Pin Busting: Denture Tablets for Yellow Nails

It's time for more pin busting! This one isn't aimed at any pin in particular, just the plethora of pins recommending you soak your nails in ____ to get naturally white and pristine nails. For the polish addicted, this is a very attractive pin. On occasion, it is nice to go nude...but the overly yellow/brown/green tips often make it awkward and embarrassing. So lets get started!

don't judge me. they were on sale!

I started out by removing my polish and washing my hands. Nothing fancy here. This is what my natural nails look like. It really isn't all that bad, but I think we can all see why I wear polish in public.

I mixed up my toothpaste-scented concoction according to the directions...more or less. There is a warning on the package about skin irritation, and as someone with sensitive skin this did give me pause. I decided to kinda-throw caution to the wind and just added an extra ounce or so of water. Did I mention the toothpaste smell? Because it smelled like toothpaste. A lot.

I waited five minutes, with my hand partially submerged in the toothpaste-water. I felt a slight tingle, so I kept a close watch. I didn't want to scrub or anything for this first test, since most of the pins I've seen say just to soak 'em. After five minutes I washed my hands and gave my nails a good brushing just to make sure I removed any residue. (I definitely didn't want to scratch my eye with minty fingers!) I then applied a little cuticle balm, and snapped a picture. 

apologies for the lighting. I was slightly closer to the
source this time around.

Can you see a difference? Honestly, I could...but only slightly. Let's look at them side-by-side:

Other than the lighting differences, it isn't a huge difference. My nails are slightly brighter, and in person I did notice a temporary difference...but it seemed that it was only "nail deep" so to speak, because my nails looked totally normal after my shower.

So does it work?

It works, but no better than anything else I've tried. When I go for whitening, I generally soak my nails in hydrogen peroxide + baking soda mixture, then brush the settled baking soda sludge all over my nails with a toddler toothbrush (again with the judging! I recycle!). It works well enough, plus it is cheap and cheerful. Plus it doesn't run the risk of skin irritation or make me smell like a dentist.

If anyone wants to buy a partially used box of grocery store brand denture tablets...you know where to find me.