If you’re into beauty or oral hygiene, then it’s likely that you’ve heard about Oil Pulling in the past few years. I had been meaning to try it for years, then finally tried it and gave up on it too fast before I saw results. Fast forward to 2016 and a little more patience and I’ve finally become an oil pulling addict. I noticed that in order to continue to see results, I need to do the oil pulling on a consistent daily basis. So if I stop oil pulling for a few days while I’m on vacation, the benefits I see from it may subside during that time.  I think it’s so awesome that something so simple can supposedly help remove toxins from your body.

What you need: Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, a tablespoon, patience, 20 minutes, and a garbage bag.

How To: 

1. Start with an empty stomach. I recommend doing this as soon as you wake up in the morning. Do it before you eat or drink anything.
2. Grab your jar of Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and a Tablespoon. Put a tablespoon of the oil into your mouth and start swishing the oil around your mouth.  Do not swallow the oil.
3. Set your kitchen timer for 19 minutes and stay busy during this time with other things.
4. When the timer goes off, spit the oil into your trash. DO NOT SPIT IT DOWN YOUR DRAINS or it can cause clogging. Personally, I like to spit the oil into a plastic bag I keep in the freezer for my garbage. This is to prevent fruit flies.
5. Rinse your mouth with warm water. Some websites recommended salted warm water, but I just rinse with regular warm water.
6. Brush your teeth and follow your usual oral hygiene routine as you normally would in the morning.  You can get your own special post oil pulling toothbrush, but I just use my regular toothbrush.

Results I’ve noticed from Oil Pulling: 

1. Clearer and more radiant skin.  I noticed that after about 1-2 weeks of Oil Pulling, my skin is more radiant looking and has an extra glow to it. I also noticed less zits on my face.
2. Whiter teeth. This is great for me because I have very sensitive teeth and don’t react well to normal tooth whiteners. This does not make my teeth Hollywood celebrity white, but they sure look better than they do without oil pulling.
3. Less tooth sensitivity.
4. A slightly less severe hangover the morning after a night with too many drinks.
5. A cleaner feeling mouth and better breath.

Other Results that I’ve read about, but haven’t necessarily noticed yet: 

Helps TMJ/tooth grinding.  I grind my teeth a lot during my sleep and have been doing it for years. I have to wear a mouth guard because of this and have not noticed a decrease in my grinding habits.  Perhaps this will change with more time.

Makes you more alert/awake in the morning. I’m still fiending for my coffee afterwards.

There are many more health benefits that are supposed to be tied to Oil Pulling, but these are the ones that stuck out to me the most. I also think it’s pretty cool that people say it helps clear up their acne and psoriasis. What a wonderful natural wonder!

If you’re thinking that a tablespoon of coconut oil is too much or 20 minutes is too long: 

Start smaller. Try starting with a teaspoon of oil and swishing for 5 minutes. Try to build up your tolerance and time. Don’t panic if you can’t last so long or fit a massive glob of oil into your mouth without gagging. Just start smaller and slowly work your way up to find what feels good with your body. Remember that patience is key.

I actually like that I can’t talk the first 20 minutes after I wake up because I’m quite grumpy when I wake up in the morning to an alarm. It gives me time to zen out and center myself.

It’s important to note that some people report things gets worse before they get better with oil pulling. For instance, things like zits or sinus problems might get temporarily worse for a short period of time when you first start oil pulling.  You will then notice these  symptoms to subside and to get much better with time to see the results you’ve been aiming for.

Have any of you tried oil pulling? What are some of your favorite tips, tricks, or results regarding it?