Immune Booster Mouth Rinse

echinacea

Germs live in the mouth. When I’m exposed to illness, I use a mouth rinse to be sure I’m not keeping the respiratory disease incubating in the back of my throat. This is one of the rinses we offer our patients at clinic for both prevention and treatment.

This rinse or gargle is well suited for sore throats as it contains both spilanthes for its throat numbing properties as well as antimicrobial herbs. If you have an area in the mouth that’s tender, keep the rinse on that side for a little while longer to ease the pain.

This rinse or gargle is not a substitution for required dental or medical care. Dental problems can go septic very quickly. Strep can also lead to other serious complication. This rinse can accompany required medical care or dental care as suggested by a qualified healthcare practitioner.  Get the right type of help to get the right cure.

I like to fill and label a small 1 ounce bottle with a dropper as a usage bottle then refill it with the larger bottle I reserve for bulk storage.

If you want to make your own tincture, follow the easy instructions in our DYI section of the Projects part of our site or click on the individual herb highlighted below for more specific guidelines.

Ingredients

  • 2 parts echinacea root tincture
  • 1 part spilanthes tincture
  • 1 part sage leaf tincture
  • 1 part thyme leaf tincture
  • 1 part strawberry leaf tincture (optional)
  • 1 part Oregon grape berry or root tincture (optional)

Equipment

  • Measuring cups
  • Spatula
  • Funnel
  • Label and pen
  • Large dark bottle with lid
  • Dropper bottle, optional

Procedure

  1. Gather the ingredients along with the equipment in a clean, well-lit, workspace.
  2. Pour the individual ingredients, one at a time, into a clear measuring cup.
  3. Mix the ingredients carefully.
  4. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into a darkly-colored glass bottle and cap it securely.
  5. Label the bottle with the name of the tincture blend and add the date.

Storage and Use

Take one to two droppers of your tincture blend in a little water as throat gargle 2 or 3 times daily until you feel fortified. You have a choice of swallowing or spitting out the mouth rinse. If there’s a lot of phlegm this rinse dislodges then, by all means, spit it out. Otherwise, the rinse is perfectly safe to swallow.

Alcohol-Free Version

If you’re not a fan of tincture due to its alcohol content, feel free to convert this formula into a tea blend. Let the brew steep, covered, for 20 minutes to fully extract the constituents. Oregon grape root does not extract well unless it’s decocted. This would be a great time to substitute Oregon grape berry juice. Tea does not have the shelf life of tincture so it must be refrigerated and used within 2 or 3 days.

You may also be interested in:

Browse Herbalism Topics

The Herbal Nerd Society

Gain access to even more with an additional 250 articles, recipes, and more in ad-free viewing.

Become a Member
Advertisement
Capsules