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.
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.
For the review, I decided to test the Snow Diamond Teeth Whitening Kit ($99 $69) to see how it stood up against my old classic Crest 3D Whitestrips ($33.11). Snow comes with 25 treatments (to Crest’s 16 treatments) and recommends using the system for 9-30 minutes a day for 21 days. 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 (granted, with just a bit more time and patience).
It was hard to tell how well Snow was working as I was doing the treatments, but when I looked at the before and after pictures I took after 21 days 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 serum provides results that can last up to a full year, thanks to its professional-grade whitening that targets deep stains and discoloration. Since I’m all about longevity, I’m gonna give this category 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 30-minute sessions had my chompers feeling stronger than ever. And I’m not crazy: Snow’s proprietary serum formula uses Nano-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: Crest
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 the Snow Diamond Teeth Whitening Kit costs $99 for 25 treatments, $3.96 a treatment.
It’s worth mentioning that the Snow kit is on sale for 30% off right now… bringing the cost down to $69 and $2.76 a treatment—which is much closer to the Crest price. Either way, Crest does get the nod on price here.
For me personally, I’m down to pay a little bit extra to ensure that I’m getting whitening that 1. Lasts and 2. Keeps my dentist off my case by building my enamel, rather than harming it.
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 kit has been an absolute breeze to use. All I have to do is paint a bit of the serum on my teeth after brushing, fire up the LED mouthpiece by plugging it into my phone, and sit back and chill while it does its thing. They say anywhere from 9-30 minutes, and I was generally going for about 25 to get the most out of it.
It’s worth mentioning that Snow also offers a wireless version of the Diamond Whitening Kit. I kinda like having it plug into my phone (because I’m scrolling through TikTok anyway), but I have to admit the wireless looks pretty sleek. Either way, 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. Interestingly, I just saw on TikTok that Snow made their own dissolvable whitening strips that keep selling out. I might have to get my hands on some of those…
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...)