Colgate Advanced Whitening Toothpaste

I promise to get off the subject of dental hygiene next week! It just seemed appropriate once I got going. I'll freely admit to a strange minor bias here, I really can't stand non-Colgate toothpastes. As a child I had to have fruity organic ones because the minty ones stung my mouth, now everything just tastes wrong... I have tried so many types, but finally just realised I love Colgate more, it makes me more willing to brush my teeth, and I have met other people out there like me. I'm less a fan of their super basic ones, but I can enjoy many of the "premium" versions.

I do keep coming back to advanced whitening though, and it is the one I currently have, so this is very much my focus. I also have to say, toothpaste in a can sounds like a great idea, it does prevent toothpaste getting all over your luggage, but you really do loose quite a bit of it. Not a money saving technique, and a wasteful one, but otherwise it does have benefits. I'm currently back to tubes, they are just space and money and environmentally economical.

It is worth noting that the active ingredients in most toothpastes are entirely the same, and you can generally buy the most value version you want with no bad effects. There are occasional minor differences, which rarely will actually affect you personally. After that, its mostly about taste. As to whether the whitening works, well, it certainly keeps them from getting worse in colour, which hasn't been true of every toothpaste I've tried. It has at times seemed to make a difference for a period, and at times none, which suggests to me there is a limited benefit if you don't use it all the time - that's nothing like a scientific test, mind!

Buy in bulk and on offer, and even student style budgets can afford it - but you don't have to try if the benefits don't interest you, and they won't interest everyone.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 4
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 4
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 7 (These are actually resilient tubes, good for travel, compared to some)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 9
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 9
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 5 (Cheesy, since it helps me smile! Pun. Intended.)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 2

*Do I think its the best in its field: NO
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Adults, Male, Female, Teenagers

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Colgate 360˚ Toothbrush

We're having a theme here, because my experience with the Tesco value toothbrush was SO bad. I've previously used a couple different types of toothbrushes, but these have been my favourites of late, and I thought they deserved the acknowledgement. Especially as they've finally been brought in to replace the horror.

I will admit to being somewhat more limited in brands than everyone else, because I need to buy extra soft ones, which are less common. This isn't just me being a wuss - this is a very honest recommendation from dentists of mine, as my gums wear away quite easily. It varies from person to person, and things like swollen or bleeding gums are often solved by other means (like mouthwash). Mine are largely healthy, if overdo for the clean I can't quite afford at the moment. So, in a nutshell, these work, they're easy to grip, they're reasonable to look at, and they last at least as long as they are supposed to. Colgate 360˚ is currently getting my two thumbs up!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 4
 Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 6
 Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 6 (Seems to last slightly over the recommended six months, possibly to allow for variable wear and tear with force)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 9 Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 5 (I really like the colours)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 3 (Subjective! But I like colgate, and its not own brand, so not "1")

*Do I think its the best in its field: POSSIBLY
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Adults, Male, Female, Teenagers, 

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.