BellaSugar

What to Do If You Run Out of Toothpaste

BellaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:01:12 -0700

A few weeks ago, I ran out of toothpaste. I'm not sure how it happened, but when I went to grab a new box from my toothpaste stash, it turned up empty. (I'll blame it all on Mr. Bella.)

Whatever the case, I didn't have time to go out and buy a new tube right then and there, and I had already cut it open to squeeze out the last remnants the night before. I ended up making a homemade paste from basic ingredients in the kitchen. Find out what I used, along with some more ideas for cleaning and freshening sans paste, when you read more.

Do what I did: Blend two parts of baking soda with one part salt and sprinkle over a toothbrush that's been moistened with water. This mixture helps whiten teeth and freshen breath. The flavor takes some getting used to, but it's pretty effective and super easy.

Raid the fridge: Chewing on mint or parsley will help neutralize odors until you can make your way to the store to restock on the toothpaste. FitSugar has more foods that help freshen breath, like carrots and yogurt. Apples act as great natural teeth cleansers, too.

Hit up the pantry: Chew on anise, dill, sesame, or fennel seeds; cardamom pods; cloves; or cinnamon sticks, which all help clean and polish teeth.

Peroxide: In a jam, you can also tip your toothbrush in germ-fighting hydrogen peroxide and brush your teeth like "normal."

Scrape your tongue: Using a spoon, scrape your tongue to help remove bacteria. I do this trick even when I have a supply of toothpaste readily available. It works amazingly well to keep bad breath at bay.

Source

No Dentist Appointment? No Problem.

BellaSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:00:40 -0800

My dentist is a popular guy - so popular, in fact, that when I called to schedule a cleaning, his snippy receptionist told me that there were no openings for four months. Great. So I've been trying to floss, Sonicare, and clean like crazy until I can find a new dentist (sorry, Dr. K). Another tool in my arsenal of postponed dentistry: Crest Weekly Intensive Cleaning Toothpaste ($4.49).

You know how when you get a cleaning, the dentist uses a slightly gritty paste that always leaves your teefs feeling smoother and glassier? This paste does a similar thing when used weekly. My teeth always feel much cleaner, and they tend to look a little brighter, too. It isn't a substitute for the six-month checkup, of course, but it's an affordable solution for yuck-mouth.

Beauty Mark It Results: Tingly Toothpaste

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:30:11 -0800

Instead of makeup, shampoos, or hair removal devices, for this week's Beauty Mark It Challenge we're talking teeth. I wanted to know which toothpastes got those pearlies all sparkly and which ones didn't freshen as nicely. Thanks to all of your reviewing efforts, and here are my favorites below:

Elle 07 reviewed Crest Pro-Health Fluoride Toothpaste for Anticavity, Antigingivitis, and Sensitive Teeth ($4.29) - "This is my favorite toothpaste. Taste is minty, makes my teeth feel clean, and no problem with sensitivity. (Oh and my dad's a dentist.)"
Nals33 liked Crest Pro-Health Night Fluoride Toothpaste ($4.29) - "When you use it at night, it feels like a normal toothpaste except for there's this smoothness to your teeth. I didn't pay much attention to it the first night I used it. But the next morning, I noticed that I still had that smoothness and clean-feeling mouth. Also, it definitely made my teeth whiter (though, not as much as with whitening strips), and it hasn't made my teeth sensitive. I will definitely be buying this toothpaste again."
Righteothen said Peppermint Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste by Tom's of Maine ($6.15) takes some getting used to - "This is not typical toothpaste. It's not as sweet, it doesn't foam as much, and the flavor is not as strong. The xylitol in this is the only sweetener, but it doesn't make you think 'sweet.' For those that think it doesn't taste as strong as your typical toothpaste, that is because it uses natural oils for the flavor, and those take a little to get used to. Once you are, it is quite flavorful."

Source

Beauty Mark It Reminder: Tingly Toothpaste

BellaSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:15:11 -0800

For this week's Beauty Mark It challenge, we're not talking makeup, hair products, or zit creams, for that matter. This time around it's all about your teeth.

