When you live in Asia, there is no escaping the whitening phenomenon. The most popular skin care ranges from many brands tend to be the whitening, or the more politically correct “brightening”, skincare ranges. Companies and brands in fact places a lot of focus on these ranges because of the ingrained philosophy that fairer = better.
Fact is though, few whitening or brightening skincare ranges actually work. If they do, they don’t work over the long term and from personal experience, I find them too drying to my skin. In fact, I have not used a whitening/brightening skincare product for months. Hang the freckles and spots. Creams do too little for them anyway!
So when I tell you I found a whitening product that actually works, its like “Hallelujah!” 😀
Here is a product that promises to whiten within 14 days. Lovely! So, I put it to the test and what d’ya know? It did do a fairly good job in the whitening department. I’ve been using this for about a month now and am quite happy to continue to. What is this marvellous product that actually works then?
Toothpaste 😀 😀
Haha… did you guess right? 😀
This is quite an unconventional beauty product but I have to say I was quite impressed with the Colgate Advanced White toothpaste because it did do what it set out to do i.e. make my teeth look whiter. I’m not quite sure about the 14 day claim, because I wasn’t monitoring it.
I picked it up from the pharmacy about a month back when I’d run out of my regular toothpaste and wanted to try something new. I have a strange brand loyalty to Colgate toothpaste – I know a friend who may not be reading this right now, but who I know will snigger and go Yay! If she does 😛
I do have a bit of a problem with stained teeth and yellow teeth. I asked my dentist once and he told me that yellow teeth was quite normal, but mine sometimes looks worse for wear because I take coffee and don’t brush my teeth immediately after that. Let’s face it, who really does? I sit there after my morning coffee, enjoying the taste and aroma. I don’t really want to brush my teeth and spoil the effect with a minty after taste. Plus, face it again. How often would anyone carry their toothbrush and toothpaste to work? The last time I kept a set at work, it was because I used to regularly pull overnighters and needed to freshen up in the mornings!
I didn’t pay much attention to my teeth after using this, until after about 3 weeks. I looked in the mirror one morning and noticed that my teeth didn’t look as yellow or as stained as they normally do. In fact, I might be inclined to say that they looked whiter.
I might add though, that it doesn’t make your teeth look blindingly white like you just had veneers put on, or if you had your teeth professionally whitened. Its not like that. You would only notice it if you already have stained or yellow teeth to start with and you may notice that your teeth looks whiter with regular use of the toothpaste.
I tried some other brands of whitening toothpaste before this, but I never really saw the results. I asked my dentist about getting my teeth whitened professionally but he told me not to bother because if I were to continue drinking coffee, they would just stain again, and besides, it was an expensive procedure. I like honest dentists 😉
I reckon that if you do have a problem with stained or yellow teeth the way I do, then this is worth a try. It worked for my teeth at least and it doesn’t cost very much. Importantly, it gives me whiter teeth, not white teeth – there’s a difference 🙂
In a nutshell
The Colgate Advanced White toothpaste promises whiter teeth in 14 days. I did not pay much attention initially, thinking it was just a regular toothpaste, since I’d tried a whitening toothpaste before that did not work. I was quite happy to see that after about a month, despite regular mugs of coffee, my teeth do look whiter and cleaner, in general. It will not make it look white or as if you’ve had it professionally whitened. But it does make it look cleaner and just better so its much easier to put on a smile now than before 🙂
Pros: Affordable, Does make my teeth look whiter and cleaner with regular use
Cons: None I found
Who will like this: Anyone who has stained teeth and who wants their teeth to look whiter and cleaner
I’ve always been sort of jealous of people who have lovely dazzling white teeth. I’ve never had that, with my permanent teeth already coming out with a yellow tint that is emphasized by some shades of lipstick. Pink lipsticks do that to me in particular, as do orange based lipsticks so I try to stay away from those. Blue based reds however, give a much better illusion of white teeth and happily, suit my skin tone too so I gravitate towards those.
Do you have a problem with stained or yellow teeth? Have you tried whitening toothpastes?
I noticed that previously, there were some brands of whitening toothpastes but they were targeted at smokers and tended to be pricey. I tried a different brand that didn’t work (I can’t for the life of me remember which now! Darlie maybe?!) This Colgate one is relatively affordably priced at about RM8 or less a tube and works fine for me. Fine enough to merit a place on my blog, at least! 😀
Paris B
Colgate Advanced White toothpaste Price: RM8 or less/160g Availability: All pharmacies, supermarkets etc
OK, I had a good laugh over this. Before I got to the big “reveal”, I was wondering if it was some Dior or Lancome product. You got me 😛
I’m a loyal user of Colgate too and because of my addiction to coffee, I use their Advanced Whitening range as well.
