Charcoal: a natural filter, a odour neutraliser, a de-congester. We use charcoal everyday, as individuals and as a human race. Medically, charcoal is used to absorb toxic substances or poisons through it’s porous nature. Plus, charcoal is used in so many cleansers, soaps, or even face masks to absorb excess oil, draw out sebum, and reduce the amount of bacteria in your pores. So what could charcoal do for your teeth? The lovely guys over at Janina challenged me to make the swap to charcoal, and see what difference it could make to my dental health.
I started weaning myself onto the charcoal formula using their cult favourite toothpaste product, the Janina Activated Charcoal Toothpaste*, which has a really pleasant mild minty taste, not at all like charcoal like I imagined. The charcoal aspect is a bit daunting at first, *warning* a mouthful of grey foam will shock you a bit the first time but it’s nothing to be concerned about.
The formula can be used like any normal toothpaste, however I found that less really is more as the toothpaste is quite concentrated. After brushing with this toothpaste for a week, I found that *soz if I gross you out* I didn’t have “morning breath” anymore – Like not at all. I woke up to pretty fresh breath by the end of my 7th day of the trail, which is insaneeee. Clearly, the charcoal in the tooth paste acts as an odour-absorber. Actually, Janina recommends that you don’t wash your mouth out thoroughly after use as it allows the charcoal to work it’s magic for just that bit longer. Keeping you super fresh throughout the day/night.
The Activated Charcoal Toothpaste also contains unique enzymatic patented complex, called the Whitening Patented Bromaine Complex. This is a combination of natural enzymes (Bromelaine from Pineapple and Papain from Papaya) which help to add a whitening effect to the product without being harsh and abrasive like many teeth whiteners – no need to worry about premature enamel erosion!
In combination with the toothpaste, Janina suggest using the Janina Charcoal & Clay Teeth Whitening Powder* as a whitening “booster” style product without the use of Fluoride. You can use this product once/twice a week in conjunction with/in replacement of the charcoal toothpaste. It’s definitely an acquired taste, not going to lie to you – it pretty much tastes like powdery clay. You pinch a tad, pop it in your palm, then dip in a pre-dampened toothbrush – ta dahhh! This clay-based powder is for those of you with surface staining problems, caused my wine, coffee, smoking, etc.
I’ve been trialling the toothpaste and powder combo for the last three weeks, and honestly, my breath hasn’t ever felt fresher. I don’t really have very stained teeth (even after years of coffee-drinking and smoking) so I don’t really use whitening products for a whitening effect. However, if you’re looking for a natural, healthy way to absorb odour and freshen your smile – I would 100% recommend Janina!
You can pick up Janina products now at Boots!
Have you tried a charcoal toothpaste before?
How would you implement the Janina charcoal formula into your dental routine?
*This post was sponsored by Purelei, however all thoughts and opinions are my own*