Valentine’s Day means kisses, and kisses are best when your mouth is as fresh as possible, both inside and outside. Men and women should be conscious of their mouth for the sake of hygiene and of their kissing partner. Be courteous to your Frenching partner by brushing and flossing your teeth and following these at-home teeth whitening recipes as well as lip care for your special day.• Teeth Whitener:4 tps of baking soda1 strawberrya forka bowltoothbrushFloss and brush your teeth with water to clear off plaque and food. Mush up the strawberry in a bowl with the fork. When the strawberry is of an even consistency, add the baking soda and stir. Dip your toothbrush into the mixture and coat top and bottom teeth. Leave on for 7 minutes.Baking soda acts as a natural bleach, while a strawberry’s citric, malic, and ellagic acid digs into the enamel of the teeth to let the baking soda do its work. Don’t use this homemade whitening duo too often because it can strip away at your tooth enamel. Bonus: add tea tree or peppermint oil to freshen breath and kill germs as you whiten.• Fresh Breath:1 tbs coconut oilThis is called “oil-pulling,” according to everydayroots.com, a health and beauty website. Swish, push, pull, and rinse the coconut oil in your mouth for 10-15 minutes. Coconut oil’s lauric acid will get rid of bacteria in plaque that yellows your teeth, and it also makes your breath fresher.• Lip Scrub:1 tsp brown sugar1 tsp olive oila spoona bowl Mix the two ingredients together till it is a uniform consistency. This lip scrub gets your pucker as soft as rose petals. Brown sugar scrubs off dead skin cells and exfoliates the skin. Olive oil moisturizes and softens the skin. Rub the mixture into your lips with your fingers for a couple minutes and then wipe off with a cloth. • Lip Balm:1tsp coconut oil Coconut oil doubles as a breath freshener and lip balm. Rub onto your lips and leave on until soaked into your lips, or rub off if you feel too shiny before you go out.
Writer: Alyssa Walhood
