You’ve seen this ingredient in almost any whitening product. Whether you’re looking for shampoo, soap, or beauty masks, you’ll find one that has activated charcoal. But what is this component, and how come it’s now widely used as an active ingredient?
Don’t be fooled. This ingredient is not your local, all-around coal that’s burned in the grill. Activated charcoal is a mixture of different components that are rich in carbon. These can vary from wood, peat, coconut shells, and more. These materials are then oxidized by exposing them to very high temperatures. Finally, certain chemicals are added to “activate” the carbon in the charcoal. The result is activated charcoal.
Although it’s possible to create your own at home, the process is time-consuming. Additionally, the necessary resources are not always available. It’s still much better to purchase from your local drugstore or beauty supply store.
This ingredient can be added to topical beauty products, including toothpaste. People use beauty products with activated charcoal because of its brightening and whitening properties. Once the making and activating of charcoal is complete, it becomes a porous and fine abrasive powder that can brush off the dirt and stains on any surface.
The short answer is: yes.
Because of its ingredients and with no harmful chemicals involved while processing it, activated charcoal is safe to use both on and in the human body. In urgent situations, activated charcoal can be mixed with water for consumption. This ingredient can remove toxins and poisons, which is why you see activated charcoal in water filters.
But it doesn’t come without a few precautions.
Activated charcoal is powdered and very fine in texture, but it is still abrasive. Beauty experts and general health practitioners advise that you be careful with getting carried away with brushing your teeth. While it does whiten your teeth over time, this is done by scraping off the external surface of the tooth.
If you keep brushing your teeth with activated charcoal, you might risk exposing the deeper layers of your teeth. This could cause you to have yellower teeth because those layers are naturally yellow.
But it doesn’t mean that you should avoid using products with this active ingredient altogether. It just means that you need to be cautious with your usage.
So, what’s the best way to whiten your teeth using this ingredient?
The best way to do it is to let your dentist know. Your dentist will know which products to avoid and how to properly regulate products to prevent long-term damage to your teeth.
Your dentist can also suggest additional methods so you can still continue whitening your teeth without causing them to deteriorate. If there’s anyone who’s the most capable of advising anything regarding your teeth, it’s your dentist. So, ask away any questions you have regarding activated charcoal, its benefits, and disadvantages to make you fully informed and aware.
Are you one of those people who brush their teeth like they’re scrubbing their bathroom tiles? Now is the time to break that habit. When you put heavy pressure on your teeth from the brushing, it’ll do more damage than good. This is because you’re slowly scrubbing off the protective layer of your teeth.
Dentists actually advise that you brush your teeth like your brushing an empty eggshell. Gentle motions are all you need to do because the toothpaste’s active ingredients will do all the cleaning work for you. It’s also best to use a toothbrush with soft bristles.
There are other dental care products with activated charcoal, which you can use, and they work just as effectively. One way is by brushing your teeth with regular toothpaste and use mouthwash with charcoal. This will lessen the force of the ingredient grinding your teeth, making the treatment still as effective but less invasive.
You can also try a different teeth whitening product that doesn’t include activated charcoal. This can reduce the possibility of damaging the surface of your teeth by using non-abrasive kits.
Another oral care product that’s been on the rave as of late is charcoal floss. As you should already know, flossing your teeth is equally important as brushing them. Your toothbrush can reach the entire surface area of your mouth, but it can’t get to those tight spaces in between. That’s where flossing comes in.
Those hard-to-reach spaces in between your teeth are also prone to cavities and, of course, yellowing. Keeping those tight spots clean is a must to prevent further damage from spreading to the rest of the tooth.
And while regular dental floss can remove small particles of food and plaque, it can’t do anything to help whiten your teeth. Adding activated charcoal into the floss can aid in the whitening process. Not to mention that it’s less intrusive for your teeth’s protective layers as you only need to floss at least once a day.
Now that you know the different oral care products with activated charcoal, you can plan a safe and effective routine for your oral hygiene. You can work with your dentist to figure out which ones to use and when, so you can gain the results you want without compromising your oral health.
You can also plan on your own, making sure that you’re switching in between regular and charcoal products to prevent the side effects. Even though it does take some work, the affordability and simplicity of this regimen still makes it a popular choice for many.
If you want to know more about charcoal dental floss and are excited to try it, visit this link. The White Republic introduces a new, safe, and natural dental floss for your teeth powered with activated charcoal. This will help you greatly in terms of your teeth whitening journey.
