Hey my lovelies,

Welcome to the handbook! Today I am going over how to get sparkly, pearly white teefs, at home, on the cheap with natural ingredients- joy!

When I was in highschool a girlfriend and I got our hands on some Crest Whitening Strips back when they were new on the scene. We wore them for 30 minutes a day, twice a day and woman were our teeth whiter than you can imagine!!

I seriously got compliments from both loved ones and strangers any time that I opened my mouth. I soon became quite notorious for my pearly whites and I was so happy with their appearance. The only downside was that my teeth became really sensitive and about a year after the treatment the white was not so white anymore (pfft).

Instead of shelling out on another batch of white strips ($40+) I endeavored to whiten naturally at home (years later I learned of some of the ingredients in the strips and was quite happy that I traversed down a different path).

I have read up on tons of ways to naturally whiten and have tried quite a few over the last years. Many of them did nothing for me, others have worked wonders in whitening up my chewing- tools but those that have yielded the best results are annotated below ;). I made an idiot of a video (1 minute or so) in where I show how my teeth have held up over the years using the methods below so be sure to check it out!

How to Naturally Whiten your Teeth from the Comforts of your own Home

Turmeric

I first heard about (watched about) using this spice on the teeth on Instagram. Someone posted a before photo with turmeric on their teeth and an after one with some nice looking white chompers. Ok, thought I, if its natural and works to whiten my teeth than I am down down down.

I opened my kitchen cabinet, located the spice, put on my mixing- lady hat and got to work. I mixed mine with some water to make a paste (in a tiny bowl) put the paste on my tooth brush then applied it to my 32 and left it on for a full minute.

Turmeric has an ingredient called curcumin which has properties to soothe ailments like gingivitis, tooth ache and even sensitive teeth. This is a very great powder for overall oral care.

My thoughts

To be honest, this powder discolored my toothbrush and some of my skin (but never my teeth), which did not make for a very happy mixing- lady. The smell is very potent and for the month that I used it I did not see any spectacular results. I changed up my recipe and used turmeric with baking soda and coconut oil and the results improved greatly thereafter.

Still, turmeric was not my favorite whitening remedy because I found it to be more messy and stained my bathroom sink and skin more than not. I include it here because my mumma is having incredible results in making a paste and using it daily which goes to show that there are different strokes for different folks.

Baking Soda and Lemon

You want proper white teeth? Mixing these two together will get you there. I apply some baking soda onto my toothbrush then squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on the powder enough for it to bubble a bit and become a bit of a paste.

The two work together like a match made in heaven with sodium bicarbonate (technical name of baking soda) being alkaline and lemon being acidic. The lemon is a natural bleaching agent so it makes sense why speedy results occur when using this on the teeth.

My Thoughts

This is probably one of the quickest ways I have ever effectively whitened my teeth. There is some controversy on using this method as lemon is acidic and so some fear it is too corrosive for the teeth.

Because of this I only use this method once a month if my teeth are looking a little dull, but my gawd does it do its thang! It spectacularly whitens! However, I will admit that it doesn’t make my teeth feel that healthy after application especially when compared to some of the other listed remedies. It often feels like it did after I used those Crest strips, but at least it is relatively safer, natural and way more cost- effective!

If in need of a quick whitening then give it a go daily until you reach your desired results. Don’t leave this on for more than one minute and be sure to brush after with a natural toothpaste that will look after your enamel, read here for my post on the best all natural toothpaste.

I love to use a natural mouthwash after or better still use coconut oil as this restores that feeling of health for me. Coconut oil also whitens and freshens breath, even if it does so in a more subtle fashion.

Baking Soda on its Own

In times when lemon is too… uh lemony to use, making a paste with baking soda on its own (with water) really aids in eventual whiteness. This may not work within a day or even within a week but with repeated use you will notice how white your teeth become.

Baking soda is an effective mild abrasive meaning that it works well in removing surface stains which makes the teeth appear whiter.

My Thoughts

I have heard some controversy on the safety of using baking soda for the teeth as regular use may not be safe for the enamel, however I personally use this quite regularly and do not have trouble with my enamel, sensitivity or any other problems associated with my teeth. I feel like it helps my teeth more than hurts them.

