Several articles written recently have focused on the Louise Redknapp and Listerine collaboration: their new lipstick collection for Wild About Beauty. They are apparently designed to enhance your smile and make your teeth appear whiter in appearance, with Louise Redknapp stating that ‘colour with blue undertones or a punch of high impact colour work to cancel out any yellowing, which instantly makes teeth appear whiter’.
What is key here is that these colours make teeth “appear” whiter. Louise is right, contrasting colours change how we see the colours around us – who can forget the white and gold – no, wait, black and blue! – kerfuffle that was The Dress? However, Louise herself states that ‘a bright, healthy smile begins with proper mouth care’. She suggests a whitening toothpaste and using Listerine’s Advanced White mouthwash to get a gleaming white smile.
However, is this enough? It goes a long way towards achieving the Hollywood smile which so many of us desire and which the lipstick seeks to tap into. However, products are only part of the battle: what’s important is how you use them. A whitening toothpaste will help but to ensure it works, you need to be doing the following: making sure you brush twice a day and for at least two minutes at a time and making sure your brushing technique is one a dentist would be happy with – one that really works on removing all food debris from your mouth. Using floss as an additional part of your oral hygiene routine will also ensure that this is the case and protect your mouth from tooth decay. You could also use Interdental brushes and, yes, use a mouthwash. Being thorough and regular in your approach to cleaning your teeth will lay the foundation for that Hollywood smile – the lipstick may help the outer appearance but it cannot help the health of your teeth and it is that which will truly impact on whether or not your smile will be a source of pride to you.