Product Review: Crest 3D White Strips

I got to try these through the P & G Brand Sampler program.  It's completely free to join and receive samples that you get to select from their available samples.  This is the first time I requested samples and I got the Crest 3D whitestrips (which came with a sample of Crest 3D white toothpaste, which I already use) and a travel size bottle of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.  You may not know this about me, but I am very averse to change when it comes to my hygiene/beauty routine.  Once I find a product that works, I stick with it for pretty much ever.  I normally use Herbal Essences Body Envy shampoo, because I like the scent.  But they changed the scent from white nectarine and pink coral flower about 6 months ago, and the new scent isn't nearly as pleasant.  But, being myself which means that I am a bargain shopper, I had picked up a new bottle of it and a spare when I found them on sale after they changed the scent.  So I am just now using up the rest of the spare bottle.  And the other thing is that my hair naturally has a lot of body, so I don't really need the volume boosting benefit either.  Which is a long way of saying that this allows you to try new things for free, when you might not want to take a risk on buying a product you may or may not love, and then be stuck using it until it's gone, if you're like me and can't stand wasting money.  So you should probably check out the brand sampler program, especially if you like free stuff.  They also send coupons that are relevant to the samples, so if you like the product, you can buy the full size one for a lower price.

Anyway, back to the topic: Crest 3D Whitestrips.  I have always had a problem with my teeth not being very white.  It is a result of having an overbite, which as a child made my lips stay partially open all of the time.  This caused my teeth to be exposed to stuff that made them not white.  Lately, I have started using Crest 3D white toothpaste and it helps immensely.  My mom even commented when I went home for Christmas that my teeth look whiter.  It's not the cheapest toothpaste out there, normally costing $6 a tube, but I found it at Rite Aid for $6 for a two-pack, so of course, I bought it.  And it's great.  It's made my teeth whiter, but they still aren't the whitest.  I'm not one of those people who wants my teeth to be so unnaturally white that every time I smile, it's like I'm firing a laser into people's eyes.  I would just like to have teeth that are white enough.  The whitestrips sample came with a top strip and bottom strip in a foil packet.  The instructions say to peel off the strips and place them on your teeth and leave them on for 30 minutes, then peel them off.  So that's what I did.  Here are the notes that I took.  The first thing that surprises me is that the back isn't goopy at all.  When they say that they have gel on them, it's more like sticker adhesive than anything.  I expected it to be maybe even a little messy, but it was not, so I was pleased.  They were really simple to apply, even with my crooked teeth.  Pro tip: If you do have crooked teeth like me, you can just apply them normally and then gently press them to contact with the surface of your crooked teeth, so that all of your teeth get whitened evenly.  The plastic is fairly flexible and the warmth inside your mouth will make it so you can easily get it where it needs to go.  You do the bottom strip first and then the top strip, as the directions tell you to.  Apply it evenly to the front of your teeth then fold it over the back so it stays on.  I was also pleasantly surprised that they didn't have any weird taste.  I was expecting them to taste like mint or maybe fluoride, but they just tasted like plastic.  After you put them on, you just go about your normal life for 30 minutes, except you can't eat or drink anything.  You aren't allowed to smoke either, but I don't do that anyway.  They do feel sort of weird, like I would imagine a retainer would feel, and you probably won't be able to talk understandably (I wasn't, but I did it when I was home alone).  I'm not sure if this happens for everyone, but I would imagine that it is: you will produce a lot of saliva while they are in.  Another thing that happened is that they started causing me a little bit of pain where they were near the gum on one of my teeth, once I was 15 minutes in.  The pain quickly subsided.  So if you have sensitive teeth, these are not for you.  When you take them off, I would recommend having a paper towel, tissue, or toilet paper handy, because they get really slimy and goopy when you remove them.  So you will want to throw them away and then wipe off your hands.  They came off really easily, which was surprising, since they sealed onto my teeth so well.  After you take them off, your teeth will be slimy, so you should brush them.  And now the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for: the results!

Before

After

So as you can see from the pictures, there wasn't a huge difference, but my teeth did get a little whiter.  When you actually buy the full size product, they whiten your teeth like this a little bit every day or every other day, as often as you use them, so they will get significantly whiter after two weeks.  The verdict: I'm pleased with them.  However, they are out of my budget.  The sample did come with a $10 off coupon for them, so I will have to see if that makes them affordable enough or not.

Sidenote: How cute is my necklace? This talented and lovely lady made it for me.  You should go show her blog and her Etsy shop some love.

And I know (meaning that I assume) you're all anxious to see what the hilarious Woody sent me in the mail for my Thrift Store Pen Pal review.  Well, you're going to have to wait for that until sometime next week, because I plan to make a vlog about it.  And it's good.  (The package I mean, not necessarily the vlog, which hasn't been made yet.)