I have been using Listerine Stay White mouthwash on and off recently and have found it to be something I really like. I do like to use a mouth wash after cleaning my teeth, unless I am using a 2 in 1 product like TheraMed Whitening which is a fab product to take away on your holidays. Listerine comes in many varieties and the one I have been using is the Whitening variety.

I only bought the mouth wash as they were on a 3 4 2 offer in Boots and the brand I went in for would have worked out as more expensive. So at £2.44 per 250ml bottle and then 3 4 2, it worked out as just under £1.63 each. I feel that £1.66 per bottle is very good for such a well known mouth wash brand!

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Each bottle is a clear plastic one with a black twist and pinch style lid. I find these types of lids a bit hard to use as you need to put quite bit of pressure on the lid to get it to twist. So would have liked an easier system.

Its even harder on products that also have a plastic seal joined to the lid. Luckily the Listerine doesn't have that type of seal, it has a thin plastic film seal instead that you can peel off or cut through with scissors which is what I tend to do. The label on my bottle says it called Listerine Stay White and its written in black on a grey and bright blue label to match the lighter blue mouth wash.

The product is really strong when you use it and does sting the gums quite a lot. It even seems to numb my tongue if I gargle with it for too long, which at first I didn't like at all. I am getting used to that now and don't mind it so much.

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The reason for the stinging is due to the fact that the mouthwash contains alcohol. So this may make it unsuitable for some people to use and its 100% not a good idea for younger children. Although children over 12 can safely use it if they don't mind the stinging sensation.

I love anything and everything minty and in my quest for minty freshness I have used many mouth wash and toothpaste products. I really like this mouthwash a lot. I am glad I tried it and will certainly buy it again when my last bottle runs out.

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Its good at leaving your mouth and teeth nice and fresh, it doesn't leave any nasty residue behind and even has a brief whitening effect on your teeth. Yes it seems to whiten! I think that it may have some form of voodoo stylee chemical stuff in it, thats probably really bad for you, but might be just fine too! I don't know for sure if there is anything in the mouthwash that makes it work and if there is, what is does or how it does it. But I do know that after rinsing with this it really leaves your teeth an enhanced whiter brighter shade for a short while afterwards.

I am going to give this a 5 star rating due to the fact that I have noticed a difference in whiteness each time I have used it. This does go, but you only have to rinse again for it to come back for a while.

I have found that if I brush my teeth with the mouthwash instead of gargling loads of it, the stinging is less pronounced and the whitening results are enhanced a little. This means the mouthwash will last a little longer too.

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I have updated this to show the list of ingredients for anyone who can fathom them. Just in case it helps anyone to work out whether the mouthwash really does contain anything extra special, or whether my tongue in cheek comment about possible 'voodoo stylee chemical stuff' being what made the product give me a short lived little extra whiteness, has any real basis in fact. At the time I was trying to get across how good the product has been for me to use, no more no less.

List as follows:

(PR-005020) aqua
alcohol
sorbitol
propyl alcohol
poloxamer 407
benzoic acid
eucalyptol
zinc chloride
methal salicylate
thymol
sodium benzoate
menthol
sucralose
aroma
sodium saccharin
cl 42090

None of this means anything to me so I didn't list anything initially.

If any keen nosed bio chemist reading this can tell us what the whitening ingredients are it may be helpful. Otherwise I shall stick with my original thoughts about a possible mysterious voodoo stylee something that has worked well for me rather than mull over the fact that it may be a clever placebo effect that I have fallen for.