Arm & Hammer Extra Whitening Toothpaste

...of the GG generation? Well, Arm and Hammer toothpastes have also earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, which is not to be sniffed at.

One of the great things about life in Mexico is that you can often find products from the USA at or near their original price, and not at the export price you'll often pay in the UK. This allows me to try things I might not do at home, one recent success being Arm and Hammer toothpaste. For ...
...minty fresh, fluoride ones, so Arm and Hammer was something a bit different.

The packaging was what first attracted me - it was silver and sparkly in a way that immediately made me think of my teeth sparkling in the same way. There was also the nifty shop sign that showed it was on offer, that lured me in, so it went in the basket next to the chocolate and coke and other things not usually associated with healthy, sparkly teeth.
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In a recent interview I read, Leighton Meester (Blair from Gossip Girl) was asked her favourite cosmetic, and replied "toothpaste". It may seem odd to some, but I can identify. After all, no lipstick or gloss in the world can brighten a smile if your teeth are all cacky, while glistening, healthy teeth can sometimes be all the accessory you need. And so, if it's good enough for Queen B, it's good enough for me. Not of the GG generation? Well, Arm and Hammer toothpastes have also earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, which is not to be sniffed at.

One of the great things about life in Mexico is that you can often find products from the USA at or near their original price, and not at the export price you'll often pay in the UK. This allows me to try things I might not do at home, one recent success being Arm and Hammer toothpaste. For over 15 years I religiously used Signal toothpaste twice a day, but since branching out into other brands, I have become a bit of a tooth paste whore, never staying loyal to one product for long. That said, most of my toothpastes have been your traditional minty fresh, fluoride ones, so Arm and Hammer was something a bit different.

The packaging was what first attracted me - it was silver and sparkly in a way that immediately made me think of my teeth sparkling in the same way. There was also the nifty shop sign that showed it was on offer, that lured me in, so it went in the basket next to the chocolate and coke and other things not usually associated with healthy, sparkly teeth.

Getting into the product took some doing, as the cardboard case was shrink-wrapped shut all over, with a sort of plastic. I imagine this was to show the packet was integral and had not been tampered with, which in a country like Mexico is somewhat reassuring, but it did mean I needed scissors to get in, and I would have been annoyed if I'd taken it on holiday with me and hadn't packed a pair. Once inside I was surprised by how small the tube was - 75ml seems disproportionately tiny compared to the usual 100ml. The tube is noticeably shorter, but a little fatter too, and the cap unscrews completely rather than being hinged. Though this means you could lose it if you dropped it down the plug hole, I prefer this design since it stops the top getting filled with dried tooth paste if you're less than careful.

Arm and Hammer is a sort of gel. It is a lot less sticky than my recent Colgate tries, meaning it squeezes out of the tube extremely easily, in fact a little too easily at times: on my first few attempts I used my usual force and far too much shot out all over the sink. After a couple of days my wrist action adjusted and I was able to squirt just the right amount onto my brush, though it then took a couple of days to adjust back to "normal" sticky pastes again when I finished the tube.

What makes Arm and Hammer toothpastes different, is their use of baking soda and peroxide. While that may not sound a fun thing to scrub your teeth with, the 150 years experience and endorsement stamps were enough for me, and I gingerly tried out my new purchase. The first thing you notice is the distinct lack of minty taste, but it's hard to explain what the taste IS like - it's fresh tasting, if that counts as a flavour, but it doesn't have a specific taste you could compare to any food or other product. However what impressed me more was the way it made me foam at the mouth, like an attractive rabid dog. Afterwards, my mouth felt like I'd just had a trip to the dentist - maybe not for a full on scale and polish, but at least for a quick clean. My teeth felt nice and smooth, and my breath seemed oxygen-fresh rather than minty-fresh. It definitely felt different from my usual toothpastes, and was enough to keep me using it.

I really like the taste of this one, since it is fresh rather than extremely minty: with some toothpastes I have to hang my tongue out of my mouth for a few seconds after brushing to get rid of the taste, but not with this one. Similarly, when I eat quite soon after brushing my teeth with this, it doesn't ruin the flavour of my food. Orange juice especially, tastes horrible if drunk after brushing with usual minty toothpastes, but not with this one. This is an extra bonus for me since this toothpaste has whitening properties, and I tend to find it's the whitening versions of 'normal' brands which taste the worst.

Here comes the science bit - concentrate.

Studies have shown that bacterial growth can be prevented by the use of toothpastes containing sodium bicarbonate and/or hydrogen peroxide, as this one does. Additionally, baking soda has the same cleaning properties on teeth as it does on laundry: the Arm and Hammer people claim it can reduce plaque build up, remove stains caused by coffee, cigarettes etc, clean teeth gently and effectively and leave you with a clean, fresh taste and feel. The foaming produced when you add water and start to brush allows the toothpaste to get into all the little nooks and crannies of your teeth, leading to a deeper clean.

The pack also comes with the rather ambitious claim that with twice daily brushing, you teeth can be up to 3 shades whiter in just 4 weeks. Obviously the words "up to" are important here, and since the tube doesn't come with a tooth whiteness chart, it's hard to confirm whether my teeth are indeed "shades" whiter, but they certainly do seem a bit more sparkly, and my eyes are naturally drawn to my mouth when I check myself in the mirror before going out. Not being a coffee or red wine drinker, or a smoker, my teeth were not noticibaly stained to begin with, so I cannot comment on that particular claim. The A and H website also adds the disclaimer "Results may vary. The actual degree or change will vary depending on your natural tooth colour and amount of staining. "

As long as it continues to be on offer, I will continue to use this toothpaste, since I like the taste so much, and it does make my teeth and mouth feel clean. It reminds me of a book I read when I was younger about a girl who used to play with the toothpaste, and "decorate" the bathroom with it until her mother because so annoyed she decided to ice a cake with the stuff to teach her a lesson. The only problem is, if a cake was iced with Arm and Hammer I would probably still eat it, since the taste is quite nice. For this reason, unless I'm a freak with unnatural taste buds, you would have to supervise children while brushing so they don't swallow the whole tube.

Boots.com sell it for £2.44 for a 75ml tube. This is quite expensive - the same website sells fancy new Colgate Oxygen for £1, for a 100ml tube. However, I seem to recall, Arm and Hammer used to cost quite a bit more, and now it seems reasonable in comparison, if not the cheapest tube on the market. It is also often on special offer, or sold in pound shops, and as long as the tube's box is well sealed with the plastic wrap, I would have no issues with buying from this kind of place.

www.armandhammer.co.uk/

 

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