Pearly whites—everyone wants them. The toothpaste aisle is loaded with options that promise “whiter teeth in just 7 days,” but how does that even work? Can you even achieve brighter, whiter teeth at home? Let’s break down how whitening toothpaste works and the ingredients that can help or hurt.
What Causes Stains?
Before we talk about how whitening toothpaste works, it helps to know what you’re fighting. Tooth stains come in two forms:
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Extrinsic stains: These live on the surface of your teeth and are usually caused by things like coffee, tea, red wine, dark berries, and smoking. This is more likely than not what you’re most concerned about.
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Intrinsic stains: These are inside your tooth enamel and are often caused by aging, trauma, or certain medications.
Whitening toothpastes mostly target extrinsic stains. For intrinsic ones, you’ll likely need something more heavy-duty (like professional whitening treatments).
What’s Inside Whitening Toothpaste?
It can be a cocktail of ingredients like this:
1. Mild exfoliants
Ingredients like hydrated silica or baking soda (both in Cocoshine!) gently polish the enamel to scrub away surface stains from things like coffee, wine, or tea. Think of them as a superfine exfoliant for your teeth. Using too harsh of an exfoliant can wear on your enamel over time, exposing your dentin layer (a.k.a. more yellow, dingy-looking teeth). Oof.
RDA = the exfoliation strength of an ingredient. Thankfully, Cocoshine stays at a low and reasonable 37.
2. Chemical agents
Some toothpastes use low levels of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to chemically lift surface stains. Not as great since these can make your teeth more sensitive over time (that’s why we kept this out of Cocoshine!)
3. Optical brighteners
Ingredients like blue covering don’t remove stains but instead coat the teeth with a blue-ish tint to make them appear whiter temporarily. It’s a bit of an illusion.
4. Detergents
Sulfates like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) are often included to make your brushing experience extra foamy and feel like it’s working to get rid of everything that’s dulling your shine. In our humble opinion? There are ingredients that could do a lot more good—like help soothe your gums or help teeth appear brighter.
Every formula’s different, but the goal is the same: a brighter smile by smoothing, lifting, or subtly brightening the surface of your enamel. But not all whitening is created equal.
Enter: nHA
Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) is a cutting-edge ingredient originally developed by NASA to help astronauts combat mineral loss in zero gravity.
It’s a microscopic form of hydroxyapatite, or in other words a mineral that makes up the majority of your tooth enamel and bones.
It’s great for giving your teeth a mineral-rich clean, reducing sensitivity by sealing exposed dentin (learn more about that here), and even better, it helps whiten by smoothing the surface of the enamel, which makes your teeth reflect light better and appear shinier and brighter. Think of it as building a happier, glossier version of your natural tooth enamel. That’s why it’s one of the star ingredients in Cocoshine whitening toothpaste.
What Should I Use?
If you’re looking for quick, dramatic results, a whitening toothpaste with harsh abrasives and optical brighteners might give you that instant gratification—but it can come at a cost if overused. If you’re in it for the long game (and want healthier, happier teeth while you're at it), a toothpaste with a feel-good formula and nano-hydroxyapatite like Cocoshine is a great option.
Whitening doesn’t have to mean stripping your enamel. It can mean supporting it. Smartly, gently, and with ingredients your mouth already loves.
