A woman with a dazzling smile has revealed her bizarre beauty hack to keeping her teeth pearly white - however a dentist has warned the DIY method can be dangerous. Saskia Ward, from Manchester, claims her teeth remain so bright because she brushes her teeth with purple shampoo every night.
By the time she wakes up, her teeth are gleaming, she says. The 24-year-old nail technician shared the tip to her TikTok, and it's since racked up more than 100,000 views from stunned social media users. The video has encouraged others to try the hack for themselves.
Saskia claims that even her dentist was impressed by the whiteness of her gnashers. Yet an expert has warned the technique could "do more harm than good" and has urged people not to take dental advice from social media.
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The beauty-lover told the Mirror that she tried the odd experiment after seeing an advertisement for purple toothpaste and became convinced that it was made of the same stuff as the purple shampoo she used regularly. “I put a tiny bit on my toothbrush and prayed my teeth wouldn't turn purple," she said.
"I went to my dentist for a check-up recently and he gave me nothing but praise for how amazing my teeth looked. I get loads of comments on nights out about how white they are.
"Purple shampoo doesn’t taste great but beauty leads you to do some wild things and I’m up for anything.” Purple shampoo is often used by blondes to tone brassy hair.
It contains crushed violet pigments, which help to neutralise yellow tones. While Saskia has composite veneers on top of her actual teeth, she believes the hack would work for natural teeth as well.
Dr Khaled Kasem, Chief Orthodontist at Impress dental services, argues otherwise and has cautioned others against following Saskia's example. Also speaking with the Mirror, he warned that "shampoo should not be coming anywhere near your mouth", with the beauty tip "pointless" and "dangerous".
"The internet is filled with extreme ways to whiten your teeth at home, with some stating that purple shampoo is the way forward," Dr Kasem said. "The idea behind it is that the violet hue cancels yellow tones found in your teeth, creating an instant but temporary whitening effect. It should come as no surprise when we say shampoo should not be coming anywhere near your mouth.
"Not only can ingesting shampoo have serious implications for your health, but it also doesn’t have the desired effects so becomes pointless. The ingredients in the shampoo will not remove any deep-set stains that are causing your teeth to yellow in appearance and will do more harm than good."
He continued: "Just like regular health, you shouldn’t take dental advice from anyone on social media that isn’t qualified to provide it. DIY tricks can be dangerous and cause damage to your tooth enamel, something which unfortunately can’t be undone.
"If you’re hoping to achieve a brighter, whiter smile, it’s best to consult a dental professional as not only will it be much more effective, it will also be safer, too." Many viewers of the viral clip agreed with Dr Kasem and expressed concern about Saskia's technique.
One wrote: "Girl, you better be joking. As a hairdresser, I've seen everything now," while another added: "Girl, please do not do this." A third warned: "Seems toxic if you ask me."
However, others were won over and said they were going to try the shampoo trick for themselves. "Is this legit because I will do it," asked one viewer, with a second adding: "Am I tempted to go brush my teeth with Fanola... yes I am." Another said the tip worked for them, writing: "I use purple shampoo on my teeth, works amazing."
