I Learned Crest Whitestrips Were Banned In Europe, and My Anxiety Skyrocketed.
I’d been obsessively using Crest for years. Call me superficial all you want, but I just can’t resist a near-instant hack for glowing up my pearly whites. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw my beloved Whitestrips were banned in Europe for having 140x the bleaching agent limit the European Commission sets for human health. I mean, I couldn’t keep using these things?
Around that time, I also started seeing a non-stop stream of content for Snow Teeth Whitening on my Instagram and TikTok feeds—everyone from Floyd Mayweather to Kim Kardashian was raving about how Snow can do the same job as Crest while strengthening your enamel instead of destroying it. A quick Google search revealed Snow has over 1 million customers, thousands of five-star reviews, and even an 87% clinical rating from Dental Advisor.
Editor’s Note (12/5): Snow is currently running 15% off sitewide sale
After seeing this study that suggests the high concentration of hydrogen peroxide in traditional whitening strips can structurally damage teeth and gums, I was very interested in the idea of an enamel-safe whitening solution. When I saw that a ton of reviews claimed Snow was even better at the whitening itself, I was dying to try it out. So that’s what I did. Here’s how it stacked up to my (formerly) trusty Whitestrips.
First, a Quick Background on the Newcomer, Snow
Even though Snow is a newer brand (launched in 2017), I’m still going to assume you live under a rock if you haven’t heard of them. After going wildly viral on TikTok, Snow was catapulted into $100M+ in sales in just 3 years. Now they’re collecting praise from some of the world’s biggest celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather, and racking up features in publications like GQ, Elle, Forbes, Vogue, and more… but the telling thing for me is seeing how many normal, everyday people are going on TikTok to rave about how well Snow works.
TikTok won’t stop raving about Snow’s DiamondSeries® Dissolving Teeth Whitening Strips (so much so that they’re always sold out)… but I was finally able to get my hands on some to see how they stood up against my old classic Crest 3D Whitestrips. Snow comes with 21 treatments in each box (to Crest’s 16 treatments) and the process is essentially the same, except for the magical fact that Snow’s strips dissolve in your mouth for a mess-free, slobber-free experience. Here’s what I learned:
Effectiveness: Snow
I already knew that the Crest Whitestrips were effective, but I was sort of stunned to see that Snow’s results were actually a little better than Crest’s.
When I looked at the before and after pictures I took after 21 days with Snow, I was genuinely impressed. With the included shading guide, it looks like I went from a 4 to about a 2 or so:
The best part is that Snow’s strips protect and fortify your teeth as they’re whitening them, thanks to the addition of the enamel-repairing Hydroxyapatite. A strip that targets deep stains and discoloration and doesn’t destroy my teeth means longevity, and I’m all about that. This category easily goes to Snow.
Sensitivity: Snow (by a Mile)
I used to send Snapchats to my friends with the Whitestrips on, saying “beauty is pain.” Almost everyone understood: saying those things caused “sensitivity” is a gross understatement.
With Snow, on the other hand, I hardly felt a thing. Even a few 15-minute sessions with Snow’s strips had my chompers feeling stronger than ever. And I’m not crazy: Snow’s proprietary formula uses P3 Technology® and Hydroxyapatite, a non-toxic fluoride alternative that remineralizes your teeth and keeps them strong and cavity-free. While Crest seems to slowly eat away at your enamel, Snow makes sure your teeth are both dazzlingly white and protected.
My dentist used to chide me at check-ups for “indulging in the Whitestrips again.” The real test will be if she notices I’m using Snow. I’ll keep you updated. Either way, Snow blows Crest out of the water in this category.
Price: Snow
The Crest 3D Whitestrips I normally get cost $33.11 on Amazon and come with 16 treatments, bringing the cost to about $2.07 a treatment, while a 6-pack of Snow’s DiamondSeries® Dissolving Teeth Whitening Strips costs $179. With 21 treatments in each box, that brings the cost of one box to $29.83 or $1.42 a treatment.
Of course, I’m factoring in the discount you get for buying the 6-pack bundle from Snow. But you can get a steal of a deal on a 6-pack for only $179—teeth whitening is a maintenance plan after all. Plus, with these things always selling out, I’m gonna stock up when I can.
Add in the fact that Snow’s strips keep my dentist off my case by building my enamel instead of destroying it, and I’m saving WAY more with Snow. At the end of the day, Snow is by far the greater value in terms of price.
Comfort + Experience: Snow
One thing that I always couldn’t stand about the Crest Whitestrips was how I had to whip out my elementary school arts and crafts skills just to get them to stay on my teeth. The strips come extra wide so you can wrap the excess over the back of your teeth, but I always found this just made it more difficult to get them to stay.
The Snow strips have been an absolute breeze to use. It seems like they just fit snug on my teeth right from the jump, and I don’t have to worry about the endless build-up of slobber and spit beneath them (a nuisance that I haven’t been able to avoid with Crest), since Snow’s strips just dissolve in my mouth when they’re done working.
Plus, while Crest’s strips taste like I’m performing a science experiment in my mouth, Snow’s strips come in this lovely lavender and mint flavor. For once, teeth whitening strips are actually a pleasure to use. Snow gets the nod on comfort and experience, too.
From Here on Out, I Know Where I’m Going For Teeth Whitening.
I think I understand why Snow is the #1 ranked brand on TrustPilot now. There’s clearly a reason millions of people are flocking to the Snow hype and staying there: Snow works, and it works safely.
While it comes down to personal preference, and while Crest 3D Whitestrips might still be the choice you opt for (just not you, Europeans), I’m definitely sticking to my switch to Snow. The way things are going, I might have to try some of Snow’s other products, too…
It’s worth mentioning Snow offers free shipping on orders $125+ and a 60-day money-back guarantee, so it’s worth trying out if you’re on the fence. And, of course, Snow’s formulas are vegan, BPA & Paraben-free, gluten & sugar-free, and alcohol-free.
Teeth White as Snow
With Snow, you can whiten with virtually zero sensitivity (something I can't say for the other guys...)