What the Heck Are These Oral Sex Mints All Over TikTok?
Getty Images / Flintts
In case you didn't get the memo, it's TikTok's world and you're just living in it. With each passing day, it seems a new trend or a hack from the video platform goes viral, with TikTokers often documenting their attempts at, say, a food challenge, recipe, or dance.
Recently, the TikTok community has turned its collective attention to Flintts Mouth Watering Mints — namely how it makes users' mouths so damn wet (literally soaking with saliva to the point of drooling). Why, you ask? Well, it seems some users have been popping these dry-mouth combatting mints in order to produce more saliva for oral sex.
Of course, you probably have a few questions about these mints and how they differ from your average peppermint suck-on — let alone if this hack actually works. Fortunately, you've come to the right place.
What Are Flintts Mints?
While TikTokers claim that Flintts Mints (Buy It, $15, flintts.com) are the reason so many ~amazing~ oral sex sessions are being had, these suckers were actually created to fight dry mouth. And, ICYDK, dry mouth is a condition that occurs when the "salivary glands in your mouth don't make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet," according to the Mayo Clinic. Dry mouth can be the result of alcohol and drug use, aging, and certain health conditions and medications (from depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure meds to antihistamines, decongestants, and pain medications).
And while Flintts may have been designed to combat dry mouth, these sugar-free, vegan, non-GMO bites are also said to "make your mouth sparkle, which is a pleasant electric sensation that must be experienced to be understood," according to the official website. Further, these quick-dissolving mints also have two strengths, F strength 100 and F strength 300. In the case of F strength 100, the mints' effects are said to be "pretty subtle," according to the website, with most folks noticing "a faint sparkle with a short-lived, mild mouth-watering." F strength 300, however, is "intense," with the majority noticing "a powerful sparkle that awakens their senses while their salivary glands are kicked into overdrive." In other words, you could for from zero to Saint Bernard slobber in a short period of time. (See: 8 Sex Tips for Women, According to Sex Therapists)
Where does the sparkle come from, exactly? The company also states on its website that the mints' so-called superpowers come from the Spilanthes flower, which has also been nicknamed the "toothache plant." This plant is said to have numbing and pain-relieving effects, not to mention the ability to stimulate taste and improve saliva flow, as noted by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Given Flintts Mints apparently include bits of this saliva-stimulating plant, they could contribute to creating a wetter experience — which, yeah, is a pretty damn good thing when it comes to oral sex. "There's a reason why a good blowjob is called a sloppy toppy," says Rachel Sommer, Ph.D., a clinical sexologist. "It's the 'messy' nature of dripping saliva that makes oral sex incredible," whether it's on a penis or vulva.
In a video posted to Flintts' TikTok page earlier this year, one caption over the clip reads, "Holy s—t. Buy these and give your man some godly gluck gluck." (And, should you need to quickly peep Urban Dictionary, "gluck gluck" is short for a blowjob.)
BuzzFeed's Tatyannah King recently chronicled her experience using Flintts, writing in a piece, "the uncontrollable drooling with thicker spit lasted for about 7–10 minutes. Then, when the mint dissolved completely, the consistency of my spit wasn't as thick as before, but my mouth was still a lot more watery than it would have been if I tried to produce more spit on my own, without any mints." (Read more: The Best Oral Sex Positions for Women)
There's no denying that the more saliva in the oral sex equation, the better the experience for everyone involved. But, and there's always a "but" when it comes to these things...
...Is This Actually a Good Idea?
You might not pay much attention to what's in your mints normally, but if you're going to be putting anything near anyone's genitals, it deserves a second look.
At first, Flintts Mints appear totally harmless; however, a closer look reveals that, although they're sugar-free, they do contain the artificial sweetener sucralose. Sugar isn't important here for dietary health reasons — rather, for sexual health. Why it matters: Vaginas naturally contain bacteria and yeast as part of their healthy microbiome. Yeast feeds on sugar — meaning, if you put any sugar-containing products in your genital area, you can encourage the overgrowth of yeast, potentially resulting in a yeast infection. Sucralose, a no-calorie sweetener, isn't sugar exactly, but is made from sugar, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and as such may encourage the growth of yeast. (And, yes, people with penises can get yeast infections, too.)
Granted, this is just a tiny mint, so it's assumed the sugar count is going to be small. That said, you never know how your body is going to react to 1) something that wasn't created to be used on the genitals and 2) something that contains an ingredient that doesn't mix well with your body — no matter how tiny the amount.
"Mints that induce saliva can be a fun and good idea to add lubricant as long as you make sure to pay attention to ingredients," says Nicole Moore, a relationship coach. "If the mints have a lot of preservatives or ingredients that you can't pronounce, it's best not to put them anywhere near your partner or your sexual organs because there's a chance of adverse reaction."
While this is something to take into consideration, if you're not prone to vaginal infections, then Flintts Mints might seem like a fabulous idea. Only you, with this knowledge in hand, can weigh the pros and cons of such a decision. (Related: 10 Ways to Upgrade Your Sex Life)
There Are Other Ways to Give ~Very~ Wet Oral, However
No matter what kind of sex it is, wetter is always better. But if you're thinking that maybe, despite all the excitement on TikTok, you're going to skip Flintts, then turn your attention to lube instead.
"Friction is part of what makes sex so amazing and all friction needs lubrication to get it all going," says Moore. "Without lubrication, oral sex can feel clinical and like you're being poked and prodded instead of caressed and seduced. Imagine a tongue sliding on sandpaper versus a tongue sliding on water. The tongue sliding on water is going to be able to move easier and in a more controlled and deliberate manner than the tongue sliding on sandpaper. That's the power of lubrication."
While the simplest suggestion to giving great, saliva-laden oral sex would be to stay as hydrated as you possibly can so you're never short on the spit, that's not realistic. Even if you consume water all day long, you may consume alcohol or use cannabis which, among other things, can have a drying effect on the walls of your mouth. Because of this, when it comes to keeping things as wet as possible, personal lubricant — that's free of all sugar and sugar-related ingredients such as glycerin — is what you want to use. If you're using it for oral, of course, you'll also want to make sure it's safe to ingest as well. (Try one of these 12 Best Water-Based Lubes, According to Ob-Gyns.)
"Adding a lubricant to the experience makes sex even more flawless," says Sommer. "Whether you're dipping your finger in lube and using it to simulate a second tongue when going down on a vulva or squeezing it on your palms and having it drip on someone's sweet spots, lube is a game-changer."
Although no one is saying to turn a blind eye to the possibilities that come with drooling for up to 10 minutes thanks to Flintts Mints, there are just a few things to keep in mind before diving head-first into the deep end of that very wet pool. (And, should you want to try something new, here are 10 different sex positions to add to your sexual bucket list.)
