Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Grin and Icy Bear your new smile
I’ve always been quite prejudiced towards home teeth whitening products. They are nearly always being promoted by Z-list celebrities who have obviously had thousands of pounds worth of veneers gifted to them and who are trying to make out that if we buy the products they are promoting, we too will have a glow-in-the-dark dazzling white smile. I’m sorry but I just don’t buy it.
And, therefore, I don’t buy the products because, let’s face it, chances are the “celeb” who is promoting it doesn’t buy it either.
I’m certainly no celeb, but I am in a privileged job where I too get gifted items to try and review. Which I do. I always try them and if I am impressed with the result, I will feature it here and give you an honest review. Recently I was sent products from a teeth whitening brand.
I’ll admit, they sat in my “to review” pile for quite some time as a result of my prejudice. But I thought to myself, “New year, new smile? Sure, let’s give it a go!”
The brand is Icy Bear Dental Care and the products I used were the Diamond Whitening Toothpaste and Whitening Strips. When I’m about to try a new brand or product – especially one which is going in my mouth – I always read the small print and do my research.
As I’m not all that clued-up on teeth whitening products, I went onto the Icy Bear website to find out a bit more information.
The brand was developed and designed by celebrity dentist Dr Hanna Kinsella. She is a “well- respected and highly-trained dental practitioner and is passionate about both general and cosmetic dentistry. Her products have been exclusively manufactured in the UK and contain a new, innovative system that’s shown to not only brighten the smile but also to protect the teeth against cavities.” OK, so far so good. Dr Kinsella is also “proud to say the Icy Bear brand is palm oil free, SLS free and animal cruelty free and all products are produced in the UK adhering to strict industry guidelines.
Great. Now here’s where it gets interesting...
The website goes on to say, “Icy Bear diamond dust whitening toothpaste contains a precious ingredient combination containing one carat of very fine diamond dust. Diamond is a natural abrasive agent that reduces surface stain and polishes the surface of the enamel to restore the teeth to their natural whiteness”. OK, so let me get this straight...I’m brushing my teeth with ACTUAL DIAMOND DUST?! Now I’m definitely starting to feel more like a celebrity!
But the real question is, do these products actually work? The answer is YES.
I noticed a difference the very first time I used both together. I brushed with the paste and then applied the strips on top and bottom teeth and I immediately noticed my teeth look less yellow. And they have got whiter as time went on.
I like the toothpaste becaues it literally makes the inside of your mouth feel like ice (try drinking a glass of cold water and you’ll see what I mean) but it doesn’t make much of a lather, likely a result of being SLS and paraben free. A price I’m happy to pay. I’ll be honest, the strips aren’t my favourite thing to do.
They are a bit fidgety and dissolve in your mouth making you feel like you’ve just woken up the morning after a night of tequila shots but you get the hang of them and they dissolve quickly.
Overall, I’m really enjoying using these products and each morning and night I look forward to seeing my gnashers gleam a bit whiter.
And maybe in future, when it comes to teeth whitening products, I will have to swallow my pride and spit out my prejudice...