I Tried Oil Pulling for a Week
I’ll be honest — I used to think oil pulling was one of those overly-hyped wellness trends. Swishing oil in your mouth every morning? Sounded odd and honestly kind of gross. But after hearing a friend rave about how it helped with her gum inflammation and brain fog, I decided to give it a try for a week. Spoiler: it wasn’t what I expected.
I started with coconut oil, partly because it was already in my kitchen, and partly because I’d read that it has natural antibacterial properties. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about holding a spoonful of oil in my mouth for 15 minutes, but to my surprise, it got easier by the third day. What really caught me off guard was the light, clean feeling in my mouth afterward — almost like my gums had exhaled.
As I dug deeper into oil pulling, I found this fantastic breakdown of different oils and how they affect the body depending on your Ayurvedic dosha. It’s from a site called Ask Ayurveda, and the article is titled “Which Oil is Best for Oil Pulling? Ayurvedic Guide to Choosing the Right Oil.” Here’s the link:
https://ask-ayurveda.com/articles/1224-which-oil-is-best-for-oil-pulling-ayurvedic-guide-to-choosing-the-right-oil
Turns out, coconut oil is especially good for people with excess internal heat (Pitta dosha), while sesame oil is better for dryness and tension (Vata types). I even found this Pinterest pin that laid it all out visually in a simple dosha-oil chart:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/895934919625247826
By midweek, I was getting curious about how others use oil pulling as part of a larger wellness routine. On LinkedIn, I came across a practitioner talking about how oil pulling isn’t just about detox — it’s about daily grounding and connection. Here’s that post:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ask-ayurveda_ayurvedic-oil-pulling-isnt-just-about-detoxit-activity-7348675094413574145-p0l8
I also found a Threads post where someone shared how they pair oil pulling with breathwork each morning to mentally reset:
https://www.threads.com/@askayurveda_24/post/DL4qu99OzCZ
Honestly, this is what started to click for me. Oil pulling wasn’t just about oral health — it became a daily moment of mindfulness. No phone, no rush — just me swishing and breathing.
On Instagram, someone asked whether beginners should start with sunflower oil, and I loved the simplicity of that suggestion:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DL4qu-hNa99/
It’s mild and neutral, perfect for people who aren’t sure what suits their dosha or just want a gentle start.
There’s also a Twitter post where a few holistic health folks chimed in on how oil pulling helped their sinus congestion and even sleep quality:
https://twitter.com/1857364984759541760/status/1942909318443020399
And this Facebook post really brought things down to earth by addressing the “detox” myths — not in a preachy way, but in a clear, balanced tone:
https://www.facebook.com/885804900366149/posts/1053905080222796
Now, am I claiming that oil pulling changed my life? Not quite. But it did change my mornings. My mouth feels fresher, I feel a little more centered before starting work, and I’m even noticing less jaw tension. I’ll keep going with it for a while longer, and maybe even switch to sesame oil next week to see how that feels.