So many people forget about their oral health, and it seriously grosses me out sometimes. But as a former Dental Assistant and Admin assistant in a Dental Lab, I've seen a lot  of people loose their teeth as a form of neglect. Sometimes we forget what we can't always see, or what we don't know how to take care of properly. I don't want you to have to loose your teeth, or be in pain for the rest of your life. I want to share my oral hygiene routine along with some tips for when you get into a sticky situation. 

Most days I start off with oil pulling for 15-20 minutes. Oil pulling will help release toxins from your body, whiten your teeth, help bad breath and improve gum health.  You can learn about oil pulling on my blog! (To the left, is my oil pulling tabs that I've made)

After I oil pull I floss and then brush with my Sonicare tooth brush. I like the Sonicare a lot, I've had one for about 4 years now. It's definitely a great investment for your health. I use my own toothpaste with 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 10 drops of peppermint oil. Mix the coconut oil and baking soda first and then add the peppermint oil once it becomes a paste. I love the grit with this toothpaste, feels like it's really getting me clean. A lot of people don't know the correct amount of time to brush their teeth either, dentist's agree that 2 minutes is the best amount of time to brush your teeth. Brushing 30 seconds per quadrant is an easier way too look at it, (top right, top left, bottom right and bottom left)  I hope to get a water flosser this upcoming year, because that will help gum health too.  But in the mean time, flossing is very important, A lot of people I know, do not floss! That's where a majority of the cavities come from, because food stays between the teeth. So get that food out every single day! 

After I brush and floss, I use my homemade mouth wash. Which is 1/2 cup of distilled water,  2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 drops of tea tree oil. I thought it would taste gross and I wouldn't be able to keep it in my mouth. But it's not bad, and I don't mind the taste at all. It breaks down sugar and protein from sticking to the gums, teeth and tongue. It is also a great way to reduce bad breath. And the tea tree oil helps with, inflammation and is a great antiseptic and reduces plaque!  Lastly I like to use my tongue scrapper, to get out any additional bacteria  
 and plaque.  I also bet you didn't know that tongue scraping will help clean your taste buds by getting the plaque off. So you will taste things more vividly! 

I usually try to brush mid-day as well, just so that I feel my best. Because sometimes I have coffee with my lunch and I don't like when my coffee stains my teeth or leaves me with coffee breath! I always have a to-go toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with me!

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At night I do most of what I do in my morning routine. I usually don't oil pull at night but if I'm not feeling well, I will oil pull again. Then I brush, floss, mouthwash and tongue scrape! If you're not into DIY toothpaste, and floss you can still use store bought ones and you'll still have an incredibly healthy oral hygiene routine. 

But why do we need to take care of our teeth and gums?  Because the healthier our mouths are the healthier our bodies will become. According to Colgate.com,  heart disease is a something associated with oral hygiene when gum disease makes it's way through the blood stream eventually reaching the heart. It is known to cause infections, strokes or even heart attacks as well.  Some other health conditions are, dementia, respiratory infections and can cause complications maintaining blood sugar levels for diabetes patients.   

So there is my little lesson on oral hygiene and how I keep my mouth, gums and tongue clean as well as the rest of my body. 

There are are many other things you can do on a daily basis to ensure you're best health. First one being, having a low sugar intake. The less sugar you ingest the less sugars that will attach to your teeth and potentially cause decay.  

Go see your dentist, your orthodontist or your hygienist. They are professionals and want to get you out of any pain that you're in. If there is something you're especially concerned about, then it's best to seek a professional opinion sooner rather then later, because the sooner you go in the better chance you will have at being able to protect more of your gums and teeth. They are also able to get plaque and tar-tar build up removed a lot easier then we are able to. Go to your follow up appointments and learn how to properly keep your mouth clean. 

Another major negative factor to oral hygiene in both men and women is the use of tobacco products. Cigarettes alone have over 4,500 chemicals, that you are inhaling into your mouth ever time you smoke. Tobacco use sometimes lead to oral lesions, cancer or death. 

Eat healthy, drink water, brush, floss, mouthwash, oil pull and tongue scrape every day. Oral health is often forgotten and neglected, and I'm trying to help people realize how easy and important it is to keep up with. There are so many recipes for mouthwash and toothpaste that I hope to try as I cycle through my current supply. After I try some new ones out, I will for sure post so you all can enjoy as well! 

I hope I've brought some insight into your world  on how important oral health really is for our entire health and well-being. 

Benzylparaben, Triclosan, Hydroquinone and Petroleum. Do you know what these ingredients are or where they are found? No?' I didn't either until I looked into it, but these are the ingredients in your beauty products. Most of us don't even what these are, how to pronounce them or how harmful they can me.  Unfortunately most side effects of these are tumors and cancer! And we are putting that on our skin and it's soaking in through our pores every single day, most days multiple times a day. How gross is that? And we trust the beauty industry that what we buy and use will be healthy for our skin and for our overall health but I don't want to put anything on my face unless I know every single ingredient and  how it will effect my health. This is why I started to make my own face wash, toner, eye cream and face masks. 

