How do you take care of your teeth? Aside from brushing two to three times a day, it’s a good idea to add flossing and rinsing with mouthwash to your dental hygiene routine.
These two extra steps can make your pearly whites look great because they keep cavities and gum disease at bay. Before you run to the supermarket to buy mouthwash, read this article first because we’ve found the best mouthwash brands for you.
What to look for in a mouthwash?
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This typically boils down to your personal preferences. Of course, it’s helpful to ask your dentist for recommendations, but here are some helpful recommendations to help you narrow down your choices.
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Ingredients
- Look for ones that contain natural ingredients. There are a lot of brands out there now that steer clear of chemicals and only use all-natural ingredients.
- Are you familiar with the burning sensation when rinsing with mouthwash? That is usually caused by the alcohol content in the mouth rinse. You can opt for an alcohol-free mouthwash especially if you’re pregnant.
Image from Freepik
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Protection
- There are mouthwash brands that address dental concerns like gingivitis. Choose one that has this added feature.
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Flavor
- Again, this depends on your preference. With scores of mouthwash brands out there offering flavors from spearmint to sakura, you’re sure to find something to your liking.
8 best mouthwash brands in the Philippines
8 best mouthwash brands in the Philippines
 | Natural Mouthwash Best Mouthwash |  | View Details | Buy on Shopee |
 | TheraBreath Periodontist Formulate Oral Rinse Best Alcohol-Free Mouthwash | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | CloSYS Ultra Sensitive Mouthwash Best for Natural Ingredients | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | Human Nature Natural Mouthwash Best All-Natural Local Brand | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | Listerine Total Care Zero Mouthwash Best for Total Oral Health Care | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | Watsons Cool Mint Mouthwash 500ml Best for Reducing Plaque Formation | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | Colgate Plax Antibacterial Mouthwash Freshmint Splash Best to Combat Halitosis | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
 | Dentiste Natural Oral Rinse Best to use after smoking and drinking | | View Details | Buy from Shopee |
Best For Pregnant Women
As you can tell from its name, Mama’s Choice Alcohol-Free Mouthwash is specially formulated for expectant and breastfeeding women. Aside from freshening your breath, it helps relieve nausea so it’s helpful for moms-to-be who are experiencing morning sickness. Because it only uses natural ingredients, you can be sure it’s safe for you and your bun in the oven.
In addition, some—if not most—pregnant women have a heightened sense of smell and food aversions. If you fall into that category, you’ll be happy to know that this mouthwash won’t trigger those pregnancy symptoms. As its users say, the great thing about Mama’s Choice Non-Fluoride Mouthwash is that it doesn’t have that overpowering smell that you can get from ordinary mouthwash brands. They say that its mintiness is also just right because it leaves it feeling and smelling not just fresh but also clean.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- No alcohol and fluoride so it’s safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women
- Infused with mint for nausea relief
- Contains chlorophyll to eliminate bacteria that can lead to plaque formation
- Contains allantoin to promote healthy gums, prevent gingivitis and oral thrush
- Protection
- Fights plaque formation, gingivitis, and oral thrush
- Flavor
Best Alcohol-Free Mouthwash
Created by Dr. Harold Katz at the California Breath Clinics over two decades ago, Therabreath is a game-changing mouthwash because it is so effective in keeping bad breath away. Instead of masking bad breath with flavors and smells, it goes to the root cause of the odor by controlling bacteria. This makes it one of the best mouthwash brands available in the Philippines today.
If you have gum sensitivity, Therabreath Healthy Gums Oral Rinse may help you. A number of consumers say that after continued use of this product, they have noticed that their gums are healthier and do not bleed anymore. Because of this, even dentists recommend it to their patients.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- Just like Mama’s Choice, Therabreath is alcohol-free so you won’t feel a burning sensation in your mouth when you use it
- Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC), an antimicrobial agent prevents the growth of disease-causing bacteria
- Xylitol helps decrease plaque build-up
- Sodium Bicarbonate neutralizes the hazardous acid increase that happens when you eat sugar-rich foods
- Protection
- prevents plaque accumulation, which may lead to gingivitis
- Flavor
Best for Natural Ingredients
Here’s another alcohol-free mouthwash. Approved by the American Dental Association (ADA), CloSYS reduces bacteria that cause bad breath in 10 seconds without the burning sensation.
Those who have tried it share how pleasantly surprised they are with how effective Closys is in keeping their mouths clean while not having an overwhelming chemical-like taste. It may feel like swishing water at first, but you’ll notice the difference after regular use. If you still prefer having a minty taste, you can add mint flavoring, but they say it’s good as is. So if you feel the urge to be kind to your mouth and gums, Closys Non-Irritating Rinse may just be the one for you.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- no alcohol, sulfates, and triclosan
- Cloralstan, a powerful yet gentle patented ingredient that kills 99.9% of the bacteria that cause bad breath
- Protection
- ideal for sensitive mouths because it keeps the pH balance
- Flavor
- unflavored, with optional flavoring
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Best All-Natural Local Brand
Human Nature’s Natural Mouthwash is a godsend for those who want their products to be all-natural. It’s free from alcohol synthetic dyes, PEGs, SLS, and toxic chemicals, and is just as effective in keeping your mouth smelling fresh.
