Friday 26 May 2017

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 1

Did you know that 15 May to 15 June is National Smile Month? Neither did I, but I was alerted to the fact when I was sent a couple of products from Janina recently. It's not a brand I'd heard of before, but it focuses on low abrasion whitening without damaging tooth enamel, and I've really been enjoying trying out the couple of things they sent me. It also got me thinking about teeth whitening in general. I've never had any expensive or drastic treatments, but the little things I've done over the years seem to have worked pretty well at keeping my teeth nice and white. So I thought I would share my budget friendly tips with you, because after all, who doesn't love a budget friendly beauty tip?!

The Basics

I'm sure no one here needs me to explain the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day, but I will make one recommendation, and that is to always use a whitening toothpaste. I've done this for as long as I can remember and I really think it has paid off over the years. I always look for a toothpaste that lists all the important oral health benefits (protection against cavities, plaque, etc) but with whitening as an additional feature - that way I know I'm not sacrificing anything important for the sake of whiter teeth. One I keep going back to is Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste, but currently I'm using both the Janina Ultra White Extra Strength Toothpaste* and Janina Ultra White Teeth Whitening Foam*. What's great about both these products is that they're clinically proven to produce excellent whitening results without using harsh abrasives, which can be damaging to tooth enamel, using instead a Bromaine Complex formulated from fruit enzymes. It just gives you that little extra peace of mind - you're maintaining the whiteness of your smile, but safely.

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 2 - Janina Ultra White

My other basic recommendations are to use an electric toothbrush - much more efficient at cleaning your teeth than the manual variety - and not to skimp on flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. Speaking of mouthwash, you can add in some sneaky whitening action here too - my favourite is Ultradex.

Food And Drink 

We all know that too much black coffee or red wine can stain your teeth. I'm quite lucky in that I like my hot drinks really milky, so any staining is kept to a minimum. I do enjoy the odd bottle glass of red wine, but my best piece of advice here is "everything in moderation". Actually, that's quite good advice when it comes to red wine in general, not just because it might stain your teeth! Even food that is considered healthy, like salad dressings and fruit juices, can be damaging to tooth enamel, something I wrote about in greater detail in this post. My personal belief is that if you worry too much about these things, you will end up eating nothing at all, which obviously isn't good either. So, unless of course you are following a particular diet, my advice is as before - everything in moderation. Eat the delicious salad with the lovely dressing (preferably with steak and chips on the side) and have a black coffee afterwards, if that's what you like. Just don't have two or three black coffees afterwards. You get the idea.

Whitening Strips And Other Treatments

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 3 - Boots Expert Teeth Whitening Strips

Sometimes I like to give my teeth a little whitening boost, and my tried and tested way to do this is with whitening strips. I love the Boots Expert Dissolvable Strips. They're easy to use - simply stick them to your teeth and they dissolve within ten minutes. They're also great value for money and they really do work. There's enough in the pack to use them twice a day for two weeks if you want to give your teeth a full whitening course, but I tend to just use them for a few days before a big event or whenever I feel like I could use a little something extra, as I can see a difference after just a few uses. I know that some whitening strips can cause sensitivity, but I've never experienced that with these.

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 4 - Boots Expert Teeth Whitening Strips

Every time I head to the dental care aisle in Boots, I'm amazed by how many whitening options there are. From instant pens that you brush on to gel and tray treatments to new age "blue light" systems, it's all readily available and considerably more affordable than having whitening treatment at the dentist. For the moment, I don't feel the need to branch out from my trusty strips, but it's good to know that there are so many alternatives should I decide to give them a go in the future.

Makeup Fixes Everything

If all else fails, it's amazing how wearing the right shade of lipstick can give the illusion of whiter teeth. As much as I love oranges and brown-toned nudes, they're not your friend when it comes to brightening up your smile. Instead, you should opt for cool-toned shades and anything with a blue base - Mac's Ruby Woo is a good example of a blue-based red. Berry colours are also great, as they tend to have strong purple or blue undertones. I'm wearing Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick in Under My Spell here, which is the best example I have in my current collection. I think it really does make my teeth look whiter! Apparently, a slightly glossy finish also helps, as opposed to matte.

