Natural Teeth Whitening Kit: Review

Hello!

 Let's get this out there: it is not easy taking photos of teeth. We can now continue..

The teeth whitening kit by Natural Bliss (available here) comes with 3 little pots and a sheet of paper with instructions of how to use it. To be honest, all you need is a toothbrush and you're good to go. It doesn't take too long to do and with a bit of one direction playing in the background to dance along to, the waiting game takes almost no time at all! 

The kit comes with 3 pots with a different ingredient in each. The curcumin didn't do anything special for me, in fact, I almost thought it made my teeth less white. Sodium Bicarbonate is a well know DIY teeth whitener (no surprises that this was a great ingredient) and the willow carbon also worked amazingly well. I'd say the carbon did more for me than the sodium bicarbonate - see the photo below:

Step 1: Apply the Sodium Bicarbonate to your teeth and leave for a bit
   -for me, this worked well but I think my teeth looked extra clean because of the double scrubbing I did, the ingredient in particular was not the miracle

Step 2: Wet a bit of the carbon power and apply evenly, leave for 2 minutes
   -this was the ingredient that stood out for me. I could really tell the difference after the first use of this product. It may be the stark difference between the dark carbon that made me feel my teeth were whiter, or they were actually whiter. Either way, I liked the carbon!

Step 3: Apply the curcumin on to teeth and leave for a while
   -as mentioned previously, I feel like this counteracted the carbon and honestly didn't like it. I also thought it was annoying that it stained my toothbrush. It just didn't work for me. 

Step 4: Brush your teeth clean with water
   -this is where you can taste the curcumin and it's gross. Okay, can you tell I was NOT a fan of the curcumin at all?

Not going to lie, after Day 1, I was super impressed with the teeth whitening kit. My teeth were looking great: super shiny and lovely. The thing is, looking back now I think they might just be that way because I scrubbed my teeth about 4 times, and if you brush your teeth four times within the space of 10 minutes they're bound to look cleaner, right?

After Day 5, I feel my teeth were not as white as they were after Day 1. Contradictory to the whole idea of the kit? Yes. I still feel if I was to use just the willow carbon, the effect would be different. The first two ingredients are definitely worth it - and you're likely to have the sodium bicarbonate at home, so all you need to get is the willow carbon.
None-the-less, the kit is worth it for the willow carbon, and it lasts about 15 days - with each cycle of teeth whitening meant to last 5 days, you can do it 3 times! (yay maths!)

Overall, not bad but I wouldn't say it made a HUGE difference. If you suffer from staining you're more likely to experience better results. If you, like me, have a pretty even(ish) teeth colour and just want a couple of shades whiter teeth, this may not be your best bet.

Do you whiten your teeth? If so, what do you use?

Have the Perfect At Home Spa Experience: GUEST POST

This article was submitted by Cosmetology & Spa Academy. Located in Illinois, CSA is a beauty school with over 30 years of experience in the cosmetology, esthetics and beauty industry.

Creating your own spa in the comfort of your home can be a relaxing and low cost way to reduce stress, take care of your body and most importantly, save money!
You will be required to grab some items in preparation for your spa experience, but it will be much more convenient in the long run. No driving, no waiting and no strangers to distract you from what matters most: taking care of yourself.

Set the Stage
You’ll need to find somewhere to setup your spa, perhaps your bedroom, bathroom or a spare room that you might have. Set the mood by lighting some scented candles, dimming the lights and play some music. Don’t forget to unplug and turn off that phone!
Next, get a vaporizer and use it in combination with the essential oil bergamot. This oil is used in aromatherapy, massage oils and perfumes. The vaporizer will fill the air with the bergamot oil and which will be absorbed by your skin. You'll feel considerably better as it will decrease your blood pressure and heart rate.

Prepare a Bath
Bergamot oil has several purposes and can also be added to your bath. Add 5 to 10 drops of the oil to your bath water and hop on in. You can also substitute in regular bath oils into your warm bath water instead. Soak for around 10 to 20 minutes.
This is a great opportunity to clean your nails with a brush and soap or warmed olive oil. Apply a generous amount of oil to both the nail bed and the hands before rinsing it off. You hair can get an oil treatment during this time as well. With a couple of simple ingredients, you can make your own at home solution.
Mix together a cup of sweet almond oil with a half-cup of sesame and a sprinkling of sweet orange essential oil. If you are feeling adventurous, add in a couple drops of lavender oil. Start to massage this oil deeply into your follicles and then wrap your hair up. You want your hair collect the moisture from the oil treatment for as long as possible. Once you are ready, rinse off and begin your normal hair routine with shampoo and conditioner.

Cleanse Your Skin
The bergamot oil is truly multipurpose and we are going to use it to create a DIY skin cleanser. Start by adding 5 drops to some steaming water in a bowl. Use a towel to create a tent that will lay over your head and the bowl. This will collect the steam and you should inhale deeply for a short few minutes.
Bergamot will help to reduce your skin's potential for any outbreaks and can also help fight against those already afflicting your skin. Your skin will also benefit from bergamot oil when it is added directly to your lotion. Add a couple of drops into unscented vitamin E cream to create an improved lotion for dry skin. This can be used as the start of a fantastic massage oil. You can learn more techniques and secrets like these from enrolling in an esthetics program.

Conduct an At Home Facial
A facial at home can be accomplished with a few simple ingredients and some preparation. You want to start with a light steaming. Select a few herbs and add them to a teapot with some water to boil. Make sure to let the herbal components sit for a while so that the water can absorb the benefits. A few herb suggestions would be mint, lavender flowers, parsley, rose petals and lemongrass.
Similar to the bergamot steam, you want to do the same thing here. Pour this herbal infusion into the sink while adding hot water. Grab a towel and cover your head and the bowl to let the steam come in contact with your face. Keep your face just above it for 5 full minutes. This will clear your pores and smooth out your skin. Then apply a facial cleanser and lean back over your steaming infusion for another full minute. It'll eliminate impurities while unclogging oil and debris.
After the cleanser, you should start to apply your toner. Create your own toner at home with a few simple ingredients. Fill a spray bottle with water, a little bit of milk and a couple drops of rose and lavender essential oils. Exfoliate and apply a mask that meets your skin's needs. Lay back and put your mind at ease as your mask works its magic. Finally, add an organic moisturizer with active ingredients to complete your DIY facial.

Massage at Home
It’s easier than you may think to perform your own at home massage. Mix 10 drops of essential oils together with 2 cups of sweet almond oil. Start to massage this mixture all over your body, beginning with the soles of your feet and moving upwards. Use long and smooth strokes to massage the oil into your skin and relieve any stress you may have. Once you've massaged the oil onto your entire body, wrap yourself in a couple towels to ensure that the oils are fully absorbed.

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