Activated charcoal was rough for me too—felt like I was brushing my teeth with beach sand, honestly. Whitening strips weren't as bad, but they made my teeth super sensitive afterward, so I get the hesitation. Baking soda toothpaste has worked decently for me in a pinch, but recently I've started swishing coconut oil for a few minutes before brushing. Sounds weird, I know, but it seems to brighten things up without any gritty drama or drool disasters...might be worth trying sometime.
Tried the coconut oil thing once and almost gagged—felt like I was swishing melted chapstick, haha. Maybe I did it wrong? Does the type of coconut oil matter, like refined vs unrefined or whatever?
Haha, melted chapstick is exactly what it felt like for me too...you're not alone. I tried refined coconut oil first and just couldn't handle it. Switched to unrefined (virgin) coconut oil, and weirdly enough, it was a bit better—less waxy and tasted more coconutty. Still took some getting used to, though. My trick is to start with a tiny amount first and gradually add more as you get comfortable. Good luck!
Totally agree about starting small and working your way up—makes it way less intimidating. Another thing that helped me was warming the coconut oil slightly first, so it's smoother and less chunky. Did you notice any difference in whitening after switching to unrefined?
I've been trying the coconut oil thing too, and warming it up definitely made it easier for me—less of that weird chunky texture. Honestly, I switched to unrefined a couple weeks ago, and while I haven't noticed a huge difference in whitening yet, my mouth does feel fresher somehow? Maybe it's just psychological, haha. I'm still pretty new to this whole natural teeth-whitening thing, so fingers crossed it works out... Glad I'm not the only one easing into it slowly!
