I've always been weirded out by organic extremism. I proactively choose organic food, purchase simpler products with wholesome ingredients, avoid as much multi-hyphenated artificial-sounding substances to put in my mouth or on my skin, but there's an entirely different level of organic extremism like oil pulling that's just too absurd for me to include in my regular beauty regimen.
What exactly is oil pulling?
When I first read about oil pulling, I was like, oil... pulling... how do you pull oil? what? An elderly hippie on one of my social media accounts posted about it and she's always been into ayurvedic, non-traditional, tree-hugging practices, so I was sure oil pulling was just one of those things weird people do to keep their spirits vital or something.
So I scrolled away and forgot about it.
And then COVID-19 happened and even traditional doctors were singing praises for Virgin Coconut Oil. And every woman, even those in their early 20s, were suddenly into essential oils. And skincare groups were all going crazy about topical oils. Oils were suddenly everywhere and I naturally had to see what the commotion was all about.
Oil Pulling is basically swishing oil inside your mouth for a few minutes to "pull" bacteria and other pathogens from the nooks and crannies between your teeth, around your tonsils, under your tongue, etc. It's a crazy concept when you think about it. It's kind of like using regular mouthwash except you're gargling this sticky, runny, odd-smelling liquid inside your mouth for up to 30 minutes. You spit it out, and according to Ayurveda, all the dirty, disease-causing stuff in your mouth are expelled with the oil.
Why you need to gargle it for that long (10 to 30 minutes is a long time for a gargle), and why it has to be oil when we have modern mouthwashes doing exactly the same thing, are just beyond me.
I gave in and tried oil pulling just to see if it's worth all those minutes and jaw exercise.
There are several types of oil that can be used for oil pulling, but I had VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil) and I thought hey the doctors said this kills COVID-19 virus so. Other oils I've tried so far are sesame oil and olive oil - they taste just as horrible.
At any given time, there's at least 350 different types of bacteria in a person's mouth. Some of these are beneficial bacteria, some cause bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay. Anti-bacterial oils such as VCO are effective in killing bad bacteria. This study compares oil pulling with VCO with gargling with mouthwash. It turns out both are effective at getting rid of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Aside from anti-bacterial properties, certain types of oils are anti-inflammatory and are effective at helping with existing gum and throat diseases. And though anecdotal, there are claims that oil pulling is also effective at making teeth whiter by removing surface stains.
How to do oil pulling - steps:
1. Measure 1 tablespoon of edible or food grade oil such as sunflower oil or olive oil.
2. Swish it in your mouth for 5 to 30 minutes. You can work your way up from 5 minutes on the first week, 10 minutes on the second week, etc.
3. Spit into the trash and be careful not to spit it in the sink or toilet because the oil buildup can cause clogs later on.
4. Gargle with water.
5. Do this 3 days a week on the first week, and work your way up to once a day to three times a day.
As you can tell, this is not for people with busy schedules. I still wonder if this is worth all the hassle. But I mean, I live to multitask and I've worked my way up to oil pulling more than once a day. I can tell that my teeth have brightened and evened out in tone, and my gums are less sensitive. I also noticed that this has helped with my dry lips and scratchy throat.
Beauty claims
Take this list with a grain of salt. The reasoning behind these claims is that oil pulling "pulls" out "toxins" from the body to improve overall health. I have personally experienced some positive dental effects of this method, but the rest on this list are yet to be seen:
- Whiter, brighter teeth
- Healthier gums
- Fresher breath
- Improved jaw pain from TMJ disorder
- Better sleep
- Clearer sinuses
- Prevention of headaches
- Improvement in skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis
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