Bling! Golden Toothy Tabs

To look at, these toothy tabs seem like a nightmare for someone such as myself who values cleanliness so much. The very idea of using something so glittery and so obviously messy to cleanse and improve my dental health, seems like a bit of an oxymoron if there ever was one. For a split second, I thought that Lush had gone a little too far in their glitter obsession. 

However, when I began using Bling! Golden Toothy Tabs, I quickly discovered that they were disappointingly 'un-messy' and actually very effective at cleaning my teeth and maintaining my oral health. Described as having 'enzymatic papain for a bling, Brazilian orange oil for a zing and frankincense for a taste of luxury', this flavour of toothy tab is a strange but rather loveable offering from Lush.

Containing the latter two oils gives these tabs a strange but rather wonderful fruity aroma - one that has a second layer of fragrance that sets it apart from the usual humdrum of orange smells. Unfortunately, while you can detect the orange oil quite strongly in the tub, the other ingredients add a sort of chlorine element to them which I didn't really appreciate at first.

If like me you find that this scent deters you from trying them, I would ask you to persist, as I found that once they were being utilised, they were much tastier and more enjoyable, and certainly not as potent as they are in the bottle. 

To use them you simply pop a tab into your mouth, crunch down using your front teeth, wet your toothbrush and begin to brush your teeth as normal. The powdery mixture reacts with the water and the cream of tartar creates a foam that freshens your mouth and cleans away any stubborn pieces of food that may be lingering around. Unlike some of Lush's other tabs I have tried, this one seemed to disintegrate very easily between my teeth and I didn't discover any stubborn pieces when I rinsed my mouth out afterwards.

These particular tabs feature a number of ingredients that I was unsure about and had to research before trying them out for myself - not only to understand how and why any or all of Lush's toothy tab works, but also to educate others about the benefits they hold in this product; dicalcium phosphate anhydrous is the main ingredient in these toothy tabs and is a component used to help supplement the body's calcium intake, not to mention preventing the build up of tartar in the mouth; sorbitol is a natural alternative to sugar, which allows Lush to add flavour to this product without adding anything that'll rot your teeth; Lauroyl Sarcosine not only helps the product to foam up in the mouth, but is also used to remove unwanted bacteria that may cause problems in the future.

Aside from the medical benefits, these tabs also contain both papain and guarana seed powder - two ingredients that I had never come across before using this product. After a little research, I found out that the former ingredient is a powerful digestive enzyme commonly found and extracted from the papaya fruit. When used in this way, the ingredient can not only help to soothe and reduce inflammation, but is also known for being able to help break down unwanted bacteria - therefore keeping your mouth as clean as possible.

In food manufacturing, guarana powder has been used as a flavoring ingredient in both beverages and food. However, it has also been used to enhance athletic performance, as a stimulant - reducing mental and physical fatigue and giving the recipient a little more energy.

Having used Bling! for almost three weeks, I did find that they perked me up a little - especially in the morning when I was really battling the urge to forego work and head back to bed. While these tabs won't leave you with amazingly minty-fresh breath, and this may be something you'll have to get used to, it does leave a pleasant taste on the palette and provides you with teeth clean enough to see you through the day. 

The only issue I found with this product was that my mouth didn't feel as sparkling white as some of the other toothy tabs have done so in the past. However, they were very easy to foam up and did offer me a very pleasant change from the generic mint variations. 

This bottle provides you with enough tabs to see you through a good 1-2 months. Although it works out a little more expensive than the tooth paste varieties you can buy in your local pharmacist, I really love the fact that Lush offer such a strange but equally interesting range of 'flavours' for you to try, and the price is on par with most vegan alternatives that I have been able to find so far. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sorbitol, Flavour, Lauroyl Sarcosine, Kaolin, Brazilian Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Frankincense Oil (Boswellia carterii), Papain Powder, Guarana Seed Powder (Paullinia cupana), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Sodium saccharin, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, flavour, Radiant Gold Lustre (Potassium Aluminium Silicate), Titanium Dioxide, Colour 77491).

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2015.