REVIEW | COLGATE MAX WHITE CHARCOAL

All of us feel that our teeth could be a little whiter and a little brighter every now and again, am I right? 

Me, I drink a lot of coffee and even though I brush my teeth 3 times a day, I'm not able to avoid having my teeth stained. It doesn't bother me THAT much, but you know, if there's anything simple that I can do to help tone down the yellowness, I'll definitely give it a shot. I am not a huge fan of those treatments you can do at home -- you know, whitening strips or retainers with whitening goo. I prefer to keep my teeth white by brushing daily with a good whitening toothpaste.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING -- Do you know how most whitening toothpaste, how they make your teeth whiter?? It's by scrubbing the surface of your teeth. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, however this information was passed to me by my concerned dentist: most of whitening toothpastes contain some sort of abrasive agent that literally sands the stains of your teeth surface of your teeth.most of the times you can even feel the abrasive agents if you rub the toothpaste between you index and thumb -- it feels like tiny particles of sand! And sanding of the top layer of your teeth -- the enamel -- can damage your teeth. This will make your teeth more pron to sensitivity to hot and cold. And no one wants that. Since my dentist told me this, I have been paying more attention to what tooth paste I buy, because I've always suffered with some light sensitivity and I deferentially don't want to make it any worse. But I do also still want to have whiter, brighter teeth!

The other day, while browsing the toothpaste section of my local supermarket -- as one does -- I found this toothpaste and it instantly piqued my curiosity! I bought it and started to use it right a way.

This is the COLGATE MAX WHITE CHARCOAL. It mentions "Gentle mineral scrubbing" and it says on the tube that it is "Clinically Proven to remove up to 100% of surface stains". Let's pay attention to this claim -- they do mention "surface stains" and do talk about scrubbing. So yeah, this goes right along with what my doctor told me. But hey, at least they are putting things as they are. It's right there on the box! You are going to scrub the surface of you teeth by using this product. They don't say it like this but you know, it's implied. So if you decide that you do want to use this type of toothpastes, you should be careful! Don't use it every day, just two or three times a week, don't apply too much pressure when brushing. And when you are not using this one, use a toothpaste rich in fluoride.  And this applies to pretty much EVERY WHITENING TOOTHPASTE OUT THERE -- including AP24 - the one that is super famous on social media with all the fake pics.

This one in particular has charcoal. And why is the advantage of charcoal? Well, activated charcoal is known for having the ability to bind to toxin, so it might well remove some of them from you teeth. The charcoal gives the tooth paste a jet black color making it look kind of scary for a product you put in your mouth. It tastes minty, just like regular toothpaste. You can feel de charcoal in it, which is in this case the abrasive substance that will scrub you teeth.

Have I been noticing any differences? Well kind of, but nothing very significative. I've been using this for the past two weeks but only when I brush my teeth at night, before bed. Once a day. ( In the morning and after lunch, I use my regular toothpaste). I feel like this will help me prevent new stains while slowly getting rid of old ones. I don't know if this makes any sense, or if it works, but hey -- that's how I roll. I believe that with a more frequent use you would be able to have better results, but the idea of damaging my teeth really scares me.

Have you tried any black whitening toothpaste? How was it? 

Waxing makes your hairs thinner? Myth or Fact?

Summer is officially here! So we all are starting to face the big summer conundrum of how to deal with all this body hair that is just the most annoying thing ever. I mean, evolution should have taken care of these already, am I right?! Jokes aside, there are so many different types of hair removal available today, that can be hard to decide what to go for.

Me personally -- until very recently -- I'v always preferred waxing above any other method. I feel that it lasts longer than shaving, I can go somewhere to get it perfectly done by a professional, and for me it doesn't really hurt that much!

Body hair removal is ultimately your choice, you decide what is best for you. And of course I advise you to go for a more permanent hair removing treatment, like laser or IPL. And even tho these are cheaper that they were a few years ago, they are not yet cheap. So you know what's your second best option? Waxing! Why? Because indeed, waxing makes your hair grow slower and thinner.  That's not a myth my friends. THAT IS A HARD FACT. There is no guarantee for permanent hair, but waxing regularly can drastically change your hair

Let's just think about what waxing does to your hairs and skin. When you wax of your hairs, you are basically ripping the hair from it's root, damaging the hair bulb. The hair bulb is what provides nourishment for newly forming and established hair. By waxing repeatedly, the hair bulbs get more and more damaged and they are not able to give the hairs what they need to grow. This means that the hairs can't grow properly resulting in thinner hairs, that take longer to grow. Some follicles can become so much damaged that hairs may not even grow there again. 

