The Best Mouthwashes to Kick Bad Breath to the Curb

Even if you have the most hi-tech electric toothbrush, dentists say the best mouthwashes can elevate your oral-care regimen in ways the rest of your tools can't—and it's not limited to swishing away bad-breath-causing bacteria. These minty formulas help you maintain healthy teeth and gums by reducing plaque buildup (which can lead to gingivitis, a.k.a. the inflammation of the gums). The golden order, by the way, is mouthwash, floss, and your toothbrush.

Our Top Picks

• Best Mouthwast Overall: Listerine Total Care Zero Alcohol, $13
• Best Mouthwash for Sensitive Teeth: CloSys Ultra Sensitive Mouthwash, $14
• Best Mouthwash for Sensitive Gums: TheraBreath Fresh Breath Mouthwash, $18
• Best Foaming Mouthwash: Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash, $11
• Best Minty Mouthwash: Act Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash, $11
• Best Mouthwash for Plaque: Colgate Total Mouthwash, $5
• Best Whitening Mouthwash: Moon Oral Care Charcoal Mouth Rinse, $17
• Best Luxurious Mouthwash: Marvis Mouthwash, $22
• Most Shelfie-Worthy Mouthwash: Quip Mouthwash Starter Kit, $20
• Best Mouthwash Tablets: Boka Restore Mouthwash Tablets, $20

We asked board-certified dentists about their favorite mouthwashes, so let's get clean(er).

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why should I use mouthwash?
• Which ingredients are found in mouthwashes?
• How do I get the deepest cleanse out of my mouthwash?
• Should I add mouthwash to my electric flosser?
• Meet the experts
• Our staff and testers

Best Mouthwash Overall: Listerine Total Care Zero Alcohol

Why It's Worth It: Just about every board-certified dentist we talked to recommends Listerine's Total Care Zero Alcohol. "This mouthwash not only freshens your breath but also helps protect against cavities, thanks to its fluoride formula," says Michael J. Wei, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic dentist based in New York City. Naomi Levy Goldman, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic and restorative dentist based in Peabody, Massachusetts, adds that its gentle yet effective formula is wonderful for those with a higher risk of tooth decay. "The zero-alcohol formula prevents the drying out of your mouth, which would increase your chances of tooth decay, and the fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel," Dr. Goldman explains.

Flavor Options: Fresh Mint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Mouthwash for Sensitive Teeth: CloSys Ultra Sensitive Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: According to Dr. Goldman, the CloSys Ultra Sensitive Mouthwash provides a gentle cleanse for people with sensitive teeth and gums. "CloSys is great for patients who want to improve gum health and are concerned about bad breath," she says. "It's very mild and non-irritating to the tissue while killing harmful bacteria." This unflavored formulation only contains four ingredients to freshen your breath without any sting: water, stabilized chlorine dioxide, trisodium phosphate, and citric acid.

Flavor Options: Unflavored | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Mouthwash for Sensitive Gums: TheraBreath Fresh Breath Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: Allure associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen says the TheraBreath Fresh Breath Mouthwash—which is gentle on her sensitive gums—is her favorite "unsexy" beauty product. "Over the last few years, I've gotten too many gum grafts to count (ok, it was three) following a childhood without annual dental appointments…I love the Therabreath Healthy Gums Oral Rinse because, as its name suggests, it helps keep excess food debris out of the crevices of my teeth and gums, while simultaneously leaving behind a minty aftertaste," she says.

Flavor Options: Mint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Foaming Mouthwash: Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: The key ingredient in Crest's Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash is enamel-reinforcing fluoride. "Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Mouthwash is a trusted solution for fighting plaque and gingivitis, thanks to its antimicrobial properties," says Kevin Sands, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, California. This mouthwash also contains cetylpyridinium chloride, a cleansing agent that provides a foamy, sensorial experience as you swish.

Flavor Options: Fresh Mint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Minty Mouthwash: Act Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: Dr. Wei is a big fan of Act's Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash for its alcohol-free formulation that keeps bad breath, periodontal disease, and dry mouth at bay. "This mouthwash provides comprehensive protection against cavities and gum disease, strengthens teeth, and freshens breath with its alcohol-free formula," he says. This mouthwash contains fluoride to strengthen teeth while menthol leaves behind a minty-fresh taste in your mouth.

Flavor Options: Fresh Mint, Icy Clean Mint (latter contains alcohol) | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Mouthwash for Plaque: Colgate Total Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: Dr. Sands says Colgate's Total Mouthwash is a super gentle formula that's powerful on plaque and bacteria. "Colgate's trusted Total formula provides long-lasting protection against germs and plaque, ensuring a healthier smile," Dr. Sands notes. Free from alcohol, it offers a refreshing cleanse without harshness, making it suitable for sensitive mouths. The main ingredient in this under-$10 formula is cetylpyridinium chloride, which provides antiplaque benefits.

