To Use Hydrogen Peroxide?

Now, don't be too alarmed, I didn't take the bottle to my hair and go platinum (I haven always wanted to try that out though). This is a post about a frugal way to whiten teeth. I have always been pretty obsessed with my teeth and ensuring they are straight and white. Luckily, I only had to deal with braces for a year growing up, but I am one of those kids who STILL uses her retainer--weird I know. I also use Crest White Strips, Crest Whitening toothpaste, and chew whitening gum. Who knows if the toothpaste and gum really work, but I stick to it.

Recently I stumbled across a blog, Hello Giggles, where they mentioned this technique. I thought about it and it made sense since the active ingredient in a lot of these "whitening" toothpastes are Hydrogen Peroxide. I also figured it was safe since people used it back in the day. Searching in my medicine drawer, yes I have a drawer, I found a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I also opened the fridge and found a bottle of water.

I emptied the bottle about 3/4 and poured in a 1/4 of a bottle of HP so the water bottle was now half full--look at that optimism right there. Then, I took a swig and swooshed it around while I washed my face with my new Clarisonic Mia 2 (another post on that later). After about a minute, I spit it out and went on with my day. 

Now, my comments:
1. The stuff doesn't taste great. It's not horrible, but it doesn't leave you with a fresh minty taste. 
2. It definitely fizzes in your mouth and gets to be a thick, bubbly consistency. I got past that too. 

The Results: 
Bright, pearly whites! I have definitely noticed an improvement and have only done the rinse a couple times a week. My friends and family have also commented on how white my teeth are... SUCCESS! 

If you're looking for something to brighten your smile on the cheap before the holidays, I recommend this trick! It's quick, painless and easy enough. You can pick up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from CVS (mine's in a brown bottle) and mix up the solution before you head out for that holiday party!

**Caution, I'm not a dentist so if your teeth fall out, not my fault. Check first!