And, of toothbrush and toothpaste at work – I used to but I slacked off and have stuck to Listerine mouth rinse. I keep a small bottle at work that I rinse my mouth with after lunch everyday. I love the sparkling clean feeling and well, let’s face it, that jolt of alcohol really does wake me up in the slow afternoons 😛
😀 Yes sadly this was a fun way for me to spice up the start of the year LOL! 😀 I stopped using mouthwashes a while ago. I now depend on my copious cups of water throughout the day to keep the teeth clean. I wonder if that works 😛
The plaque that forms on teeth is a sticky mass of bacteria, sugars and food debris. This WILL NOT wash off. It must be mechanically removed with brushes/floss.
That’s why I get so amused when my patients rinse vigorously before letting me look into their mouths because it will only remove large bits of food but the plaque remains stuck there!
Looks like going to see the dentist regularly is our best bet! 😀 Thanks Firn
I thought was Lancome too… even the “swatch” shot looks like some face cream!! Haha!! 😀
I’m also jealous of people with super white teeth! Me wants too! Good to know that this one works… I’m off to get this one now! 😀
Teehee… I made sure there were no bubbles in the swatch so I had to do it twice or it wouldn’t have worked 😀 I hope it’ll work for you. I wish I had nice white teeth but ah well. I should be just thankful I have teeth eh? 😛
Aiyor ma you got me so excited about this miracle whitening product that I immediately clicked on the jump to find, aiyaaaa toothpaste!!
Then for a moment I thought you had resorted to putting toothpaste on freckles but I was relieved to see that you didn’t, haha!
Yes, that is an honest dentist!! I tried Pearly White I think, the yellow tube, I think it worked but now I can’t seem to find it in the shops.
One trick I learnt from the magazines is to eat strawberries! Apparently Catherine Zeta Jones uses this technique, by biting into strawberries and rubbing it on your teeth. They say it’s quite abrasive so do this gently. I do this too, maybe you can try it?
Hahaha I thought it might catch out most people 😀 I have actually tried the strawberry trick and it works. Teeth is definitely whiter and its tasty too! Only problem – its terribly expensive to get fresh strawberries locally >.<
As a dentist, I have to advise you that these whitening toothpastes work by scrubbing away the stains + the superficial layer of enamel. So if you are overenthusiastic about brushing (especially with a hard toothbrush), you can actually damage your teeth with these abrasive toothpastes!
I usually advise my patients to only use these maybe twice a week. The rest of the time I get them to use a very soft toothbrush with regular toothpaste.
And Listerine/alcohol-containing mouthwashes are really bad for you! They can cause the lining of the mouth to exfoliate and it’s a known irritant. Alcoholic mouthwashes have not been directly implicated in oral cancer but it’s no harm to stay away from them nonetheless.
@ dentist Firn
Thank you for your kind advice 😀 Yeah, I can’t take the Listerine Alcohol contained mouth rinse. Am using the Pearlie White Fluorinze 😀
No worries, I’m just trying to spread the word!
Thank you for entertaining all the teethy questions, Firn! 🙂
Thanks for the heads up Firn! I guess once I finish this tube I should alternate my toothpastes then 🙂 I don’t use a hard toothbrush so hopefully that helps some.
Hello Firn,
I am the over-enthusiatic kind… 🙁
My family dentist scolded me with these exact words:”Do you think you are scrubbing the floor???!!” :p it’s that bad. Now I use extra soft tooth brush but no whitening toothpaste though. Thanks for the tips about using twice a week. I’ll definitely try.
Also, I saw some tips from the internet that uses baking powder as whitening agent. Is that safe? I mean, some toothpaste these days does contain baking powder (or is it baking soda?? hmmm) right?
Baking powder is basically an abrasive (sodium bicarbonate). It’s like brushing with the polishing paste that is used when you have your scaling done.
All home whitening toothpastes work by scrubbing away surface stains + some surface enamel, which can thin down your teeth in the long run and make them look more yellow! The outer layer of enamel (white) shields the inner layer of dentine (yellow), so less enamel, means more dentine is visible!
The bleaching process works by lightening the base colour of enamel using an oxidising agent (carbamide/hydrogen peroxide). But repeated bleaching roughens the enamel and makes it more susceptible to picking up external stains.
Anyway, teeth get more yellow with age as the dentine layer increases in thickness and density from the inside, but the enamel does not increase in thickness/may thin down due to toothbrushing and tooth wear.
Hello Dr. Firn,
That is the most useful clinical info I have received. Thank you for your detail explanation. 🙂
So the best thing to prevent more yellow teeth is not to whiten at all? Can a casual use of whitening toothpaste do any harm in the long run? How do we prolog the current enamel from becoming thinner?
