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Colgate Smiles Children's Toothpaste
by Chippytarka
It wasnt that long ago I was only having to brush the teeth of my 2 year old son, now fastforward 2 years, I now have the daily ritual of brushing two lots of tiny teeth morning and night. When it comes to toothbrushes and toothpast I have flipped mainly between Aquafresh, Wisdom and Colgate. The last toothpaste I bought for the kids was ... a Tesco own branded kids toothpaste ( bought because of the price, and the well known brands were a third more at the time! ) That one is finished now, so Colgate 0-3 years toothpaste has been purchased from my local chemist for the earth shattering amount of £1.00!
For me its important that my children get into good oral care when young, as the whole idea of cleaning your teeth is obviously for that reason, but to keep them strong and healthy from when young and hopefully for many years to come.
Why Colgate?
Its one of the leading brands in regards to oral care, whether that is toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash etc for all ages, ranging from children to adults. They have a huge variety of different products that will suit everyone, they are readily available and the majority of the time can be purchased at a decent price as I tend to find them either on offer at the supermarket alot, or cheap all round in discount stores such as B & M, Home Bargains.
They are trusted because we all have used them at some point over the years. They continously introduce new products and make something mundane slightly more interesting and fun but more importantly their products work, more specifically this one!
How is this product packaged?
I love the sense of fun with how this is packaged, and they realise it has to appeal to children more so than the adults. The toothpaste itself is boxed in a tall and thin cardboard box. Maninly red in colour, but with an adorable cartoon cat on the front and side. Clearly states the age range for use on this product ( 0-3 ). On one side it says how to use, along with ingredients, information and states you have 12 months to use when opened.On the other side it gives a brief view of what this product does.
The toothpaste itself comes in a 50ml plastic tube with a screw top lid that when the end is flipped up, toothpaste can be squeezed out. The design, information, colouring etc echos on the tube what you see on the box, but obviously alittle more condensed.
Ingredients
Sorbitol, Aqua, Hydrated Silica, PEG 12, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cellulose Gum, Aroma, Sodium Saccharin, Polythylene, Sodium Fluoride 0.22% w/w ( 1000ppmF ), Mica, Glycerin, Limonene, CI 42090, CI 77891.
How to use
Children aged 0-1 toothbrush smeared with thin layer of toothpaste and teeth brushed with this once a day.
Children aged 1-3 pea sized amount on toothbrush and teeth brushed twice a day.
Parents supervise with the brushing, any excess toothpaste to be spat out.
So what do I think of this product?
Firstly, this toothpaste cleans really well on my childrens teeth.Its very mild in flavour so they dont find it overwhelming or very strong. They find the fact its light blue in colour abit of fun. I would say the texture is very gel like, so you dont feel you need to brush hard to work it into the teeth and it stays put on the toothbrush itself very well despite its consistency.
Would I buy again? Yes. Fun packaging the kids love, cleans the teeth well, easy to use, mild in taste and cheap.Cant ask for anything morex
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Colgate Extra Clean
by Chippytarka
As much as I want to be one of those people who have an electric toothbrush, and my teeth probably could do with it, I am very old school and behind the times as I still use a manual toothbrush. This particular toothbrush was bought from my local Home Bargains store for just short of £1.00, and it was a pack of three. I bought it in this ... format because it was cost effective and very cheap considering you got 3 altogether, plus it made it very handy to have some spare ones if and when needed. All 3 are medium firmness.
How is this product packaged?
It comes in a packet that has a plastic cover over the front of the toothbrushes and has a cardboard backing. The plastic on the front is see through so you can see the brushes and also the cardboard which from the front is red and blue, picture of a toothbrush cleaning some teeth in the left hand corner and the words extra clean down the side. On the front also is a sticker with the Colgate logo on it and stating to change your brush for better oral health.
On the back of the packaging, in various languages, it tells you what the toothbrush is supposed to do and contact details for Colgate.
What does the toothbrush look like?
The three in this set were all essentially the same, except certain areas were a different colour ( some of the brush brittles, down the back of the handle of the brush, around the bottom of the handle and around the middle. The colours on the toothbrushes are orange, green and blue but the rest of the toothbrush is white).
The handle is long and thin. It had rubberised sections on it, more around the areas that you are going to grip onto. This make holding the toothbrush comfortable and easy.Again, the shape of the toothbrush overall is designed so that fingers and thunbs can nustle into it, and lets face it, you will be brushing your teeth at least twice a day for up to two minutes at a time, it needs to not feel a chore and uncomfortable.
