Gleam teeth whitening strips
- Active ingredients: Phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid
- Time of day to apply: Anytime after brushing
- Duration: 30-minutes for 14 days max
- Sensitivity level: None from ingredients, but adhesion on teeth does cause unpleasant pulling sensation upon removal
- Time frame for noticeable results: Five days
- Why we love it
- Stays put for full 30 minute treatment
- No sensitivity
- Affordable
- Whitening noticeable before 14-day cycle completes
- Take note
- Those with sensitive teeth will need to be delicate when removing the strips
Currently reduced by more than a third, Gleam’s 14-day treatment offers an affordable alternative to professional (and premium) in-chair dentist whitening, which can often set you back in excess of £1,000 . It’s simple to apply and, as someone who’s tested many a whitening strip in their time, has a superior design. Instead of wrestling with a poker-straight strip over the fiddly, curved surface of your lower teeth, Gleam’s bottom strip is arched with a handy tapered section to fold onto the underside of the teeth.
The strips adhere excellently and I was able to go about my day-to-day tasks – be it tidying or working from home – without fearing the strips dislodging. In fact, I’d argue they adhere a little too well, as I experienced a slight discomfort upon removing them. This process does leave a bumpy residue, but it’s tasteless and disappears quickly after a swill with water or mouthwash.
For the first few days of whitening, I saw little to no improvements, but the changes were – as expected – accumulative. By day five, I could certainly see my teeth looking brighter. For context, I’ve tested more than 10 different whitening treatments over the last few months, so I didn’t expect to see a full yellow to icy white transformation. However, as you can see above, there was a definitive shade lift by the end of my 13-day test.
The most noticeable differences were around the parts of my teeth closest to the gums, where other strips perhaps couldn’t reach. In this way, Gleam deserves praise for its full coverage and effectiveness, reaching even as far as the floss-neglected crevices between my teeth.