These flavored toothpicks with essential oils are easy to make & the perfect way to curb the urge to snack! Keep them handy in your purse or give as gifts!
When I was a young kid, I remember many of my dad’s friends having this habit of using a toothpick to chew on just to keep their mouth busy. Do you know anyone who has to keep their mouth busy? Maybe you do the same – you might use gum though instead of toothpicks.
For some of his friends, it was a way to curb the urge to smoke or chew. Many of them just needed something to chomp on, and for others it just might be a fixation they have.
If you are working on mundane tasks, sometimes it’s helpful to have things to help curb the urge to walk into the kitchen and eat, or buy food from a vending machine. Or, if you sit in traffic during the morning and afternoon rush hour, this can help you with that too.
For some it might be a way to help curb indigestion from a meal that may have been a little too much to handle.
Even better, flavored toothpicks help freshen your breath at the same time. You can find them in specialty shops but they are fairly expensive, so it makes more sense to make them at home.
Since I’m already using my essential oils for a bunch of other DIYs, what’s another project? It just makes sense. Not to mention that you can help your teeth at the same time.
Why Flavored Toothpicks?
Overall, flavored toothpicks can have a bunch of benefits:
- curbs the urge to eat or smoke
- they are energizing
- can support healthy teeth and gums (Clove and Peppermint)
- they can cheer you up
- to help with fresh breath
If you are using essential oils to make your own, they’ll be considerably stronger. Make sure you are using proper essential oils – avoid the synthetic fragrance oils you buy in most grocers.
You want something that is certified as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the FDA. You also want to avoid the synthetic oils sold at grocery stores because they are primarily for aromatherapy use only.
Flavored Toothpicks Ingredients:
- Pack of Toothpicks
- Fractionated Coconut Oil
- Essential Oils
- Napkins or paper towels
- Metal Tins for storage of your toothpicks (reuse an altoids tin or, find some on Amazon)
- Clean ball mason jars (like these here)
Some oils to consider:
Lime Vitality Essential Oil
Lime (Citrus latifolia) Vitality™ essential oil is prized for its ability to bring a unique citrus flavor and delicious zing to any food or beverage.
Clove Vitality Essential Oil
Clove Vitality oil includes the naturally occurring constituent eugenol and is beloved for its use as a dietary supplement. When taken as a supplement, Clove Vitality essential oil promotes a healthy immune response*
Cinnamon Bark Vitality Essential Oil
Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential can support healthy digestion and help maintain a healthy immune system.*
Peppermint Vitality Essential Oil
Peppermint Vitality oil can support healthy gut function and digestive efficiency.*
Lemon Vitality Essential Oil
Lemon Vitality can add a bright, dynamic flavor to many dishes.
Orange Vitality Essential Oil
Orange (Citrus sinensis) Vitality™ has a clean, refreshing scent and flavor and contains the naturally occurring constituent limonene.
Or, be bold and combine 50 drops of Lime Vitality with 20 drops of Peppermint Vitality to make your own Mojito blend of toothpicks.
Mix your Own Blends
You can also use other vitality oils or even mix your own blends with several vitality oils:
- Grapefruit Vitality
- Bergamot Vitality
- Black Pepper Vitality
- Nutmeg Vitality
- Ginger Vitality
- Cardamom Vitality
- Spearmint Vitality
- Tangerine Vitality
- Thieves Vitality
If you are using Clove or Cinnamon Vitality, be aware that those are “hot” oils, so the flavor will be considerably stronger than the others. Clove Vitality is known for helping to support the teeth or gums with a numbing effect, so your mouth may not only experience the spicy taste, it will help numb at the same time 😉
To make the flavored toothpicks:
Add 1/4 inch of fractionated coconut oil to each jelly jar, and add 40-50 toothpicks to each one.
Measure out your oils – if you are using Cinnamon Bark or Clove Vitality, stay with 25-30 drops. If you are using Peppermint, Lime, Orange or Lemon, use 60 drops.
There is no need to submerge them in the fractionated coconut oil. The toothpicks will act as a straw sucking up the liquid into itself over the next 24 hours.
Place the cover on the jelly jar.
Allow the toothpicks to sit in the liquid (covered), for 8-24 hours. The longer they sit the more they will soak up the liquid and the stronger they will be. Then lay them on a napkin and allow them to dry for 24-48 hours.
Store them Properly
Store them in airtight container when they are done. .. re-use a mentos gum container, an altoids tin a fancier toothpick container container, make your own envelopes, or use a glass rollerball (just make sure you take out the roller).
What flavor would you first jump at? Of all the flavors, I think Peppermint is my favorite.
What is the purpose of the fractionated coconut oil?