Do you find yourself wishing you hadn't had that second helping of garlic bread for dinner last night? Or maybe thinking that curry for lunch prior to your all-important business meeting was a bad idea? Your co-workers or spouse might also be wishing you'd thought twice. A nasty case of halitosis (bad breath) can be off-putting, but unfortunately the store brands of mouthwash are laden with alcohol and artificial colors and sweeteners. The alcohol can actually have the opposite effect desired and leave you with worse breath, since it dries out the mouth - a common cause of the problem. So what is a person to do? Make your own mouthwash of course!

In this all-natural recipe from The Ultimate Natural Beauty Book, Jo Fairley explains how to make your own mouthwash and why it works so well.

You can use this just like any mouthwash - swig, swish, gargle - but unlike alcohol-based mouthwashes (which can dry out the inside of the mouth and actually unbalance the natural 'flora') this is gentle while still being effective. The glycerine acts as a natural sweetener.

Ingredients 

25g (1oz) fresh rosemary or 10g (1/2oz) dried rosemary
25g (1oz) fresh mint or 10g (1/2oz) dried mint
1 litre (13/4 pints) boiling filtered or mineral water
30ml (1fl oz) vegetable glycerine
10-12 drops peppermint essential oil
5-10 drops myrrh essential oil

Make an infusion with the herbs and the water; allow to cool and stir in the glycerine. Add the essential oils and pour into a sterilised bottle. Shake before use and discard any that remains after 2 weeks. (Don't swallow it - though it won't do you any harm if you do.)

TIP: You can also successfully freshen your breath in the following ways: chew a little fresh parsley. (This herbal garnish is rich in chlorophyll, a green plant compound that kills the bacteria that cause bad odour.) Or, chew on a dried clove, some fennel seeds or a juniper berry. Rinse your mouth with water that contains chopped watercress.

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