I’m sure you’ve heard of Crest Whitening Strips, or the Optic White Whitening Pen from Colgate, but Teeth Whitening has reached a new extreme. People have moved on from placing trays and gels in their mouths, to brushing their teeth with Activated Charcoal Powder.
Now, I have fallen victim to teeth whitening trends before. Did they work? Of course not! But who would I be if I didn’t jump on the bandwagon as soon as I saw a tasteful Instagram ad?
Figuring this was a sign, I followed the link to their site. This was overwhelming as CARBON COCO had a variety of teeth whitening kits. Some included Oil Pulling packets, and even tongue cleaners.
In the end, I chose the Ultimate Carbon Kit. This kit includes: One tin of Activated Charcoal powder, One tube of Activated Charcoal Toothpaste, and One Toothbrush with Bamboo Bristles.
CARBON COCO’s Activated Charcoal is Medical Grade, Dentist Approved, provided Free Shipping Worldwide, and is Not Tested on Animals. What does Medical Grade mean?
Well I did some digging and found that Activated Charcoal is not the same as the charcoal you use to grill your burgers, and hot dogs at family barbeques, but is in fact, designed for medicinal use. The charcoal is heated in the presence of gases that cause the charcoal to form pores. The creation of these pores is how the charcoal has the ability to collect toxins, and impurities.
The Ultimate Carbon Kit, which was originally $69.90, is available through their website Carboncoco.com for $59.90. Although the site says there is free shipping, this is only for the International Untracked Shipping, which takes 15-25 business days. Other shipping options are $3.95 for 3-7 business days, or $15.00 for 2-4 business days.
Personally, I couldn’t wait to get my hand on this product, so naturally, I chose the $15.00 2-4 day option. This was unnecessary, as I didn’t receive the product until 12 days later. This could have been just a “me”, or a demographic issue, either way, I was not too thrilled about it.
After finally receiving the product, I have to say that I am a huge fan of the packaging. It’s simple, yet aesthetically pleasing. The amount of product provided, both tooth polish and toothpaste, is more than enough. The kit has been in my possession now for a little under two months, and while the toothpaste is clearly getting smaller, the tooth polish looks untouched upon opening each time.
The directions state to wet the toothbrush, dip it in the tooth polish, and brush in small circular motions for two minutes before repeating the same steps with the toothpaste. The directions also state that these products are best used together each morning and night. I have used the toothpaste on its own, and it actually is quite a different experience.
The toothpaste immediately turns into a foam that grows as you brush, and I believe it’s from the reaction with the left over particles of charcoal from the polish used prior. Anyway, it makes me feel as though my mouth is receiving an extra deep clean, and as though I’m a kid again. You know, when brushing your teeth was made bearable with toothbrushes that sang music, or mouth wash that turned your teeth different colors so you knew where to brush?
Toothpaste With Activated Charcoal Tooth Polish
Toothpaste Without Activated Charcoal Tooth Polish
Now let’s talk about the cons: this stuff is messy! No matter how many different ways I tried this, or how hard I tried to keep my mouth closed around the brush, I would end up with black specks of wet charcoal everywhere.
I’m talking my bathroom mirror, my brushing hand all the way up to my forearm, my wall, and even getting some on my shirt. I highly recommend using this product before showering in the morning, or before putting on pajamas at night. Also, I needed to scrub the sink after each use. There is no easy, or clean way to rinse this stuff out, no matter what I tried. Which brings me to my next negative, it is extremely difficult to rinse from your teeth!
The charcoal would cling to every gum lining, and every small crevice in my mouth, which is a good thing when it comes time for the toothpaste, but if I was just using the polish, and did not have time to use the toothpaste, this would cause an issue. My tongue turned completely black. This is also a pain to scrub off, as the powder did cling to the surface of my tongue for dear life. In my findings, warm water works better when rinsing, as I actually feel as though some charcoal comes off of my teeth. Cold water? Forget it!
When using this particular brand of tooth polish, be prepared for the charcoal to haunt you throughout the day. The charcoal does a really good job of getting in your gum line, and even after using the toothpaste, the charcoal will stay under your gums until you have eaten something that forces it to surface on your teeth. Extremely embarrassing if meeting up with someone for the first time (that didn’t happen to me of course…)
But before you go thinking I clearly hated the product, let me tell you the reasons why I absolutely loved it!
First and foremost, the toothbrush itself is hands down, the greatest toothbrush I have ever used. The handle is thick and the brush, with bamboo bristles reaches virtually every tooth. There is no space in the mouth left untouched when using this toothbrush. The bristles are soft, yet firm enough to provide the perfect amount of pressure, and the toothbrush is very easy to clean. No powder residue or toothpaste get stuck in the brush, which is great compared to toothbrushes I have had in the past.
For the most anticipated questions and sole reason for this article, does it really work? Does it actually whiten your teeth? Yes! Yes, in my opinion, this particular Activated Charcoal Tooth Polish by CARBON COCO, does in fact whiten your teeth.
Before Using CARBON COCO
2 Weeks Using CARBON COCO
I first began to notice results by the third day of consistent use of both the tooth polish and tooth paste. I’m sure these results will vary for people depending on different elements, such as how much, or often they consume things such as coffee, or red wine. But from my particular experience, it took 3 days to see results. Now, if I would have just used the Tooth Polish, without the toothpaste would I have seen the same results? That would be a whole other article.
My final thoughts on brushing with activated charcoal for whiter teeth? In short, it is messy, it is time consuming, and it is a pain. But, it works! Will I be purchasing another Ultimate Carbon Kit? I don’t think so. Not after how long it took for me to receive the product.
However, I will be finishing the kit I currently have, which I don’t expect to run out anytime soon. I guess the question one must ask themselves when trying activated charcoal for teeth whitening is if it is worth the cleanup, and time. I’m sure most would say Heck Yes, but until faced with the challenge and hassle that is loose powdered charcoal, every morning and night, I think that’s only something you can decide yourself.
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