So many of the things that we buy as “toiletries” revolve around making us feel fresh and sparkly and effervescent. Thus, the emphasis on peppermint, and dirt-fighting soap. Mouthwash fits squarely into the desire for “fresh and sparkly,” and most commercial mouthwashes leverage mint or other flavors that seem to parallel mint for the fresh feeling, things like clove and cinnamon.

Nearly all mouthwash, alas, get packaged in oppressive plastic containers, the kind of things that will persist on beaches, wooded ravines and landfills for thousands of years.

Absurd, right? Some minor desire for “fresh and sparkly” leads to polluted waterways and forests, to overflowing landfills, to the atomization of microplastics into clouds and alpine streams and dense jungles.

Ditch the plastic! Make your own mouthwash. It’s even simpler than the aftershave recipe. Just three ingredients, and you are your way to breath excellence.

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup filtered or distilled water
• 4-8 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. When ready to use, first shake the jar to redistribute the baking soda. Then sip just a tiny bit, swish it around your mouth for a minute or two, and spit into sink.