Before you can review teeth whitener ingredients in any product, you need to be able to find them. Some teeth whitening brands hide their ingredients so they're not easily found on their website or on the product packaging. This can be a red flag, making you wonder what they don't want you to know.
If you are able to find the ingredients, one of the first things to pinpoint is what the product uses as the active ingredient for the whitening process. Every whitening gel needs an active ingredient to be effective, but not all active ingredients make for the best or safest experience.
Good: Hydrogen peroxide tops the list when it comes to active teeth whitener ingredients.
Not only is it safe and effective, but breaks down cleanly into water and oxygen molecules inside your mouth.
Bad: Carbamide peroxide can be effective for whitening, but it breaks down into urea and ammonia in your mouth (ew, right?). Yet companies still use it because it is a more stable form of peroxide so it doesn't require a special, more expensive delivery system to keep it fresh and active.
It does, however, require a much higher concentration than hydrogen peroxide does. Carbamide peroxide requires three times the concentration of the equivalent level of hydrogen peroxide, which can also increase the likelihood of sensitivity.
Ugly: Any number of other so-called"active" ingredients may show up in teeth whiteners, but they may not actually be proven to be safe or effective. Do your research before you commit to a purchase!