I love that this does not stain my brush (even though I change it every 3 months I still like a nice clean brush) but actually cleans it. I also feel that my mouth is really clean after using baking soda and my teeth feel nice after it as opposed to what it feels like when I use the lemon.

Another great method is to make a mouth wash with some water, baking soda and peppermint or spearmint oil (optional). I also like to oil pull with coconut oil after any method that I use on this list!

Activated Charcoal

Like turmeric I heard about activated charcoal for the teeth whitening on Instagram. These people with black covered teeth were claiming that this natural trick would whiten your teeth like no other. So I did some research and discovered that activated charcoal is an absorbent substance that removes toxins. Hmmmm.. interesting!

I’m also sure that I read something about a man (or 2) attempting to kill himself and took loads of substances including arsenic, but because he took activated charcoal as well, his suicide failed. The charcoal absorbed all the poisonous substances so life was able to go on..

That being said, this powder works in the same way in that it pulls the toxins from our mouth/teeth and makes them all the more pearly in the process.

My Thoughts

I had read loads that this powder stains the sink, clothes, bathroom floor etc so I was weary when I went in for the try, however I didn’t have trouble with this especially compared with turmeric. I bought the capsules which you can get here on amazon. It came with 100, and I still have the same bottle today so it’s lasted for over a year now.

I just split open a capsule and make a paste, very similar with how I would make one with the turmeric and the baking soda. I didn’t like how this powder stained my toothbrush and so once it was sullied I used that one solely for charcoal application and bought a different one for my regular brushing.

Overall I saw noticeable results within a month and a half of daily use and because I had read about all the wonderful re-mineralization properties AC has for the teeth, I felt happy to use this every day (because I have reached a desired white- teeth level I only use this occasionally but at least once a month to re-mineralize my teeth)

Hydrogen Peroxide

Ooohh lalala this is a really good one, handbookers! Why? Because I find that this works on more levels than just whitening and it seems to have made my oral health really strong. Though keep in mind that this is only kinda natural… (H2O with an extra oxygen molecule)

This product removes stains effectively, helps to whiten with repeated use, but what I find incredibly awesome about using this daily is that it is superb for gum health and freshens breath by eliminating bad bacteria.

Some doctors/dentists say this is a healthy addition to a healthy oral care regime while others would caution it saying to use one that is 3% if you do use it daily and be sure to dilute it with water. There are often varying ideas of what is safe to use or not (especially on a daily basis) so you might want to check with your dentist or a health professional before adding this to your regime, but it works great for me.

My Thoughts

I like to use this as mouth wash and sometimes as the liquid to make the paste for the remedies I mentioned above. I will say that this method whitens over time rather than straight away but after a month of use (whether using to make a paste or swishing as a mouthwash) I saw incredible results, and so did Micky (my other half).

The best part of this for me is that I feel really clean and healthy after swishing with this; I feel that it protects my teeth and my gums. It was a strange taste the first time I used it but I got used to it and now love to use this regularly.

A Recipe that Worked Stunningly for Me

• x1 spoonful baking soda
• x1 capsule activated charcoal
• coconut oil
• hydrogen peroxide (enough to make a paste)

I made a paste with these four and used it daily until my teeth were the desired shade (luminescent). I used this every day for three months and my teeth were as white as my Crest days! After making the paste I brush like normal, letting it sit on my teeth for 30 seconds to a minute then rinse and brush with my normal (natural) toothpaste and voila job well done.

Conclusion

Now that I have reached a place (shade- wise) that I am happy with I only use one of my at ⇑ home methods occasionally and usually opt for baking soda and coconut oil while swishing with a peroxide/water mix when I want a little whitening pick me up. I do use coconut oil every day no matter if I whiten or not and I believe this helps to maintain whiteness. Each of these home methods offer great opportunities for healthy, white, brilliant bones of ivory and I’d recommend trialing one or all from the comforts of your own home. Remember that to see results you should endeavor to stick at whatever method you choose, I always like to give myself a month to be sure of if it is suitable for me or not. There you have it friends, I hope one of these methods aids you in having a happy smile! Until next time..

Your Turn

• Let me know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
• Subscribe so you don’t miss out on more natural living posts!
• Hit those share buttons