It’s time for buzz or bust and today The Doctors are testing out two products claiming to freshen you up! The first is a new mouthwash that you’re supposed to swallow. The company claims the solution is all-natural and a better way to get fresh breath.
The Doctors test out SWISH Fresh Breath Powder, which comes in many flavors, like peppermint and candy mint, and they all agree they feel their breaths are feeling fresh! This product, which is meant to be an alternative to gum or mints, "has a funny chemical taste to it. It does feel a little bit like eating toothpaste!” Dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra says. Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon was onboard with it, so much so that he went for a second round!
Watch: Why Using Mouthwash 'Down There' Is NEVER a Good Idea!
The product contains xylitol, a sugar-free sweetener, and sodium bicarbonate, an agent that makes the mouth less acidic and neutralizes the pH so that bacteria is less conducive. The Doctors give it a buzz, but they do point out a concern with swallowing it… will it affect the gut microbiome?
The next odor-combating product is an all-natural deodorant called Lume. This was created by an OB/GYN, Dr. Shannon Klingman, who felt a lot of female patients would complain about feminine odor and be misdiagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. There would be the assumption that an odor was due to an infection or overgrowth when in actuality it is just bacteria interacting with fats and oils in your sweat.
Lume is a deodorant so it is meant to make you smell less, not an antiperspirant, which acts to clog sweat glands to make you less moist. The product doesn’t contain any aluminum, parabens, and it’s meant to change the bacterial composition since the belief is it’s the bacteria that is creating the bad smell.
Watch: Chemical Burns from Deodorant?
Dr. Batra tested the product out and says she did sweat, but she didn’t smell (she asked multiple people to verify this). She calls the product a buzz! She explains you are supposed to prime the skin for four days and then use the product as needed afterward. However, since the product is still new, she notes that the long-term effects are not known. This too, like the mouthwash, could alter the microbiome.
With both products, something that is a buzz can become a bust if overused. “All things, when it comes to your health... it’s almost always balance,” ER physician Dr. Travis Stork says.
