthwash tablets in combination with my regular toothpaste? Will they reduce the effects of fluoride toothpaste?
Lush mouthwash tablets can be used to refresh the breath in combination with a fluoride toothpaste if you choose. We would recommend waiting 20 minutes after cleaning with fluoride toothpaste before using a solid mouthwash. This is the recommended length of time, which should be left between cleaning the teeth and swilling with water or mouthwash. If you are using Lush toothpaste tablets or jellies (which do not contain fluoride), you can use the Mouthwash Tablets straight away.
Do Lush mouth care products meet ISO (The International Organization for Standardization) standards?
The ISO standards for tooth products are being worked towards. The oral products Lush has invented are solids rather than the pastes or liquids referred to and so do not easily fit into the framework of the standards. For example, the ISO standard for mouthwash only relates to liquids which means they can be difficult to fulfil.
Lush Toothy Tabs have RDA values available (which test for abrasivity) as a laboratory has agreed to undertake testing for us using human teeth.
Will mouthwash tablets help to prevent tooth decay?
Mouthwash tablets have been developed as a handy, portable way to refresh your breath rather than a product used to clean the teeth or gums. They were not designed to replace toothpaste and should be used in conjunction with toothpaste tablets and jellies, as well as good dental hygiene practices such as using interdental brushes, flossing and cleaning and regular trips to the dentist.