When it comes to toothpaste, which ones make your teeth sparking clean and which ones leave your pearly whites feeling not so pearly . . . or white?

Just follow the link above and review this cleaning product to your heart's delight. I'll feature my three favorites here tomorrow. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to brusha, brusha, brusha.

Source

Beauty Mark It! Tingly Toothpaste

BellaSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:54:07 -0800

Remember that classic scene in Grease when Jan sings, "Brusha, brusha, brusha. Knock out decay germs fast!" in her most perfect beaver-esque voice? Well, for this week's Beauty Mark It challenge, we're doing something a little different.

Instead of makeup, hair products, or zit creams, this time we're talking teeth. Which toothpastes make your teeth sparking clean and which ones leave your pearly whites feeling not so pearly . . . or white?

Just follow the link above and review toothpaste to your heart's delight. I'll feature my favorites here next Tuesday. Oh, and if you're looking to get nostalgic, watch that famous clip from Grease when you read more.

Source

Got Mouth Acne? Here's Some Help.

BellaSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:00:22 -0800

Mr. Bella has been all up in my business lately. "You have to write about the toothpaste!" he keeps saying. "The toothpaste!" Lest you think he has a weird dental hygiene fetish, let me explain. He has fairly sensitive skin, and for the longest time, he used to get recurring acne right around his lips. So he did a little research and found out that sodium lauryl sulfate, a common ingredient in body-care products, is often irritating to skin. And after switching out his regular toothpaste for a SLS-free one, guess what? No more pimples.

If you have had similar problems with acne or irritation, you might want to try switching toothpastes. It may take a while to get used to them, simply because they aren't quite as fast to foam up. The flavors also might be less bold than what you're used to, but I find that after about a minute of brushing, they become more intense. Here are a few that might work for you.

Jason Sea Fresh Toothpaste ($5.49) is a vegan gel that's made with algae. I know it sounds gross at first, but its minty flavor is surprisingly enjoyable, and it gets teeth nice and clean. It doesn't have fluoride, though, so be sure to use a fluoride rinse to keep cavities at bay.

For two other options, read more.

I haven't tried Tom's of Maine Clean & Gentle Care ($5.29), but I love the fact that it comes in a fennel flavor. So hippie-chic, you know? Unlike the Jason toothpaste, this SLS-free formula does contain fluoride, so that saves you one extra step. Truth be told, it's been years since I've used Tom's of Maine-the gels always felt unpleasantly gummy-but I'm willing to give ol' Tom another whirl.

Finally, there's Denblan ($20), the whitening toothpaste from Darphin. Unlike the other two mentioned here, this is a paste rather than a gel, and I prefer it. The flavor is a mild minty-herbal blend, and every time I use it, my teeth feel like clean glass. Twenty dollars is a lot for a toothpaste, but if you're dealing with mouth acne, it's $20 well spent.

Bella Quiz: Beauty Facts and Fiction

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:15:31 -0700

I can't remember when I first heard about the idea of using toothpaste as a spot treatment on pimples, but I definitely started doing it right away. But is that actually a good idea? This quiz will test your knowledge of beauty fact and myth.

Source

Take the quiz

Meet The Woman Who Didn't Shower for Six Weeks

BellaSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:58:52 -0700

What could you do without for 40 days and 40 nights? Not food, not sleep. Give up sex? Maybe. The question is, could you do what Nicky Taylor did? The 42-year-old woman (no relation to the '90s megamodel) went for that long with no cosmetics or toiletries. That means no shampoo, no toothpaste, no deodorant, no makeup-and no showering, either.

Taylor, a documentary filmmaker, was used to spending £2,000 (around $4,000) per year on beauty products. Disgusted by her high levels of consumption and concerned about the number of chemicals that were going on her skin, she decided to try an experiment: For 40 days, she'd throw her grooming routine out the window. She explains:

"I always think I look absolutely terrible if I haven't washed my hair that morning, when the reality is that other people don't really notice at all," she says. "The idea that we need all these products and that we have to be clean at all times is endemic in society, and I wanted to see what happened when I stopped washing altogether. Would I lose all my friends? Would I stink to high heaven? Or would life just carry on as normal?

