Toxic Free DIY Mini Series: One Ingredient Teeth Whitener

(by the way, please excuse the embarrassing photo of me… only for you my readers, only for you!)

Check out the little conversation the other day I had with Scott…

Me: “Hey babe, you should really do the charcoal again.”
Scott: “What.. are you saying my teeth are yellow?”
Me: “Well… yeah..”
Scott: “Thanks….”

We’ve all been there - or are still there - yellow teeth and all. And we can’t hide our teeth forever (and we certainly can’t stop drinking coffee or wine for heavens sakes…)

So what’s a guy or gal to do?

Surely not Crest White Strips. I mean, let’s face it, who wants to sit there for 30 minutes foaming out the mouth, trying not to swallow that toxic stuff, and borderline looking like a rabid raccoon or a excessively drooling dog… or a combination of both! Yikes. Who came up with that anyway? How is one supposed to sit with gel strips in the mouth without swallowing it?

And let’s just say you can manage the whole drooling, foaming thing… who really wants overly white teeth that almost look fake?

Not I.

So now what?

Lucky for you and I, there is something I want to share with you that is not-so-flattering to put on our teeth, that takes a maximum of 2-3 minutes and that gently whitens your teeth naturally.

Charcoal.

Ok, ok, I know you’re probably thinking, charcoal? As in, the black soot type stuff that is the result of burning wood?

Not that kind of charcoal (luckily.. can you imagine?). It’s called Activated Charcoal

(or activated carbon) and it literally is just charcoal that has been treated with gasses to purify it - hence, the name activated. The difference between the charcoal in your fireplace and activated charcoalis that this activated charcoal actually adsorbs things.

Yes, you read that right, aDsorbs. What does adsorb mean? Adsorb means to gather on a surface in a condensed layer. Meaning, when you place activated charcoal on your teeth, it acts as a magnet to all the stains and holds it in it’s pores without damaging your teeth. It sucks all the bad stuff out and leaves the surrounding areas clean aka your teeth.

Pretty awesome right? What’s even more awesome is that it is extremely safe on your teeth, doesn’t scratch them and doesn’t remove the calcium salts from your teeth. Oh and it can actually help the pH and health of your mouth! Meaning, it is effective with preventing cavities and killing the bad bacteria that is present in tooth decay and gingivitis. (source).

Activated Charcoal Has Many Uses!

• digestive difficulties, i.e, vomiting or diarrhea
• bad breath
• cuts and wounds
• accidental poisoning, food or poison (emergency rooms carry activated charcoal to pull out toxins from the bloodstream)
• insect and snake bites
• reduce acne and improve skin
• in water filters
• air deodorizer (source)

Please keep mind that I do not recommend using activated charcoal every day because it can act as a mineral absorption blocker and should only be used when necessary. Also, if you are on any medications, activated charcoal

adsorbs/binds to them so it is wise to check with a practitioner before you use it.

One Ingredient Teeth Whitener
I wish I would have taken a before picture of my husband’s teeth because the results on his teeth were dramatic! He is a serious wine and coffee drinker so those tannins (the stuff found in coffee, tea, wine) are pretty prevalent on his teeth. But I can show you a picture of what he looked like with the black almost squid-ink like stuff in his mouth. 🙂 Haha, I LOVE you Scott! (He’s such a sport)

Ingredients:

• Activated Charcoal (buy capsules here
  
  or powder here
  
  )

Directions:

1. Cut capsule in half and dump powder on a small plate or in a cup (or place 1 tsp powder)
2. Grab your toothbrush (I designate a specific toothbrush for when I whiten my teeth), wet it then dip in powder
3. Gently massage the powder into your teeth and along your gum lines
4. Once you’ve distributed the powder on all your teeth, let sit for 2 minutes
5. Rinse well (amazingly all the black comes off and it leaves your teeth shining!)
6. Watch your teeth glow naturally!

You can do this as many times as you’d like until you feel you’ve achieved the whiteness that suits your fancy.

Please note activated charcoal

WILL stain (it may even stain your sink) so it’s best to do this carefully over the sink. Or just wear something you don’t mind getting stainy.

Although it is not pretty in looks, it’s actually pretty entertaining to do with your spouse and take ridiculous pictures like the one over to the left.

So click here

to buy the charcoal and get on that band wagon of whitening your teeth naturally with black powder!

All your friends will be envious!

Until next time,
Loriel - Healthy Roots, Happy Soul

*Medical disclaimer: I am not a licensed medical professional. What I do is purely for research and/or personal/family use. I cannot be held responsible for improper use. Always seek advice from a medical professional if you have doubts. These claims have not been approved by the FDA (No kidding?!).

This post is part of: Real Food Wednesday