Here are a few of my go-to's: 

Face Wash:  Equal parts baking soda and coconut oil. Stir until it becomes a paste. I like to also add, tea tree oil, a sprinkle of coffee grounds and a little bit of lemon oil. 

The baking soda helps exfoliate and balance out your pH levels. Coconut oil is a great antibacterial, anti-fungal and an amazing moisturizer. Coffee grounds, although it may seem silly it increases the metabolism and circulation which helps prevent wrinkles and cellulite. And lemon oil is very high in vitamins so it will make your skin glow!

Now you know what's in my face wash and what it will do for you. 

I love this face wash so much that I haven't tried anything else in about a year. I think you'll love it too! 

Face Masks: I have a couple of masks that I rotate through! 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons water. In a separate bowl 1 tablespoon of baking soda, slowly add in the vinegar. Add the juice from half of a lemon, and a teaspoon of honey. I would leave on for 5-15 minutes. 

Apple cider vinegar will remove dead skin, help with age spots and will fight against acne. 

Honey will act as an antibacterial for acne. It will help with age spots and wrinkles due to the antioxidants. 

Clay mask, 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and a few drops of lavender and tea tree oil. Leave on your beautiful face for 30 minutes. 

Bentonite clay will remove the toxins from your skin through your pores. Helps heal acne scars as well as reducing inflammation. 

Avocado mask, try not to eat your face on this one! 1/2 of a avocado, 1 tablespoon of honey and 4 drops of tea tree oil. Blend ingredients together and  let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Put the remainder in the fridge, this mixture will last 5 days. And you can eat the other half of the avocado! WIN-WIN. 

Avocado is great for protecting your skin from radiation. It will decrease inflammation, especially for acne, psoriasis and eczema.  There are so many vitamins, A, E and C! So you will continue to look young! 

Eye mask: 
1/2 a teaspoon coconut oil, 1/2 a teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon coffee grounds, and 1 drop of aloe. Mix and put under your eyes for about 15 minutes and you can do every other day if you want! 

Aloe will prevent dryness and even wrinkles due to the amino acids. 

Face Toner: 
1/2 cup of filtered water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. I use this 2 times a day!

Moisturizer: coconut oil!
 
I live by these products that only cost pennies to make and I usually have most of the ingredients at home. These won't cause tumors or cancer and they will make you glow. I make them for my friends and family too! I really encourage you to give it a try, just try for one week and see how you feel. Store bought products are designed to also create acne so that we keep buying their products! And then we are stuck in a viscous cycle!  Please let me know how you and your skin feel after a few weeks of using some of your homemade products. And if you have another recipe, I would absolutely love to give it a try!

Thank you for taking the time to learn about my beauty regime. 

 We've all been there a time or two, when one thing needs to another and you swore you would only have one drink but here you are 3 drinks, 2 shots and no lunch later we are going wild and not thinking about what might happen tomorrow. We know water and food is a good key to avoiding a hangover but what else can we do?

Here are a few tips for before, during and after to ensure that you're feeling you're best self. Because no one wants to be hungover on a couch all weekend.

Before you go out there are a few things that are very important and can lay out the results of your night very quickly. Eat! Eat a full meal before you go out, a full stomach will help slow the alcohol down. Stick to grains, meat and greens! Taking a multi-vitamin or a vitamin  B3 will also slow the alcohol down. I also hydrate before I go out, I try to drink a gallon of water and some electrolytes.

During the evening there are also many important tips to ensure the hangover doesn't appear the next day.  Make it a rule for every alcoholic drink you have you match it with a full glass of water.  Try to stick to lighter colored drinks with less fizz. Know your limit of drinks, and do not exceed that amount. Don't go crazier then you need to,  you don't need to send your liver into shock thus making it harder to recover from your hangover. Eat again! Keep snacking, eat some bread, fruits or nuts they will help slow the absorption  of alcohol.

Okay you're home but what do you need to do before you go to sleep? I love to drink a Gatorade before bed to get some more electrolytes in my system while taking 2 Tylenol. Personally I try to do my regular routine as I would any other night.

You're up now, you're thirsty and a little hungry but everything isn't spinning anymore so that's a good sign.  But you're not feeling 100% great yet, so lets get you there.  Start by oil pulling, swish around oil in your mouth for 20 minutes to get rid of all the toxins. Get yourself a smoothie or a juice for some vitamins and it's usually a lot easier to get down. If you're still feeling nauseous, try some ginger or peppermint tea. Keep drinking water too though, and make some eggs with some more fresh fruit. After you eat a full breakfast, go on a walk. If you're feeling up for it, try some yoga, biking, dancing or whatever you like to do.

These are a few things that I do every time I drink, and if I forget something I make sure I do absolutely everything on my morning after list and I'm feeling 100% better.  We've all been there the morning after when you just want to go back and drink 10 gallons of water and have 3 full meals before you drink only clear drinks all night but the fact is sometimes that doesn't happen and that's okay because life isn't flawless. But I don't want you to feel like you're dying when you had big hopes for the rest of your weekend. I promise I am the queen of abolishing hangovers! I can't wait to see what you think, especially with all of these holiday parties coming up.