Don't Be Fooled by the Name (Colgate Plax Whitening Mouthwash)

Member Name: kitschkitty

Product:	Colgate Plax Whitening Mouthwash
Date:	05/11/08 (396 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not sure of any.

Disadvantages: Tastes funny, doesn't leave teeth feeling particularly clean, doesn't whiten.

Despite my addiction to strong black coffee and nicotine, I'm fortunate enough to have rather white teeth. I have noticed they aren't quite the pearly whites I had when I was younger though and so I always find myself picking up various whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes in the hope that it will restore their natural brightness.

I bought Plax whitening mouthwash in Boots. I'm a sucker for an offer and since there was a BOGOF offer on all Colgate products, purchasing a large bottle of Plax mouthwash meant I would get my toothpaste for free.

The bottle I purchased is a large 500ml bottle which is sure to last me a while. The front of the bottle boasts that it's a 'stain prevention mouthwash' which will provide you with '12 hour protection against bacteria and placque.' In fact, it doesn't make any explicit promises to whiten teeth at all, instead stating that it will 'maintain the natural whiteness of your teeth.' Sneaky! Despite this cop out of a guarantee, the bottle is bright white and the name Plax Whitening could easily have you fooled into believing that this will whiten your teeth.

Using the mouthwash is simple. Simply swill around the mouth for 30 seconds. It does suggest gargling but I seem to have lost the ability to gargle and ended up gagging instead. The flavour is minty with a slight clinical aftertaste. I do like mint mouthwashes as they tend to make my mouth feel fresh and my breath clean. Unfortunately, this tasted a bit medicated and didn't make my mouth feel particularly cleaned and refreshed.

I've been using my bottle for a few weeks now. It does a job but at £3.49 for a 500ml bottle, I won't be rushing to buy this again when my bottle runs out. As for the whiteness of my teeth, they've not got any whiter. Having read the packaging more closely though it seems it never promised to do that! They haven't lost any of their usual whiteness but I'm not going to praise Plax for that. So Plax Whitening won't be gracing my bathroom cabinet again.

Summary: Don't Be Fooled by the Name