Users can’t get enough of how reasonably priced and effective this mouthwash is. For about the price of your artisanal coffee, you can get the Human Nature Natural Mouthwash. The 170ml is good for a few rinses, too. If you’re already hooked on the brand’s other products, this will not come as a surprise as loyal users say they’ve become accustomed to quality items and reasonable price points. As for this mouthwash, it cleans well. The best part is that there are no harmful chemicals here so it’s safe for you and the baby in your womb.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- zero alcohol
- aqua (water), propanediol (corn-derived), potassium citrate (mineral-derived), zinc citrate (mineral-derived), sodium bicarbonate (mineral-derived), aloe vera leaf juice, sodium gluconate (plant-derived), peppermint leaf essential oil, corn mint leaf essential oil, rebaudioside A (plant-derived), sodium C12- 18 alkyl sulfate (coconut-derived), menthol (plant-derived)
- synthetic dyes, PEGs, SLS, and toxic chemicals
- Protection
- helps prevent the growth of odor-causing germs
- Flavor
Best for Total Oral Health Care
Listerine is a household name when it comes to mouthwashes. You can’t go wrong with this brand because it is clinically proven to help provide 6 benefits for a healthier mouth versus brushing alone. It reduces plaque formation, keeps teeth naturally white, kills 99.9% of germs, keeps breath fresh, and promotes stronger teeth and healthier gums.
Ladies who have been using this say that this has been a mainstay in their dental hygiene kit (or on their bathroom sink). It’s a must-have for those who like to drink tea and coffee–basically, those food items and beverages that tend to stain the teeth. Listerine Total Care helps get those stains out while also leaving your breath smelling fresh. But don’t expect zero stings from this mouthwash. It definitely still has that. But if you’re okay with a bit of stinging, then this may be the one for you.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- contains fluoride
- has alcohol for intense rinsing
- has 4 essential oils to prevent bacteria and plaque buildup
- Protection
- protects and keeps gums healthy, reduces plaque, prevents cavities, reduces tartar build-up, keeps bad breath away
- Flavor
Best for Reducing Plaque Formation
This mouthwash from Watsons is alcohol-free so you won’t feel a burning sensation when you use it. Its mint flavor leaves your mouth feeling fresh and clean.
But if that’s not enough for you, here’s one more good point for Watsons Cool Mouthwash: It has no aftertaste. Remember how it feels weird after you use an oral rinse? This one doesn’t have that at all. This means if you want to eat again after you’ve used it, it won’t get in the way of you enjoying your food. Now, that’s convincing!
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- no alcohol
- has fluoride for cavity prevention
- Flavor
Best to Combat Halitosis
From the brand that has become synonymous with the Filipino’s brushing needs comes this Freshmint mouthwash. This protects against bacteria buildup and promotes healthier gums. When used twice daily, it gives you long-lasting fresh breath.
Colgate Plax Fresminth Splash gets one point for its formulation that doesn’t irritate the mouth and the gums. And while its taste isn’t too strong, there are no compromises here. It still has the ability to leave your mouth feeling clean (after a good brush, of course). Users recommend it as a good addition to your brushing routine.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- Protection
- helps control bad breath 24 hours a day when used twice a day daily
- Flavor
Best to use after smoking and drinking
Dentiste uses 14 natural extracts to keep your breath fresh longer. How does it keep your breath smelling great? It does so by maintaining the pH balance in your mouth. This boosts the salivary flow, which in turn lessens bacteria and prevents dry mouth.
Dentiste has a loyal following in the Philippines. First, consumers say that it is an effective oral rinse because it leaves the mouth feeling clean and hydrated. They also add that although it does have a bit of sting, it does its job well. Some users say that Dentiste Oral Rinse is their go-to product in the office when you need to freshen up your breath after lunch.
Why we love it?
- Ingredients
- 14 natural extracts such as sage extract and clove oil to eradicate germs, xylitol to repair tooth enamel, chamomile, vitamin C, and eucalyptus to protect the gums
- Protection
- Protects against bad breath by maintaining the mouth’s pH balance to encourage the salivary flow
- Flavor
Price Comparison
If you are looking for the best mouthwash brands in the Philippines, these are perfect for your dental hygiene needs.
| Brand |
Price |
Volume |
Price per ml |
| MAMA’S CHOICE NON-FLUORIDE MOUTHWASH |
P656 |
N/A |
N/A (Comes in mouthwash + toothpaste bundle) |
| THERABREATH HEALTHY GUMS ORAL RINSE |
P790 |
473ml |
P1.68 per ml |
| CLOSYS NON-IRRITATING RINSE |
P1,895 |
946ml |
P2 per ml |
| HUMAN NATURE NATURAL MOUTHWASH |
P169.75 |
400ml |
P0.42 per ml |
| LISTERINE TOTAL CARE |
P672 |
500ml x 2 (twin pack) |
P0.67 per ml |
| WATSONS COOL MINT MOUTHWASH |
P171 |
100ml |
P1.7 per ml |
| COLGATE PLAX FRESHMINT SPLASH |
P1,166 |
1000ml x 2 (twin pack) |
P0.58 per ml |
| DENTISTE ORAL RINSE |
P185 |
100ml |
P1.85 per ml |
Is it safe to use mouthwash during pregnancy?
Doctors recommend that pregnant women use alcohol-free mouth rinse daily in order to prevent cavities and strengthen tooth enamel. Using pregnancy safe mouthwash is particularly useful if you’re vomiting frequently. When you vomit, your teeth get bathed in stomach acid which could erode tooth enamel. To counteract this, you could rinse with a mouthwash when you vomit.
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Mouthwash ingredients to avoid for expecting moms
Here are ingredients that you should avoid as a mother-to-be:
Alcohol dehydrates your mouth, which can lead to even more oral health problems. It is also a hazardous chemical that has been associated with birth defects and unwanted health issues for babies.
Triclosan is a chemical used for preservation. However, it can be dangerous to pregnant women. Doctors point out that triclosan can reduce thyroid hormones, which are crucial for fetal development.
Dyes often use a multitude of chemicals that are synthetically derived. As a result, artificial dyes can easily trigger allergies and cause irritation.
