Teeth whitening is not a new craze by any means so I’m pretty sure most of you have thought about whitening your smile at some point… if you have not done so already. I will admit, I have a bit of an obsession with white teeth and for the last decade have frequently thought about getting my teeth professionally whitened by my dentist, but I am terrified of the chemicals involved. Someone once told me that there are harmful chemicals in over-the-counter solutions like Crest White Strips, so that clearly was a no-go for me. Therefore, I haven’t done anything to achieve the goal of the ultimate pearly whites with the exception of cheating and wearing red lipstick (did you know a red lippy is a way to make your teeth appear whiter?). Although these healthier alternatives may not whiten as well as professional whitening trays, they have been said to get some decent results, and safely may I add.

Banana Peel Method

Bananas contain extremely high amounts of essential minerals like Potassium, Magnesium, and Manganese and combined help to safely remove stains from teeth, which is probably why this was the most popular (and bizarre) searched way to whiten teeth naturally on Pinterest. An added bonus, because this fruit is also packed with Vitamin D, it also helps to strengthen your teeth.

What You’ll Need: The peel of one ripe banana. It is imperative for the banana to be ripe because it will contain the right amount of Potassium needed to effectively brighten teeth.

How To Whiten: Rub the inside of the peel on your upper and lower teeth (one minute on each). Let the peel paste sit on your teeth anywhere from 3-10 minutes, if possible without letting your lips touch your teeth. When finished, simply brush and rinse.

Strawberry Baking Soda Paste

I adore strawberries so when I discovered just noshing on them is a great way to remove plaque and brighten teeth due to their level of Vitamin C and Malic acid, I was thrilled. Until doing my research, I had never heard of Malic but it is the key ingredient here as it acts as a super powerful astringent that removes surface stains. When strawberries are combined with baking soda it becomes a magical whitening solution.

What You’ll Need: 1 Strawberry and 1/2 Tbsp of Baking Soda

How To Whiten: Crush the strawberry then add baking soda. Using a toothbrush, spread the paste onto your teeth and leave it on for up to 5 minutes. Rinse and brush when finished

Activated Charcoal Rinse

The idea of putting something black in your mouth to whiten your teeth sounds a bit counterproductive I know, but there is a reason charcoal is found in Brita water filters. It acts as a magnet which actively sucks out toxins and it works the same way on teeth. When using this rinse on your teeth, it safely removes the tannins, found in most food and drinks and unfortunately cause teeth stains, in addition to toxins.

What You’ll Need: Activated charcoal (it can be purchased at your local health store) and water.

How to Whiten: Combine equal parts charcoal and water. Swish the liquid around in your mouth for 1 minute and then hold in front of your teeth for up to 5 minutes, if possible. Once you’re finished, spit it out, rinse with fresh water and repeat until all the charcoal has been removed.

Orange Peel Scrub

Within the white of an orange peel hides a natural whitening solvent called Limonene and is often found in household cleaning products to help remove stains. My initial thought was that the citric acid found in oranges could damage the tooth enamel but turns out, there isn’t any in that part of the fruit, so you’re totally safe.

What You’ll Need: A few peels from a medium or large sized orange.

How To Whiten: Rub the inside of the peel against your teeth and repeat with a new section of the peel as much as you want. When finished, just rinse your mouth out