One day it’s there on the shelf, and the next time it’s not. The buyers for Trader Joe’s seem to love pulling that old shell game on their customers: get them hooked on a product and then make it disappear like Jimmy Hoffa. When TJ’s pulled their distinctive tea tree oil and mint mouthwash, I wasn’t going to take it lying down. I decided to make my own version. I think it comes darn close. It can be mixed up in minutes and tweaked for one’s own unique tastes: more mint, less tea tree oil, a splash of orange oil or clove oil, perhaps? Give it a swirl. No sugar or chemical substitutes, and no alcohol.

Alcohol-free + Sugar-free Mint & Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 ounces 1x
- Category: Bodycare
- Method: n/a
- Cuisine: n/a
Description
Inspired by Trader Joe’s now-discontinued Tea Tree Oil and Mint Mouthwash, this simple formula will make your mouth zing with minty freshness. No alcohol burn and no sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup distilled water
- 1/4 cup aloe vera juice
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable glycerin, optional
- 1 tsp. wintergreen oil
- 1/4 tsp. peppermint oil
- 1/8 teaspoon tea tree oil
- liquid stevia, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, taste for sweetness, then pour into a bottle or jar. Let mouthwash sit for a few hours so the flavors can meld.
- When ready to use, shake well, then swish about a half tablespoon in your mouth for 30 seconds or so. Spit out and feel your mouth tingle!
Notes
After letting the mixture sit for a few hours, taste and adjust mint and sweetness levels until they are exactly to your tastes.
Makes 12 ounces.
THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS.
Keywords: mouthwash, mint, peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, tea tree oil, sugar-free, body care, mouth care, aloe vera juice, stevia, alcohol-free
THIS POST CONTAINS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS.
COMING NEXT:
THROWBACK RECIPE, NOVEMBER 2014:
Hi! I have your book “Crave Eat Heal.” Can you recommend any vegan replacement for flax seeds? (Not chia please.) For example, in your cookie pie, and whole wheat pie crust?
Hi Alex! You might try psyllium husks – very binding – or some oat flour.
Thank you! I don’t have psyllum husks. I could try oat flour! How much oat flour? Will that work for both the cookie pie and the pot pie? Or should I try aquafaba if you think that will work better?
I’d try using 1/4-1/2 cup of oat flour (reduce the ww flour by that much). I would bet that you could make either recipe excluding the flaxseed and not using any substitute – and the doughs would hold together anyway. I recently made a gluten-free crust with no oil. Water was the only binder, and it was terrific. If you’re interested, it was 1.5 cups fine almond flour, 1/2 cup white rice flour (I used brown rice flour because it was what I had), 1/2 cup tapioca starch, 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar), 4+ Tbsp. cold water. Mix and roll as usual. Comes out very nicely.