Thanks again for your professional advice. 🙂 never thought we will be did icing teeth health in a beauty forum. Again, thanks to Paris for providing such opportunity. 🙂
Best regards,
Ting
You can try some bleaching to improve the base colour of your tooth but not too frequently. You must protect the newly bleached teeth from coming into contact with coloured food/drink/dark lipstick for at least 48 hours. Use of a remineralising chemical like GC’s Tooth Mousse can help to harden the surface enamel and prevent stains from becoming absorbed into the tooth.
Occasional use of a whitening toothpaste may help if you take a lot of tea/coffee/Milo/red wine/if you smoke. I advise my patients to avoid these foods if they want white teeth! I personally have white fillings in my front teeth and I try to avoid these foodstuffs.
It is inevitable that enamel becomes thinner with age. Most importantly stay away from acidic food/drinks as this will soften the outer layer of enamel and make it more susceptible to damage from toothbrushing; this will accelerate the loss of enamel.
Hope this has been helpful clearing up myths regarding whiter teeth! Best to seek your dentist’s help if you want to safely and effectively whiten your teeth. Not everyone’s teeth are suitable for bleaching, and existing fillings/crowns/veneers will NOT bleach, so you may need to get them replaced after your bleaching.
I came in ready to fight a war with you -thinking you were advocating skin whitening! Haha, I should have known better! I look forward to trying this – and getting my pearly whites even whiter!
Whew! No wars to be fought here thank goodness! 😉
LOL! I thought you used this for facial or on zits 😛
Never tried Colgate but will give it a try soon! 😀
I have been using Pearlie White Blanc Perfect, whiter teeth for me too though it’s much costlier. I love it for years now because it does not contain SLS 😀
Erm, wonder this Colgate SLS-free?
I tried Darlie before, not recommended 😛
Would be interesting to slap it on the face… for that cool minty feel LOL! 😀
I don’t know about the SLS – I don’t really pay too much attention to that element 😛 Its funny how we even have brand loyalty to toothpaste eh? 😀
Cool minty face mask 😛 LOL!!
Erm, it might be stated on the ingredient list on the toothpaste 😛
LOL! Yes, kinda funny we even have brand loyalty to toothpaste!! 😀
I don’t drink coffee a lot so no stain problems but have been using whitening range from pepsodent since quite long n totally loved the effects! after reading the title i thought wow finally a product which I can buy..you got me! LOL
Mmm Pepsodent! I used to use it many years ago but I don’t remember seeing it around very often. Gosh I really should pay attention more 😀
i think i have yellow teeth issue from the caffeine 🙁 i tried to use colgate, but it’s just not my thing. been loyal to darlie for years and years
Haha I can’t believe we actually have toothpaste loyalty. I wonder if they put something in it so we remain loyal… hmm…
i got yellow teeth :'( tried so much to make it whiter. i even use colgate but maybe have to try advance white
I honestly do think a whitening toothpaste will help, although professional whitening makes it actually white, not just whiter. But I’ve heard a lot about sensitive teeth problems caused by that so I’m not so keen because I just know my coffee habit will make it yellow again! Do try this and see if it helps you 🙂
I have yellow-ing teeth “issue” too. 😛 And coffee + tea are the main culprit. Don’t even try to tell me to stop drinking coffee. Never gonna happen. LOL.
No whitening toothpaste has ever worked on me. The harsher ones always make my teeth real sensitive. Only Crest whitening strips worked for me. BUT, they make my teeth sensitive like no tomorrow. Even the ones labelled as “gentle”.
With my brand loyalty to Colgate too, I just stock up on regular toothpaste when they are on sale at Guardian/Watsons. 😀
Oh high 5! I can’t ever give up coffee either! The only thing I do is limit my intake to 1 cup a day 😛 I am quite scared of undergoing teeth whitening because I heard about the sensitive teeth effect and I don’t think I can handle that. I used to contemplate trying the Crest strips but always chickened out in the end. Guess am not fated to have white teeth as opposed to whiter teeth 🙂
Oh PB… you should have run this post on April 1st! 😛
Sigh… You’re absolutely right! >.< Now what joke can I play come April 1st eh? 😛
LOL you totally got me! Can’t say I’m not a bit bummed it wasn’t a skincare product, but I guess that would be asking too much, wouldn’t it?
I’ve never noticed Colgate working that fantastically for me after my teeth got stained with tea, but I know the Crest white strips worked very well (and made my teeth more sensitive if I used them too often. Ack!) Also surprised you like the aftertaste of coffee in your mouth, I hate the inevitable lead-up to coffee breath! Blech!
