Details on my July 2015 Favorites after the jump!
I drink coffee. At least two cups per weekday. And I drink tea. Needless to say, my teeth aren’t as white as they could be, so in addition to my regular whitening toothpaste (Crest Whitening Expressions Extreme Herbal Mint) I resort to whitening treatments (I love Plus White gel) from time to time. I had used a couple of products from the 3D White line before; although I liked them, I preferred my Extreme Herbal Mint, so back to it I went.
The newest addition to the 3D White line, Crest 3D White Brilliance 2-Step System, is sold together in some fairly snazzy, eye-catching packaging that is as fabulous as your teeth should hope to be when done with the regimen. Claiming to keep your teeth up to 99% as white as a professional polish/teeth whitening treatment, this product makes some tall claims.
The Crest 3D White Brilliance 2-Step System is intended to replace your normal toothpaste and is suggested to be used day and night as a part of your normal oral hygiene routine. First, you brush for one minute with the blue tube of Deep Cleansing toothpaste, clearly-labeled Step 1…
Then, after spitting (I’ll take, “Words you never thought you’d write on your beauty blog,” for $1000, Trebek.), do not rinse, and brush again with the contents of the white tube, Step 2. This is a peroxide-based gel to bump up your whitening.
Pretty simple process, not too many steps, not too complicated.
I haven’t come across a toothpaste I truly disliked – sure, I am not a fan of spearmint or wintergreen-type mint toothpastes, but they didn’t make me see red. This, however? This did.
SUCRALOSE. For the love of cats why did you use sucralose, Crest?! It not only tastes horrible but is a migraine trigger for some people (myself included). Now, granted, you don’t intentionally ingest toothpaste…but let’s not pretend a tiny bit isn’t accidentally swallowed from time-to-time. The way it tastes bothers me…a lot! Every toothpaste I know of uses artificial sweeteners to make the brushing experience more pleasant, but sucralose is not the answer for me. Imagine my delight when I started scrubbing away at my teeth with my Oral B 3000 with that on it… ew.
Beyond the sweetener, I noticed that the paste had a particularly odd texture. More abrasive than a regular toothpaste, it had a strange grit to it that I did not enjoy. The abrasion does help lift stains, but at what cost? Gradually worn-away enamel, sensitivity, etc. Classic problems!
Continuing? The fluoride. No, I am not a fluoride conspiracy theorist, so don’t click away. Fluoride is present in, oh, every anti-cavity toothpaste on the market. Rather than the fluoride we’re used to seeing (sodium fluoride) the Crest 3D White Brilliance 2-Step System uses Stannous Fluoride (yes, that is pronounced like Stannis Baratheon). Why is that a point of concern? The packaging tells you:
Other Information:
- Products containing stannous fluoride may produce surface staining of the teeth…
While staining is not unique to stannous fluoride, the fact that it is prevalent enough that Crest felt the need to make a disclaimer about it on the packaging is kind of, well, hilarious. Here’s a whitening product…that is going to noticeably stain your teeth, maybe *cough*. If you’re someone who has some basically-irreversible discoloration from dental fluorosis as-is, this kind of thing leaves a bad taste in your mouth (you know, along with the sucralose).
To top that all off, the gel is a fairly standard peroxide-based whitening gel, not unlike my beloved Plus White gel. The suggested use for Step 2 is to apply it to your regular toothbrush and brush for one minute. I followed the instructions (like a fool) and was uncomfortable. Gels of this nature are often used with trays to isolate the gel to the surface of the teeth because peroxide isn’t the kindest to gums. The packaging warns that this might happen, but brushes it off as acceptable, calling them, “signals.”
You may experience temporary signals with the use of this breakthrough system, such as: white spots on gums or other soft tissue, and/or oral discomfort.
Signals? If your gums are turning white after peroxide exposure it is not just a, “signal,” or something to ignore. Whitened gums are an indicator of tissue damage and if you experience it you should discontinue using the product in question immediately, not keep using it! In addition to whitening, peroxide can also kill bacteria/germs…but peroxide isn’t, “smart;” it cannot tell gums from contaminants. Unfortunately, this gel turned my upper gums white in the single minute I used to brush.
