Wednesday 14 December 2016

Activated Charcoal: The New Teeth Whitening Phenomenon


Good evening strangers.  I hope advent is treating you all splendidly!  I feel like a right failure at the moment - I've been lapping up all the Blogmas and Vlogmas contributions of so many other bloggers and doing... well, one post short of nothing myself.  You guessed it - deadlines are approaching (oh, the cruelty).  

Anyway, I thought I'd drag myself away from my essays for a little while tonight to offer you my two cents on the new teeth whitening craze that appears to be taking the world by storm: activated charcoal.  Little pots of the stuff seem to be popping up left, right and centre wherever I look, but the one I chose was this one from Amazon, by Pro Teeth Whitening Co. (currently out of stock :( ), and came in at a tidy £12.99, certainly representing one of the cheaper options for teeth whitening!

This particular one is 100% natural and made with finely ground food grade activated charcoal, unlike many other whiteners I've been guilty of trying in the past which use peroxide or other chemicals.  Unlike with using Crest Strips for example, I have no teeth sensitivity whatsoever using this which is a Godsend.  Although I got great results using Crest Strips, the sensitivity really was a bitch, to the point that if I breathed in too quickly through my mouth I would get shooting pains in my teeth - nice.  


 Also, perhaps contrary to my initial expectation, this particular one has quite a pleasant, natural and mild flavour which can only really be described as a considerably weak cocktail of mint and ginger beer.  I dampen my toothbrush and dip it straight in to pick up a light coating, then brush my teeth immediately for around a minute.  I do this after brushing my teeth with normal toothpaste first.  The texture is predictably quite gritty at first, but it does lather up slightly to more of a paste consistency as you brush.  

In terms of how it works, I'll leave it to the professionals to explain: 

'Activated charcoal is used today and has been used throughout the centuries to treat people who have accidentally ingested poison - with its porous surface, it attaches to toxins and impurities in the body to draw them out. It works in just the same way on plaque, tannins and stains on teeth - safely and efficiently lifting these off.'

 

 For my particular brand it recommends using twice a day, which I have been doing fairly routinely for around two weeks now.  And I must say, I feel like slowly but surely, my teeth are looking cleaner and whiter, and I've noticed small surface stains gradually fading.  I did take some fairly atrocious before and after gnasher-shots I was going to share with you all, but having put them side by side I realised the lighting is so horribly inconsistent that it would be better to not share them with anyone, ever, and leave things to the imagination instead.  Has anyone else tried or is thinking of trying a similar product?

Ruby x


Follow

Saturday 3 December 2016

The Dad Jumper



First things first - congratulations, we made it to December, advent is here and it's only 22 days until the big C!!!  Christmas is undoubtedly one of my favourite times of year.  I love any kind of celebration, but especially Christmas as its the perfect excuse to wear ridiculous jumpers, glittery shoes (I've already bought the perfect pair for this year) and eat 14 sausage rolls in a row with little to no judgement (only if you like)... 


This kind of outfit is a bit of a go-to for me in Winter.  I seem to live in oversized jumpers and boots from mid October to March, and shirts - well, I'm not me without a shirt, whatever time of the year.  This jumper is actually my Pa's, hence the title of this blog post, and is one of those I always end up borrowing when I'm back in my hometown for a weekend.  Does anyone else find it's usually men's jumpers that are the comfiest?  



As for this beautiful bag, I'm going to apologise right now as this was a charity shop find... and it only set me back £4.99.  I know.  For me, it's the perfect size and colour, excellent quality, adjustable - it's the bag of dreams and I don't think it'll be leaving my shoulder any time soon.  



This jacket is one I also picked up in a charity shop nearby where I live in Brighton, also for just a fiver (despite being 100% silk and by All Saints).  I've been wearing it far more than I originally thought I would, especially with the weather getting colder, but it's surprisingly warm and conveniently lightweight so can fit into the smallest of handbags in case shopping trips (etc.) get a bit heated.  


Shirt - TK Maxx (Moss Copenhagen) /  Jumper - Dad's wardrobe / Bag & Jacket - Charity Shop 
Jeans - New Look / Boots - TK Maxx / Lipstick - Shroom by LimeCrime


For now, it's over and out from me - let the Christmas feasting begin! 

Ruby x



Follow