Hello friends!
So I’m really exciting to write this blog post and tell you about my new favorite product for oil pulling! If you don’t know what oil pulling is, here’s a breakdown:
“Short answer: Oil pulling is the act of swishing oil [usually coconut oil] in the mouth for up to 20 minutes to improve oral health.” – Wellness Mama
What are the benefits? For me, as you’ll soon read below, it helped with some major staining and rotting in my teeth, plus it has helped control my cavities (#stupidgenetics). Plus, a big perk is it naturally whitens your teeth! I’ve used whitening strips before, and they would always make my gums sting for WEEKS and they left white stains! So now I love being able to counteract all my coffee drinking stains with a much healthier, safer and overall more beneficial for my mouth.
My story: Oil pulling is something I started last January when I went to the dentist, and due to a curse of terrible genes (because I’m totally that person that brushed their teeth at least 2-3x a day, flosses and doesn’t eat a lot of sugar or drink dark beverages other than coffee in the a.m.) and I found out that my teeth were ROTTING! I was mortified and literally left the office crying my eyes out. I didn’t understand! I did everything I knew possible to take care of my teeth, and in a matter of six months my mouth started to look like I hadn’t brushed my teeth a day in my life. Also, the dentist said I needed about $7,000 of work done, and with a brand new business that still hadn’t generated a take-home income and living off my husband’s humble salary, I knew this wasn’t something we could afford.
So I was desperate! I started researching to see if there were any natural remedies that I could do that would hopefully help whatever major issue was going on in my mouth… And somehow or other, through recommendations of friends and other natural blogs I follow, I found out about oil pulling! Even though I am an avid coconut oil lover, I thought it sounded like THE strangest thing swishing coconut oil around my mouth! But like I said, I was desperate, and I figured it couldn’t hurt anything. Plus, I already had the coconut oil in my mouth, so I thought I would give it a go since it literally wouldn’t cost me an additional thing.
I’m not gonna lie, before I ever started I thought, “20 minutes? That’s not bad. I can totally do that.” BUUUUUUT…. The first time I put that coconut oil in my mouth, and by the time it melted and I was able to start swishing, I instantly gagged.
THIS IS HARDER THAN I THOUGHT!
But everyday I kept at it, and thankfully, it got easier! I think the next day I made it for 2 minutes before gagging and spitting it out (graphic, but it was true for me), then 5 minutes, then 10, and kept working my way up until I hit 20 minutes! I never before thought 20 minutes would feel like a century, but those for few days doing it for 20 minutes definitely felt like an absolute eternity…. But I did it! And I finally worked my way up to the twenty minute mark, and I’m not gonna lie, I felt totally legit about it!
So, I kept at it for a month or two consistently, and everyday I would look at my teeth (that were rotting) and I noticed that the brown stains were starting to go away!
That summer I went to the dentist again for my six month check up, and I am SO PLEASED to say that they said my teeth looked GREAT! *praise hands* So any skepticism or hesitancy I had on whether or not coconut pulling worked, I was now SOLD! I made my husband start doing it (even though he has great teeth, but he doesn’t brush near as often as I do so his teeth have a little more natural staining) as a way to help whiten his teeth, and he doesn’t seem to mind it much anymore. So now we are both hooked!
OKAY, now you may have noticed that all my pictures don’t show coconut oil, but a toothpaste looking tube of something called “Yala.” Their name stems from the word naariyal, which is the Hindi word for coconut! Coconut pulling stems back to Eastern medicinal tradition, but it is still used in modern dental practices.
Anyways, I went to an entrepreneur meetup in downtown Atlanta, and met the co-founder behind Yala products. We were just chatting about our business and I told him my story and success behind oil pulling. He was so surprised I knew what it was! Most people aren’t too familiar with the tradition, and we found out I was an avid oil-puller, he asked me if I would be interested in trying his new product… And y’all, I AM IN LOVE!!!!
Yala has all the benefits of pulling with coconut oil AND more! In their product they’ve added USA Birch Tree Xylitol, Peppermint Essential Oil, and Clove Essential Oil. This combination helps to whiten teeth, freshen breath, prevent dental decay, and promote healthier gums. All of those things sound like a win, win, win to me!
SO, the one kind of negative thing about coconut pulling (other than the 20 minutes) is that the texture and taste is… Interesting. It definitely takes some getting used to! It’s kind of like if you were to picture swishing around your toothpaste at the end of brushing your teeth, before you spit… So yeah, it’s kind of thick and not very refreshing. HOWEVER, with Yala, the swishing doesn’t feel near as thick, I feel like I have to use a lot less, and the after-taste is phenomenal! It really does have the same feeling as using a store-bought mouthwash, but without all the chemicals and junk that regular mouthwash has.
By the way, I was not paid and will not be paid for talking about yala, so this isn’t a sponsored post! I know sometimes I’m hesitant to read about other people’s products, but I want you to know that this is my genuine opinion and I really love this product. So that being said, Daryl gave me a 10% off coupon for all my friends to use, so that you can try it for yourself! The product is $20 for a 30 day supply! A little bit goes a long way, but seriously, you won’t regret trying this out! I wish I had samples to send out to each and every one of you, but I suppose 10% off is still not a bad way to try it without having to commit to the full price.
Use the code, “ROSALYNNE10” for 10% off your order.
If you have any questions or comments, just let me know! Thanks for reading dear friends ๐ Have a lovely day and happy pulling! If you try it out, let me know what you think and how quickly you were able to get to the 20 minute point! Maybe you’re a total beast like my grandma – who knocked out the 20 minutes on her first try ๐ Whether it takes you a full month or a week, I definitely recommend you start pulling.
Blessings! xo
Rosalynne