Flavor Options: Peppermint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Whitening Mouthwash: Moon Oral Care Charcoal Mouth Rinse

Why It's Worth It: Moon Oral Care's Charcoal Mouth Rinse is infused with charcoal—an ingredient commonly found in brightening toothpaste and whitening treatments—to gently polish the teeth and remove stains. Like many of Moon Oral Care's products, this mouthwash is spiked with Elixir X, the brand's proprietary fluoride alternative that freshens breath and promotes dental health. This additive features a combination of 10 antioxidant-rich essential oils and extracts including tea tree oil, cranberry extract, and dead sea salt.

Flavor Options: Mint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Best Luxury Mouthwash: Marvis Mouthwash

Why It's Worth It: The Marvis Mouthwash is as pleasant to rinse with as it is to look at. Its apothecary-style bottle holds a cocktail of peppermint-spiked mouthwash guaranteed to leave you with better-smelling breath. Its intensively minty formula is powered by a mixture of xylitol and propolis extract, an additive known for its soothing, sensitivity-neutralizing effects. This concoction also contains glycerin, a humectant that prevents dry mouth.

Flavor Options: Strong Mint | Alcohol-Free: Yes

Most Shelfie-Worthy Mouthwash: Quip Mouthwash Starter Kit

Why It's Worth It: Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein loves the sleek, plastic-free dispenser of Quip's Mouthwash Starter Kit, but it goes beyond aesthetics. "I love that its formula comes in a concentrate, which seems like a small amount at first, but they provide 90 doses of its breath-refreshing elixir when mixed with a bit of water," she says. This formula contains mouth-loving ingredients, including fluoride, cetylpyridinium chloride, and xylitol. "Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that can inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth and reduce the risk of cavities," explains Dr. Wei.

Flavor Options: Mint | Alcohol-Free: No

Best Mouthwash Tablets: Boka Restore Mouthwash Tablets

Why It's Worth It: On top of each tablet's innovative, travel-friendly format, we love the robust flavor of Boka's Restore Mouthwash Tablets—you'll enjoy a refreshing blend of lemongrass, green tea, and mint as you rinse your mouth. This mouthwash option stands out for its combination of xylitol, anti-inflammatory aloe vera extract, and hydroxyapatite, a fluoride alternative that gently cleanses teeth and gums.

Flavor Options: Signature (mint, green tea, lemongrass) | Alcohol-Free: No

Frequently Asked Questions

Like brushing your teeth and flossing, mouthwash helps prevent dental issues like bad breath (also known as halitosis), tooth decay, and gum diseases like gingivitis—think of it as your first line of defense in your oral hygiene routine. The experts agree, too. "[Mouthwash] helps to kill bacteria, freshen breath, and reduce plaque buildup, contributing to overall dental health and preventing issues like gum disease and cavities," Dr. Sands confirms.

Dr. Goldman adds that the two types of mouthwashes provide different purposes. "Cosmetic mouthwashes temporarily mask bad breath and therapeutic mouthwashes usually provide alternative benefits, such as helping reduce plaque, gingivitis, prevent decay while freshening breath," she explains. Dr. Goldman adds that therapeutic mouthwashes are especially beneficial for people who are cavity-prone, have gingivitis, or gum disease.

The key to a high-performing mouthwash is in its active ingredients. All the dentists say the most popular ingredient in oral rinses is fluoride, which you're probably familiar with. "Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay," says Dr. Wei. "It is often added to mouthwashes for its remineralization properties." Dr. Sands says antimicrobial ingredients cetylpyridinium chloride and chlorhexidine pop up often, too. As an alternative to these actives, Dr. Wei explains that formulas can opt for antimicrobial essential oils, including eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, and methyl salicylate.

Alcohol is another common ingredient that kills bacteria, but if you're prone to cavities or have sensitive teeth, Dr. Wei advises using alcohol-free formulations to minimize irritation. "Alcohol-based mouthwashes can be harsh on the mouth and may cause dryness," he explains. "Consider using an alcohol-free mouthwash for a gentler but still effective cleanse."

Mouthwash should be the first step in your oral hygiene routine before brushing and flossing, according to Rob Raimondi, DDS, a New York City-based board-certified dentist. "When we are sleeping, our salivary glands stop secreting saliva, and opportunistic aerobic bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities increase their activity," he previously told Allure.

For the most effective cleanse, Dr. Sands recommends using the correct amount of mouthwash as instructed on the bottle. "Swish it around your mouth for at least 30 seconds to reach all areas, including between teeth and along the gum line." He says to avoid rinsing with water immediately to allow the mouthwash to continue working.

You may have seen TikTokers adding mouthwash to their electric flossers but Dr. Sands, Dr. Goldman, and Dr. Wei call this so-called hack unnecessary and potentially damaging to your expensive device. "I wouldn't say it's harmful to do this, but I wouldn't recommend it because it is hard to clean [mouthwash] out of the water flossers and may cause them to break down faster," says Dr. Goldman. Lesson learned: Don't trust everything on your FYP, especially when it comes to medical advice.

• Kevin Sands, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, California
• Michael J. Wei, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic dentist based in New York City
• Naomi Levy Goldman, DDS, a board-certified cosmetic and restorative dentist and owner of Levy Goldman Dentistry in Peabody, Massachusetts

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