You’ve probably heard of the latest new beauty fad, recommended by beauticians and celebrities alike. Oil Pulling.  Sounds kind of disgusting if you ask me… but what is it?

Oil pulling basically consists of swishing oil (most people seem to be using coconut oil but you can use any vegetable based oil) around your mouth for 20 minutes before spitting it out, rinsing your mouth with salt water and brushing your teeth.  There are many reported benefits, such as:

• Whiter teeth

• Cures spots and acne

• Better breath (halitosis suffers also reported greatly improved morning breath)

• Stronger teeth and gums

• Helps with sleep issues and sinus problems

• Eases headaches and hangovers

As the oil actually pulls germs and bacteria from your gums, the whole process is about removing the toxins from the mouth before they can travel to other parts of the body.  This means you literally end up with a ball of toxins in your mouth at the end of the 20 minutes.

Although this beauty trend has ancient roots,  it’s been brought in to the public eye recently by Gwyneth Paltrow.  The practice apparently originated from ancient Ayurvedic Indian natural medicine, which claimed oil pulling was a remedy for oral diseases.