The actual brush itself is not completely flat.Some bristles are straight and flat, some are at an angle, some at different heights.This ensures the brush can get to and clean effectively all of your teeth regardless of position and size.
So what do I think of this product?
I think Colgate toothbrushes are priced very well, in fact, very cheapily which is great considering you do need to change your toothbrush regularly not only for hygene purposes but to ensure the toothbrush is still doing its job as after awhile there will be the usual wear and tear. Thats why I was pleased to buy this in a pack of 3, as I wont need to think about buying a new one for at least the next 6 months.
I cant say I get excited by how a toothbrush looks but they are attractive enough. They are comfortable and easy to use and gentle enough on my teeth not to damage them, but tough enough to remove dirt and food well.
Overall a good toothbrush which I have been buying and using for years. Because they are so readily available and come in various versions I dont need to worry about if I can repeat purchase, and the price itself is an added bonus.
It would have been nice though on the packaging to say how often you should change your toothbrush, but it didnt.
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Tom's of Maine Strawberry Toothpaste
by spiritwood
I first came across Tom's of Maine as a teen when I fell in love with their amazing cinnamon toothpaste that could be found in my local health shop. As I became more interested in animal rights and welfare I rejected the Macleans and Aquafresh type products for something not tested on animals and not so full of the horrible chemicals ... that are found in mainstream toothpastes. When I had my daughter I tried very hard to limit her intake of chemical junk and finding a half decent toothpaste was important to me.
So already familiar with the brand and having tried most of their range of "grown up" toothpastes, I decided that we would give this a go after my daughter declared the mint one as "disgusting".
Toms of Maine silly strawberry toothpaste is flavoured with fruit juices and contains no artificial sweeteners. It is a user friendly tube that my 4 year old can access easily to load her toothbrush up. The texture is a bit runny and a lot can end up on the floor if you are not careful, especially if you use an electric toothbrush like we do and turn the thing on too soon. The flavour is recognisably strawberry and is not too sweet. It does contain fluoride which in itself is controversial. The toothpaste is not tested on animals at all and contains no animal ingredients which is great for veggies and vegans.
I have not had much trouble in getting my daughter to brush her teeth and this has been very important as her teeth could be vunerable due to me taking antibiotics a lot during pregnancy and feeding her. We used an array of silly and colourful toothbrushes when she was tiny and then moved on to an electric Oral B now she is bigger. This encourages her to brush her teeth even more, especially when combined with this toothpaste which is very pleasant to smell and taste.
It does foam up but not nearly as much as mainstream toothpastes. It is easy to rinse out and not too much of a problem if a little bit gets swallowed. It also comes up from the bathroom rug and walls easily....
Tom's test their products on humans which is an ethical stance that I am more than happy to support. Their staff also commit to voluntary work and eco projects which is great.
Tom's silly strawberry is the only natural children's toothpaste to achieve the ADA seal of approval.
INGREDIENTS:
Sodium monofluorophosphate 0.76% (0.13% w/v fluoride ion) for decay prevention, from Fluorspar (calcium fluoride)
Glycerin from vegetable oils
Water
Calcium carbonate - Mild abrasive
Hydrated silica - Stain removal
Fragaria vesca (strawberry) juice and other natural flavours
Carrageenan - Thickener (from seaweed)
Sodium lauryl sulfate -Dispersant - Derived from coconut and/or palm kernel oil
Not Tested on Animals, Vegetarian
Toms of Maine make a range of personal care products including deodorants, soaps and mouthwash.
THE BAD STUFF:
Unfortunately in 2006, Tom's of Maine was part- purchased by Colgate-palmolive who now control 84% of the company. Colgate-palmolive owning an ethical little company like Tom's is on a level with L'Oreal owning the Body Shop. Very disappointing. However unlike the Body shop who have sold out on many of Anita Roddick's aims, Tom's have managed to hang on tight to the very philosophy which made them a success and Colgate has had to adhere to terms which stated that the policies and ethos of Tom's was not tampered with as a condition of purchase. I hope that this always remains to be the case.
SUMMARY:
I recommend the toothpaste but have only given it 4 stars due to the involvement of Colgate. However it is a great product for kids who are reluctant to brush their teeth or who hate mint flavouring like mine.
Tom's is harder to find than regular toothpastes and does cost more. Waitrose stock it as do a lot of health stores and of course it is also available online. 85ml of this costs anything from £2.40 upwards. Bulk buy deals are often available on Amazon.
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