And contrary to popular believe, shaving doesn't make your hairs grow thicker! When you shave, the blade cuts a sharp edge at what is the hairs thickest point of the shaft. This not only make your hair feel ticket but it also appears darker That's why when you pass your hand on you leg a few days after shaving you feel like the little sharp hairs poking out. When you wax, hairs basically grow with a more rounded edge, so when they break the skin t don't have this sharp edge, and they feel softer and thinner. 

And here is another girly advice: if you wax frequently, buy one of these Roll-on Wax Warmers. They are very inexpensive, the wax cartridges usually cost under 1€ and you can use it over and over again. I own one, and let me tell you, it was the best investment I've ever made! I actually prefer having it professional done but it is perfect for in between appointments touch ups. Makes waxing easy and super cheap.

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I'd do the same for you. Thank you! --

-- This post was sponsored by Presença de Luxo produtos para depilação a cera --

10 Snacks To Eat While At Work

Trying to eat healthier is a big challenge today. Why? Because of all the fast-food available around you.

If you usually cook at home, you'll find that main meals are easier to keep healthier. But when that afternoon munchies hit, I would often find my self gravitating towards my office's vending machine and all the sugary snacks it holds. 

To avoid these, I've been trying to discover healthy snacks what can I easily bring with me to work. I want to share with you my top 10 snacks... the ones that I really enjoy eating. I also try not to eat more than 200kcal in snacks during the day!

Turkey Ham. A great snack option! It's low in fat and low in calories but you should always go for the ones without nitrates. Just roll up a couple of slices and eat them with some crackers.

Boiled eggs. One egg contains around 70 kcal and around 6g of protein, which means that it will make you feel pretty full for a while.

Sliced (light) cheese. Like the turkey ham, it's healthy, light ande each slice has on average 80kcal! But be careful with how many slices you have! Two are probably more than enough.

Sweet potato chips. Air fried sweet potato chips are the perfect snack! Full of nutrients and high in fiber!

Avocado. Avocado is a great source of fiber, and will make you fill full for a long time! Sprinkle some paprika on top for some extra flavor.

Celery or carrot sticks and Humus. Hummus is dip made of chickpeas and olive oil and tahini, very light and very fulfilling. It's great to dip crunchy vegetables such as carrots or celery or even cucumbers.

Almonds. 12 almonds have around 180 kcal, making it an awesome snack. Just bring it already portioned to work, or I'll bet you will eat the whole pack in one afternoon.

Yogurt. Yogurts can be high in protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics, which can enhance the gut microbiota. These can offer protection for bones and teeth and help prevent digestive problems.

Queso fresco. Simple cheese, made only from drained curdled milk. Packed with protein and calcium is a simple snack since it is low in calories and fat.

Protein bars. Store bought protein bars. I prefere the ones with chocolate because it tricks my brain into thinking that I am eating a candy bar. But they have less sugar, and they actually make you feel full. My faves are from Prozis -- Protein Snack in the Belgian Chocolate flavor. Not very expensive, and really good.

 

-- I also take CLA as a supplement,but I'll talk about it later --

Do you bring your own snack to work or do you feed of the vending machine?

NEW IN MY CLOSET | MANGO

-- I'm not the biggest fan of shopping during sales season. The stores are crowded, the clothes are all pilled up and I can never find my size. But what I've been doing is: whenever I'm shopping around and I find something that I like but that I feel it's too expensive, I add it to my wishlist on the store's app (Mango's and Zara's even allow you to scan the bar code on the and it will open the product right on the app). When the sales arrive, I look trough my wishlist, I check the new prices, and I buy what I still like and still want!

Oh and I payed of these using a 25€ Mango gift card that I bought for 12€ trough SixthContinent ! --