To find out what happened, read more

Right away: To protect the health of her children, she wore latex gloves when preparing their food. And at first, the lack of primping freed up time for her to sleep in. But then...

Day 4: Taylor begins to stink, and her hair is greasy. "Within a few days it turned into a bird's nest and instead of allowing it to fall flatteringly around my face, I'd taken to pulling it all back into a ponytail," she said.

Week 2: Taylor's children refuse to hug her because of the stench. Surprisingly, though, she isn't treated abnormally at a work event.

Week 3: "My toenails were turning a strange color and I'd developed dry, peeling skin on my hands."

Week 4: Taylor's skin developed a healthy glow, and a cyst near her eye disappeared. On the other hand, a dentist told her that she could lose her teeth if she kept up this non-routine.

Week 5:"My hair was so greasy that it stayed in its ponytail position even when the hair band wasn't there. And my teeth were horribly discoloured and covered in a build-up of plaque."

Week 6: Although she had 5,000 times the bacteria she did before embarking on this experiment, none of the bacteria were dangerous. She did, however, have a cavity. Overall, while Taylor was glad to be able to shower, she believes that most people don't notice your grooming as much as you think they do.

What do you think? Personally, I'm not about to give up showering anytime soon, but I see what she's getting at. I used to wash my hair every day, but now I wash it every other day or so. Nobody seems to be able to tell, and my hair is healthier and less dry than it used to be. Still, you won't catch me going without a good tooth-brushing anytime soon.
Source

Saturday Giveaway! GoSmile Jet Set Kit

BellaSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 23:30:00 -0700

Thanks to our very generous friends at Sephora, we've been giving away a different product every day throughout the month of June. Congratulations to Joyceay, who won yesterday's giveaway for a Bliss Sinkside Six-Pack.

This week, we're featuring airline-approved beauty-great products that you can take on an airplane without dealing with any security hassles. Today's giveaway is the GoSmile Jet Set Kit ($12). There's a toothpaste for the morning, and one for the PM-and both are formulated to keep your teeth clean and white. (I took this kit to Paris and felt oh-so-glamorous brushing my chompers.)

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in the comments section below by 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 29, and we'll announce the winner Monday. Please, only ONE comment per person; duplicate comments will be discarded, so commenting more than once won't up your chances of winning. You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account. For all of the rules and regulations, click here. Good luck!

New From Crest: Nature's Expressions Toothpaste

BellaSugar — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:21:22 -0700

If you are looking for a new way to make your teeth look even more beautiful, you might be interested in Crest's New Natures Expressions Toothpaste, $2.99. It will be available in stores this April in three exciting flavors: Pure Peppermint Fresh, Citrus Clean Mint and Mint and Green Tea Extract.

These toothpastes are bursting with flavor! People believe that energizing properties add special touches to their day to make them more beautiful. These toothpastes make you feel energized, invigorated and refreshed. The concept behind this new line is that women are moving toward products that are all natural but they feel conflicted leaving their loyal brands they grew up with.

Crest is expanding so you can continue to be brand loyal to a company that's been creating toothpaste for 50 + years. They have natural flavors and are minimally processed (it won't alter their molecular make-up).

Its unique formula balances health and beauty benefits that, with regular brushing: fights cavities and tartar buildup, removes plaque, helps freshen breath and helps whiten teeth.

To read more about why peppermint, citrus and mint and green tea flavors were chosen, read more

Pure Peppermint Fresh features the highest quality peppermint harvested primarily from the Pacific Northwest. It also uses natural peppermint oil due to its richness and quality. Peppermint was chosen because it provides lasting fresh breath.
Citrus Clean Mint contains a main note of lemon which is primarily harvested from Italy and China. It also contains high quality lemon oil which is derived from cold pressing the peel (zest) of the lemon. Lemon and mint were chosen because they provide a fresh and clean sensation.
Mint and Green Tea Extract contains natural green tea extract which is harvested primarily from China. This flavor was chosen because it has long been a popular flavor in Asia and has quickly gained popularity domestically as more consumers discover its subtle, fresh flavor and powerful health benefits.