Breath Spray Ingredients

The main purpose of breath spray is to eliminate, or at least cover up, bad breath making your mouth smell fresh and clean again. Many brands of breath sprays are available in the oral hygiene aisle of supermarkets and pharmacies and choosing the right breath spray for you may be challenging. A good place to start in choosing a good breath spray that lives up to its promises is to look at the ingredients.

Alcohol

• Many breath sprays are alcohol-based and this is not always a good thing. While alcohol does kill germs responsible for causing halitosis, it also tends to dry the mouth, which will ultimately create a more hospitable environment for odor-causing bacteria. Alcohol-based breath sprays are typically only a temporary fix, so you will likely end up with bad breath again several minutes later.

Sugar

• While there are sugar-free versions of breath spray, many still contain sugar. The purpose of sugar is mainly to make the breath spray taste pleasant. Sugar, however, will actually feed the bacteria that cause the odor in the mouth, ultimately causing bad breath and oral health problems.

Other Ingredients

• Artificial sweeteners such as saccharine and aspartame found in sugar-free versions, help to make flavors in breath sprays more appealing without promoting tooth decay. Humecatants, such as glycerin and sorbitrol, are sometimes added to sweeten and help moisten the mouth. Flavoring agents, such as menthol, methyl salicylate or cinnamaldehyde, can be natural or synthetic flavors used to temporarily cover up the odors of bad breath. Finally, isobutane, a compressed gas propellant, is added to aerosolized breath sprays for its ability to effectively dispense a mist of liquid particles.

Natural Breath Spray Ingredients

• Natural breath sprays contain organic ingredients and are free of chemicals, synthetic flavors, preservatives and dyes. Common ingredients found in natural breath sprays are chlorophyll, cloves, cinnamon and oils derived from peppermint, spearmint and almonds. Such natural ingredients are still capable of killing bacteria inside the mouth and preventing them from reforming, while keeping the mouth fresh and smelling good.