Herbal Oral Hygiene - Part 3

Greetings My Friends!  I've been tidying up my herb and vegetable gardens in preparation for a mid-May planting.  Still too cold here in Maine to set out seedlings or plant seeds yet.  I did notice that the St. John's Wort seeds that I planted last year are sprouting up as are the fuzzy, gray-green Pearly Everlasting flowers   - two of my favorite herbs.

An update on the progress of my latest book manuscript . . . I just completed the third BIG EDIT on my soon-to-be-published "Hands-On Healing Remedies" book.  In June, I'll get to edit it for the last time and see the almost-final page layout.  When you reach this phase of writing a new book . . . it's very exciting!  Feels like I'm about to give birth to yet another "herbal child"!

Today, I will conclude the three-part series on Herbal Oral Hygiene with a recipe for making tasty, tingly herbal toothpicks.  Hope you enjoy them!

Flavored Herbal Toothpicks

Peppermint- or cinnamon-flavored toothpicks are often free for the taking at restaurants and are sometimes handed out as samples at health food stores where they're sold.  They're tasty and simple to make at home, and are convenient tools to clean food debris from between your teeth, stimulate your gums, and freshen your breath.

Here's what you'll need:  A half or full box (depending on how many you want to make) of quality wooden toothpicks (round or flat style); a small, lidded glass jar; and enough of your favorite edible essential oil (sweet orange, fennel, anise, peppermint, spearmint, clove, cinnamon bark, tea tree, or tangerine) to cover the toothpicks.

Here's how to make them:  Place the toothpicks either vertically or horizontally in the glass jar, pour in enough essential oil to completely cover them, tighten the lid, and allow them to absorb some of the essential oil for a couple of days.  Next, remove the toothpicks with sanitized tweezers and lay them on a plate covered with several layers of paper towels so they can dry for an hour or so.  Store them in an airtight glass jar or tin.  The leftover essential oil is perfectly good to use again, so don't throw it away!

You can use these toothpicks whenever you want to - just be careful not to stab your gums or rub your eyes after handling them.  Depending on the flavor, they just might satisfy your sweet tooth, too!


For the next blog . . . . I'll begin a new series discussing the benefits of consuming raw nut milk - versus dairy milk - and share a few yummy recipes for you to make at home.  Raw chocolate almond milk is out of this world!


NOTE:  This article was written by Stephanie Tourles and adapted from her book, "Organic Body Care Recipes" (Storey Publishing, 2007).  The information is true and complete to the best of Ms. Tourles' knowledge.  All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author.  She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.  It is for educational purposes only.