I won’t be using it again, and I definitely would not buy it. The second step of the Crest 3D White Brilliance 2-Step System might be useful as a whitening gel in a tray that can help keep it only on the teeth, so I will try that so the whole kit doesn’t go to waste.
I’d say it is probably fine to use if you:
Unfortunately, given the bad experience I had with the product I was unable to use it long enough to say whether or not it would have a huge impact on lifting the superficial staining my teeth have. I imagine it would, yes, but the cost of doing so is simply not worth it for me. I would also say that it is unlikely that the Crest 3D White Brilliance 2-Step System, an OTC product, is going to have the same results as in-office whitening done by a dental professional…but that’s marketing for you.
I am a fan of flip-flops.
Seriously, you don’t know. I wore them in the winter until I moved somewhere Truly Snowy in the Winter (and have since wised up). I have a $50 pair of Rainbows and they are joy.
(I never claimed to be fashionable.)
Anyway, as a result of being flip-flop-focused, I need to pay a little more attention to pedicures. Last Christmas, my husband got me a Tip2Toe Electric Callus tool (knowing my pedi-obsession) from Amazon. It is a high-powered (and I do mean high) electric rotary tool that you use to buff dead skin from your feet. I had actually considered just getting a dremel (not because my feet are atrocious, but because I’m lazy) – but I couldn’t figure out what grit(s) would be safe to use.
The Tip2Toe has a long cord with a GFI switch at the plug (like a hairdryer) to protect you – like I said, this sucker is high powered. You need to be very careful or you will hurt yourself. To use it, you attach its little, yellow, proprietary buffing discs (it comes with a few)…
After soaking your feet to soften them (or, you know, showering – that’s usually fine), you can go to work. It works. It smooths them, but for me, didn’t remove the excess like I so desired. I am anti-Credo blade, anti-grater. But then, I figured it out!
Seriously. Sure, I have my bun snap thing that makes a tidy bun easier than boiling water, but if I have to do anything to my hair beyond just looking fairly presentable for work? Forget about it. You have hair wizards like Kate from The Small Things Blog who are like, “No, it’s so easy!” (No sass to you, Kate) but I’m over here, all thumbs.
I went to a wedding mid-June and wanted to (obviously) not look like a clown. I brought my 1.25″ barrel iron (forgot my dryer, though, the shame…was able to borrow the bride’s, though!) to try to help. Unfortunately, because I am not a hair wizard, my hair wound up in a curled, low-slung, side pony. Did it look bad? No. Was it at all what I wanted? Absolutely not. Did it hold for anything? BAHAHA. No.
Despite mousse,
despite heat protectant,
despite gratuitous hairspray pre- and post-curl, alas…it was hilariously bad. Fortunately, I was nowhere near being the center of attention so it didn’t matter. Not even a blip on the radar! It’s just indicative of my overall problem – I can blow dry my hair or set it in rollers, that’s about it.
You see all these makeup or other beauty bloggers who have fabulous hair constantly – I can’t help but wonder if they go get blowouts before photos? No hate, I just can’t fathom how the hell normal people conduct this level of coif wizardry.
S.O.S.
I am styling inept. Please send help. I need self-help course for hair.
Will trade makeup application and witty, sarcastic humor for help with hair. Am admittedly slightly jealous of those of you with skillz, but not enough to be toxic. Hair Yoda? Anything?
June 2015 FavoritesThis past month was super busy and flew by, but I somehow managed to get my June 2015 Favorites together on time!
I don’t really enjoy salon manicures as much as some women, so I usually do my own. For years, I’d just grab a bowl or Tupperware container from the kitchen, add my soapy cocktail to it, and get on with it.
Despite not enjoying salon manicures (due to the limited polish longevity, price, and the fact that I’m just weird and don’t like my hands being, well, handled), my few experiences that had me use a manicure bowl were pleasant – when I saw that you can get a sturdy plastic one from Sally Beauty for under $2, I decided to pick one up when I hauled last month.
The design of the manicure bowl is far more ergonomically friendly than just any ol’ bowl, featuring a founded palm-rest, resulting in greater comfort for you (or your client/manicure recipient). No need to awkwardly perch your wrist on the side of the bowl and point your fingers down; this feels far more natural!
$2 Manicure Bowl from Sally Beauty
