The practice of oil pulling can be traced back to Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient system of healing that developed in India over 3,000 years ago. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that oil pulling can cleanse the body of toxins, improve oral health and enhance overall wellness.

Oil pulling is a method of oral cleansing that involves swishing or holding oil in the mouth for an extended period of time. It is intended to draw out toxins and improve oral health by strengthening the teeth, gums, and jaw.

One of the interesting benefits of oil pulling is its ability to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your face. Hence its oral pulling is also termed ‘Yoga For Mouth’. Here’s how it works.

What is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient traditional practice, with origins in Ayurvedic medicine from India. The technique of oil pulling involves swishing the oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes. It may sound strange, but research suggests that this practice does have benefits. Oil pulling at night is usually not recommended. Oil pulling in the morning removes toxins that have accumulated the night before, preventing it from entering the bloodstream, giving better results.

Oil pulling works to reduce the amount of plaque bacterial adhesion in the mouth preventing cavities and gum diseases like gingivitis.

This is because the oils have antibacterial properties that kill harmful microorganisms in the mouth. This naturally helps prevent plaque formation and further tooth cavities. But not all oils can be used for oil pulling.

Which oil is best for oil pulling?

You must be then wondering which oil is best for oil pulling? Although people use different types of oils, researchers have found coconut oil to give the best results. Coconut oil has also been found to have additional health benefits too.

Coconut oil contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in high concentrations. These have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Sesame oil also has a high concentration of MCTs, as well as vitamin E. In India, sesame oil is also used for oil pulling and is considered a traditional Ayurvedic practice. Organic oils such as sunflower oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil can be beneficial if they’re cold-pressed. However, using coconut oil for oil pulling works the best.

Why oil pulling works?

A number of scientific studies have shown that oil pulling therapy has a significant therapeutic effect on oral health as well as overall health.

The main mechanism of action is through a process called saponification, which means the formation of a soap-like substance by reaction of alkali with fat or fatty acid. Coconut oil has high saponification index. It contains lauric acid, which can react with alkalis present in saliva. Lauric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide and bicarbonates to form sodium laureate soap-like substance. This reduces plaque adhesion and accumulation and possesses cleansing action. Coconut oil contains lauric acid. Benefits of lauric acid include having antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties that prevent tooth cavities.

Oil pulling is believed to help in the excretion of toxic substances through saliva. Oil pulling action activates salivary enzymes, which absorb toxins such as chemical toxins, bacterial toxins and environmental toxins from the blood and are removed from the body through the tongue. Oil pulling has been known to detoxify and purify the entire human body.

Other oil pulling benefits to skin

The benefits of oil pulling are not just limited to the insides of your mouth. It has other skin benefits too. Ever wonder how swishing oil inside the mouth can show results on your face? How is oil pulling good for skin? Let’s find out.

When you oil pull, you encourage blood flow to your face by exercising your facial muscles. Oil Pulling can:

• Reduce wrinkles, fine lines, dry face, and other signs of aging
• Improve skin elasticity
• Reduce double chin
• Define your jawline

Apart from the above, it can call help with:

• Improving gut health and body metabolism,
• Helps in improving digestion, and boost immunity
• Detoxifying the mouth and body
• Improving energy levels and sleep
• Balancing hormones
• Reducing acne, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin problems
• Alleviating headaches and migraine
• Providing relief from stiff joints and allergies

How oil pulling reduces wrinkles?

Oil pulling to reduce wrinkles on face, may sound strange, but it’s true. As you may know, the act of oil pulling removes toxins and bacteria from the mouth. By doing this, it also helps to remove toxins from the body as a whole. In addition, by exercising all of the muscles in your face, it helps tighten them and smooth out those smile lines.

One of the biggest causes of wrinkles is free radical damage. Coconut oil contains antioxidants, which help fight free radical damage and thereby prevent the formation of wrinkles. The more toxins you remove from your body through oil pulling, the fewer free radicals there are to damage your skin cells.

Since oil can easily penetrate into tight spaces, it can do the same for your skin. By putting oil in your mouth, you are helping increase blood flow to your face and giving yourself a mini facelift. People who practice oil pulling report that their skin looks tighter and feels softer after they regularly swish oil in their mouths. This is due to the fact that oil pulling helps remove toxins from your body through your saliva, which reduces inflammation on your skin, ultimately reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

Oil pulling benefits for glowing skin

Oil pulling is a simple method to detoxify the body, and another one of its benefits is that it can make your skin glow. It naturally cleanses the skin and improves its appearance.

In addition to oil pulling’s ability to cleanse the body of toxins, it also has moisturizing properties that help regulate sebum production. Sebum is an oily substance produced by glands in our skin and hair that keeps our skin from drying out and protects against external bacteria and other elements. Since oil pulling helps regulate sebum production, it can help keep your skin hydrated without causing acne or other breakouts.

Oil pulling benefits to tighten the skin

Oil pulling does some pretty incredible things for the muscles and skin around your mouth and jaw. Essentially, by holding the oil in your mouth for twenty minutes and swishing it around, you’re exercising and stretching all of the muscles in your mouth. Over time, this will help strengthen your jaw and make it look more defined.

This practice can be used as a quick fix for sagging skin on occasion or as part of a longer-term skincare routine to achieve more permanent results. Over time, you should notice that your skin is looking tighter and smoother. Over a period of time, it also tones your facial muscles. This results in a stronger jaw and firmer facial features.

Oil pulling benefits to cleanse the skin

The action of oil pulling draws the germs out of your mouth and expelling them out of your body. Thus the cleansing action, not only acts inside the mouth but on your entire body.

In the morning, during your oil pulling routine, you remove toxins that have accumulated in your mouth overnight. This prevents these toxins from entering your bloodstream. What does this do for you? It keeps your digestive bacteria levels in check, which keeps your hormones in check, which keeps illness in check. And that’s just the beginning!

Think of your mouth as a gateway to the inside of your body. When you cleanse it with oil pulling, you are opening that gateway for the rest of the day and allowing good health to flow through to all parts of yourself—including your skin! That’s why oil pulling is such an effective treatment for conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Oil pulling prevents these kinds of internal problems before they get started.

The bottom line

Oil pulling has a plethora of oral as well as systemic benefits. Oil pulling benefits for skin include giving you glowing skin, a cleansing effect, as well as tightening the facial muscles. All these combined have an ant-aging effect to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Remember oil pulling to reduce wrinkles on the face needs regular practice.

Highlights

• The key to your health and well-being is prevention.
• Oil pulling acts more on the preventive aspect over during aspect.
• Oil pulling not only has oral benefits but also proves to have systemic benefits.
• It reduces the bacteria in the mouth to improving bad breath, prevent plaque and tooth cavites.
• Oil pulling also helps promote youthful skin by reducing wrinkles and fine lines.
• Oil pulling can decrease the appearance of wrinkles and impart a healthy glow to your skin.
• A daily practice of oil pulling benefits your oral health as well as your entire body.