As you’ll know, if you follow me on social media, I received a generous gift from Carbon Coco a while back. I saw a few other local reviews going up on the product, but I wanted to truly put it to the test first. That, plus the fact I’d just reviewed another whitening product.

I am absolutely obsessed with whiter, brighter teeth. I have had my teeth whitened professionally in the chair, and I use whitening toothpaste. I’ve used the Crest whitening strips, and the White Glo ones too. However, I’m constantly on the hunt for a maintenance product that will help my teeth stay as bright and shiny as possible. I do, after all, thoroughly enjoy my tea, coffee, red wine and curry, so it stands to reason that I need something pretty damned magical too. Something that will make my teeth look ALMOST this white:

Image courtesy of https://www.prettygatedental.co.uk

I have also tried regular activated charcoal before, as an instant stain remover on teeth. If your teeth are looking a little dull, and you want to pull out the red lippie, it’s a fab trick! You can buy the powder, or the capsules (just crack one open and use the loose powder inside). Simply sprinkle some on your toothbrush and brush away. You’re left with brighter looking teeth straight away.

So you can imagine my excitement when Carbon Coco sent me their Ultimate Carbon Kit. The kit contains a tub of Activated Charcoal Tooth Polish, a tube of Activated Charcoal Toothpaste and a toothbrush with bamboo bristles. It usually retails for around $89.95 (Australian dollars, as the company is Australian), but always seems to be on sale – currently you can purchase it for $44.95.

So, what’s the deal with the products?

According to the Carbon Coco site, their products are as follows:

Contain medical grade activated charcoal
Are dentist approved
Are not tested on animals
Naturally antibacterial – help kill viruses and bacteria in your mouth, and detox your body
Help to prevent bad breath
Naturally whiten teeth and remove stains
Strengthen teeth and make your gums healthier
Is super finely milled
Protects your enamel
The Carbon Coco products are 100% natural, and remove stains and whiten teeth without the chemicals used in professional processes.
The toothpaste is also fluoride free, and fights cavities, gingivitis, plaque and bad breath, just as well, if not better than your regular toothpaste.

The biggest questions?

Are these safe to use?

Are they as effective as a professional whitening treatment?

I’ll address each of these questions in my thoughts on the product.

So, I put the three products to the test for around a solid month, and I put aside my regular tooth brush, tooth paste and whitening products, and ONLY used these.

I used the tooth brush and toothpaste every single morning.

I used the tooth polish on the tooth brush at night, followed by the toothpaste to clean up and freshen my mouth after the charcoal powder.

My husband had his qualms about this trial of mine – he’s a dental technician by trade, and really dislikes my desperate search for whiter teeth. He warned me – and with good reason – to NOT use the polish every single night.

So…

Is the product safe?

Well, that depends on what you define as safe. It’s all natural, and contains activated coconut shell charcoal, bentonite powder and lemon myrtle. It’s even safe for you to use when pregnant.

However, my husband warned me that the charcoal, while finely-milled, would still be abrasive on my teeth, and could cause sensitivity if used consistently for long periods of time. Using it so often could also irritate my gums he said.

I didn’t believe that until I’d used it solidly for around 2 weeks. My gums felt a little raw, and my teeth definitely felt more sensitive to the heat of my morning cup of tea. I’d been so gentle in my use too, after Hubby’s warnings!

When I went back and read the reviews on the website, I could only see positives. I decided that I’d google the brand and it’s reviews, and hit quite a minefield of negatives. It was overwhelming!

To be very honest, like all good things, I think less is more. I think if you use the product less often, you’ll get some results without the harmful effects. I do still use the polish once a week, just to clean up any stains on my teeth, and really detox my mouth.

And that leads me on to the other question…

Is it as effective as a professional whitening treatment?

No.

I wish it was, but sadly nothing will ever be as effective. Other than perhaps using the Crest whitening strips (you can find some on Biovea HERE if you’re so inclined).

However, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t work at all. My teeth were a bit whiter after the first use of this product, but not as white as I’d want them to be for the price would suggest. I do have to take into consideration though that I have had teeth whitening in the past, and wasn’t working on un-whitened teeth. I have used normal activated charcoal and honestly had an identical result to this though – it merely cleans the surface stains on the teeth. It’s fantastic to use every now and then as a kind of maintenance against stains, but it won’t ever give you that Hollywood smile you’re looking for.

I would say that for someone who likes to wear red lipstick, or drinks a heck of a lot of coffee and/or red wine, something like this implemented into your oral routine once a week or even every 10 days could actually be beneficial, as long as it’s always done gently. You don’t want to irritate your gums or cause sensitivity.

I’ve come to a great routine of using this powder either once a week or once every 10 days, and then once a month or even less frequently I’ll use my more professional whitening gel and mouth trays just to really give that gleam a freshening up. When I say less frequently, I’ll usually only do this before a big event or a wedding. Other than that, the Carbon Coco is a great way of maintaining my teeth and preventing stains from setting in. It’s just super messy!

That being said, do I think it’s worth it for us in South Africa to go through the effort (and cost – thanks Customs!) of importing this product from Australia?

No.

You can buy a tub of activated charcoal powder from the health section of your grocery store, or your local Dischem for under R30 that will work exactly the same way as this. There are also some other, locally available brands in your pharmacies that use activated charcoal that are just as good as the Carbon Coco version.