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 5 - Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick In Under My Spell

Budget Friendly Tips For A Whiter Smile - 6 - Rimmel The Only 1 Lipstick In Under My Spell

What are your top tips for whitening teeth without breaking the bank?

Kate x

*Gifted Product. All opinions, as always, are my own.
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37 comments

  1. I wish those whitening strips are available in my country!

    ❤️ Alyssa // STYLE VANITY // Instagram

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    1. They are really good. Maybe you can order them - pretty sure Boots offers international shipping. x

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  2. I love the Janina whitening strips - they really work but aren't at all harsh on the teeth! xx

    Beautylymin| LuxurySkincareGiveaway

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    1. I might try those another time - I've certainly been impressed with what I've tried from them so far. x

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  3. Heaving a sigh of relief knowing I don't drink red wine or coffee, haha. I have actually been thinking of ways to whiten my teeth though so thanks so much for all your tips Kate! You have a beautiful smile :)

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice | Worldwide NARS Beauty Giveaway x

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    1. Ah thanks so much Gabrielle! Glad if it was useful. x

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  4. I've been hearing so much about janina lately! Really need to check them out :)

    http://claresloves.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. I hadn't heard of them myself till recently! x

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  5. These whitening strips sound great! Also great tip about the lip color you wear and how certain ones can't brighten your smile more, never thought about that.

    http://www.myclusterofthoughts.com/

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    1. It's such a quick and easy way of making your teeth look whiter! x

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  6. I drink 2-3 cups of coffee daily and in winter, I used to enjoy a glass of red wine every other day. My teeth are stained and I tried many whitening strips that gave me result only when I used them. I need to get a whitening toothpaste to use every day too.xx

    Yiota
    PinkDaisyLoves

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    1. I definitely think it helps, as it's something you use so regularly. x

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  7. I've also been enjoying the same products as you from Janina. An electric toothbrush is so much more efficient fhan a manual one. I've even set up a regular delivery system from Amazon so I'm never out of head's. I love the sound of the whitening strips. I never new they just dissolved. I love that! Xx


    Toni | sheergloss


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    1. Glad you're enjoying the products too Toni. Yes, I've tried other whitening strips but always go back to these as they're so effortless. x

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  8. That lip tone is beautiful! It suits you and the eye shadow is lovely :) This was a great way to make the teeth whiter :) http://www.bauchlefashion.com/2017/05/summers-best-bikini-wishlist.html

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  9. This brand Janina has been getting lots of amazing reviews throughout UK blogs recently but I have not seen the brand here in Canada! I do love using a blue based red as lipstick because it makes my teeth looks really white!

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  10. What a nice review, sounds good. Thank you for sharing!

    April of: https://beybiapril.wordpress.com/
    IG:@Aprilnunezzz

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  11. The Janina products soun great! Had no idea Boots did dissolvable whitening strips either!

    Danielle's Beauty Blog

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  12. I have just bought some Crest whitening strips when I was in LA but I didn't know about the Boots ones. The Crest strips have worked well for me in the past but it's good to know about these ones which will be easier for me to get hold of :) x

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    1. I've not tried the Crest ones, but can certainly recommend these from Boots. x

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  13. Your makeup looks great! Need to try these products!
    xx
    Courtney // https://courtneylivin.com

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  14. I should try those products out!!

    http://www.brooklynglam.com/

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  15. These are great tips! I think I'll give those Boots strips a try, I haven't tried any dissolvable ones before :) xx

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  16. I'm really keen to try more teeth whitening products so this was such a brilliant and useful post to read Kate! I tried some strips a while back and had lots of sensitivity so that put me off, but the Boots dissolvable strips look perfect and I'm definitely going to snap some of those up! <3

    Sophie | soinspo xo

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  17. I always have teeth whitening products in my home - for some reason, it's just what I always pick up whether it's a whitening toothpaste or mouthwash!

    Sometimes I have found that some can cause sensitivity but as you say, there are different ways to brighten a smile such as using a lipstick with blue undertones - they really do help and berry shades are great for that! :)

    Hope you're well lovely! :)

    Layla xx

    http://www.sprinklesofstyle.co.uk

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  18. These tips sound amazing! Will definitely give them a try! Can't wait to see some results :) Thank you for sharing lovely!

    Adela
    http://www.hautespark.com/

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  19. Thanks so much Kate for the amazing tips can't wait to give them a try!!

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