Haha I’d be extremely worried to try any skincare product that would whiten in 14 days! 😀 I’ve heard a lot about the Crest strips and how effective they are. But I was always hesitant to try them because I heard about them making teeth more sensitive and I wasn’t sure I could handle that! Haha its weird right, that I do like the aftertaste of coffee 😛 But I usually chase it down with water not long after 🙂
LOL hilarious! The hand “swatch” tricked me! 😛
I start my morning off with coffee and start drinking tea by 10am to around 10pm in lieu of water, so I exclusively use whitening toothpastes. I hop from brand to brand (and product to product) and I find they’re all effective for me in keeping my teeth white.
Good of your dentist to be honest with you about professional teeth whitening. I’ve never bothered, either. I’ve been told the color of your teeth are partly due to genetics. It might be why some people see results with whitening toothpastes and others don’t, since they can only work so far in revealing what you have genetically.
I’m really happy that the hand swatch tricked everyone Haha! I had to make sure there were no bubbles in the picture or it would have spoilt the effect 😉 I was told by my dentist if it was any consolation that yellow teeth are stronger. Bah! Must have just been trying to make me feel better 😉 But I think your theory is right too. I don’t forsee my teeth getting any whiter than what they already are, because I know my “base shade” isn’t white to start.
You little trickster! Haha. I thought it was a skincare product since you mentioned creams and such. I guess toothpaste is a cream too. 😛
I will keep an eye out on this one. Actually, I’m going to get myself a tube of this stuff the next time I go to the mart. Hooray, thanks so much for sharing! I haven’t had any success with any teeth-whitening toothpastes but I don’t purposely search for them.
Happy New Years, Paris!
Haha I’m pleased to have started the year with laughter 😀 I hope it’ll work for you the way it did for me. Remember, don’t expect white teeth, just whiter teeth 🙂 Happy New Year Janessa!
Oooh.. I used the Crest 3D whitenning strips before.. and it was really effective but expensive.! I’ll lookout for Colgate Advanced White toothpaste. Thanks for sharing!
I hear the Crest ones are really effective but the sensitive teeth effects kill any idea I have of trying them. I can’t imagine it *shudder* Maybe the Colgate toothpaste can help keep your teeth in their white state for longer so you don’t have to use as much Crest? 🙂
Haaaaaa! You totally got me Paris!
I’m starting to get curious about teeth whitening products to get ready for the big day, and it’s nice to think that a toothpaste could also help even in the smallest way.
Oops! Gotcha! 😉 I thought your teeth are already white, Geekz! At least that’s what I think everytime I see your photos. I’m like “Damn! I want her teeth!” Guess I never said so huh? 😉
The suspense and revelation was a great, PB! Colgate should certainly experience a spike in sales and reward you accordingly!
Hahaha woudln’t that be fun? I could perhaps get a lifetime supply of Colgate Advanced White toothpaste! 😀 Nice to kick off the year with a laugh, eh Ginny? 😀
Great bait and switch 😀
I was using this sample sized toothpaste recently, and I thought it did an okay job too. Alas, I can’t remember if it’s this specific one, or something else. But the premise sounded familiar 😛
Glad you enjoyed it 😉 I have come across quite a few whitening toothpastes in the pharmacy aisles but I think this was one of the more affordable ones. I used a tooth whitener once that I had to paint on my teeth nightly. It tasted awful and worked about as well as this toothpaste. I can’t even remember what it is now!
Haha, a good laugh to begin 2013! Haha, you’d be surprised, I do keep my toothbrush and toothpaste at work. Normally I brush my teeth after lunch. Feels more comfortable but yes, I’d not trade for the menthol taste after I have my morning cuppa. My teeth is slightly yellow from tea and coffee, guilty of that. Oh well, I think I ought to pop by the dentist office this year. I haven’t done that in ages!
Ooops! You just reminded me I should go visit the dentist too! I hope he doesn’t take a look at my teeth and go “White teeth but look at those cavities!” Eeps!! Glad to have kicked off 2013 with a good laugh – nothing beats that eh? 😉
You had me fooled! Yay, I love Colgate too! As for brushing teeth after drinking coffee (especially if you have milk &/or sugar with it) is a big no no as the drop in pH in the mouth causes an acidic environment so brushing will damage the enamel. Best to just rinse with water if anything. And I’d advise not to use whitening toothpaste for a long period of time as they are very abrasive. 😉
Ooh thank you for the tip, Ling! I didn’t realise that it would react that badly so perhaps um… not brushing is a good thing eh? 😉 Always good to hear what the pros think so I guess I’ll have to cut back on the whitening toothpaste 🙂