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Morning cups of coffee, wine with dinner, and berries in the summer — all of these tasty indulgences can leave their mark on your smile. And even if you avoid them all, you still might notice your teeth just aren’t as bright as they once were.
Luckily, at-home teeth whitening kits can address most types of tooth stains. Right now, SNOW is the kit with the most hype. But does it deliver on its promises? Let’s dive into everything you need to know about SNOW Teeth Whitening!
Pros and Cons of SNOW
Is SNOW Convenient to Use?
What Are SNOW Customers Saying?
SNOW Teeth Whitening at a Glance
Ads for SNOW Teeth Whitening have been all over the internet in the past couple of years. They’re pretty eye-catching, showcasing young adults using their LED light while dancing around their homes, primping in front of the mirror, and living their lives. And SNOW’s popularity has skyrocketed.
Josh Snow founded SNOW in 2017 with the goal of delivering professional-level whitening results at home. Since then, they’ve launched a full line of oral cosmetic products, including toothpaste additives, whitening LED toothbrushes, and their claim to fame, the LED teeth whitening kit. In 2021 alone, they served more than 13 million customers.
What makes SNOW so popular? Besides stellar marketing, they offer great products. All their formulas are specifically made for sensitive teeth and pretty much anyone with good oral health can use their cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan products. They avoid harsh chemicals without sacrificing results, and their LED light helps them deliver drastic changes to tooth color in just three days.
All SNOW consumable products are made in FDA-approved manufacturing facilities located in California and Utah. You can purchase their whitening kit and other items through their website, on Amazon, or in person and online at stores like Target, Walgreens, and Best Buy.
Pros & Cons of SNOW Teeth Whitening
Like millions of others, we are big fans of SNOW Teeth Whitening. Not only does it rank among our top LED whitening kits, but it also ranks as one of the best for sensitive teeth, people looking for natural products, and whitening pens. But not everything about SNOW is perfect. Here are the system’s primary pros and cons.
The LED light gets power from your phone, so you don’t need to remember to charge it.
Everything is highly portable and comes with a bag for easy transport.
You get two different types of whitening pens, so you can customize your approach based on the results you want.
The gel is gluten-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and doesn’t cause sensitivity, so most customers can use it.
Sometimes, being tied to your phone can be a problem.
Customers complain about the cord having multiple ports rather than different cords for different devices.
There are a lot of things you might want your teeth whitening kit to be: portable, Kosher, BPA-free. However, there is one feature that pretty much everybody wants in their kit of choice: effectiveness.
SNOW hits the mark here. While the speed and depth of your results can vary based on how you use it, SNOW states that 97% of customers in a consumer study reported having visible results after their very first whitening session, with most stating they saw drastic improvement within three days. 100% of customers saw results within three weeks.
Of course, those are numbers from the company itself. Look at their online reviews and you’ll find that roughly 75% of their Amazon reviews are very positive, with just 6% giving it one star — which is still quite good.
What gives SNOW this level of whitening power? First, their LED light, which helps activate the whitening gel, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the enamel to release stains. Second, unlike most companies that use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, SNOW uses a proprietary blend of both. This allows them to increase the overall peroxide concentration without harming the teeth — though by how much, we can’t say since SNOW does not release information about their peroxide concentration.
How fast you achieve results varies based on how often you use the products. You can whiten your teeth for as few as nine minutes a day or as many as 30. You can just whiten for a few days and stop, take days off between sessions, and whiten your teeth for up to 30 days in a row.
In-office whitening treatments are fast and powerful, but not nearly as popular as at-home whitening kits like SNOW. Why? At-home kits are significantly more affordable.
At $149, SNOW might be one of the more expensive at-home teeth whitening kits on the market, but it’s still less than a third of the cost of in-office treatments, which go for a minimum of $600, and often $1,000 or more.
According to SNOW, you get a minimum of 75 sessions per kit. That means you’ll pay roughly $2 per whitening session. And since the serum is good for two years unopened, you won’t feel pressured to use it too quickly. Just whiten whenever you feel your teeth need it.
SNOW also gives you quite a lot for the price. Your SNOW Teeth Whitening kit will include:
One charging cable with multiple ends for iPhones, Androids, and USB ports
An LED mouthpiece with 24 LED lights
Three regular strength whitening pens
One extra-strength whitening pen
A drawstring bag carrying case
SNOW’s closest competitor in the teeth whitening sphere is GLO Brilliant, which costs $199, or about $13 per session. (However, GLO Brilliant offers something SNOW doesn’t — a heated mouthpiece, which boosts whitening more than LED alone.)
When you look at the whole picture, not just the price tag, SNOW actually offers some of the best value on the teeth whitening market today.
Every teeth whitening kit has its active whitening ingredient, which typically is some type of peroxide — hydrogen or carbamide in most cases. With SNOW, it’s both.
Their proprietary formula mixes both hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide to get the benefits of both and maximize their gel’s whitening power. We love that they’ve taken an innovative approach to their formula. However, we have one complaint: They don’t disclose their percentages.
The percentage of peroxide gives you an understanding of how powerful and how safe it is. Most at-home kits will use around a 6.5% concentration of hydrogen peroxide or a 35% concentration of carbamide peroxide. However, we don’t know the concentrations of the two types of peroxide in SNOW’s formula. Here’s what the company has to say:
“We don’t use percentages, as those can be misleading and used by companies to trick customers. If we were to compare, the regular strength wands have about 9-12% strength and the max strength wands contain about 18-22% strength (both included in every order).”
This statement doesn’t actually give much clarity on the matter. Since they use two types of peroxide, we need two different strengths to contextualize these numbers. Hopefully, SNOW will be open to disclosing their peroxide percentages in the future.
In addition to their peroxide mixture, SNOW uses other ingredients that help with everything from application to flavor. These are:
All of these ingredients are gluten-free, vegan, and cruelty-free. They’re also pretty standard for teeth whitening kits that are designed for sensitive teeth. So, on the whole, SNOW’s ingredients look solid even if they aren’t as transparent as we would like.
Whitening your teeth means adding a new task to your day for at least a few days, or until you get the results you want to achieve. That’s not ideal if you have a pretty tight schedule. However, some kits are more time-intensive than others.
Overall, SNOW Teeth Whitening is very convenient to use. You’ll start by brushing your teeth with a fluoride-free toothpaste (fluoride sticks to the teeth and can prevent the gel from working) and flossing, then drying your teeth and applying the gel.
Instead of gel syringes, SNOW uses whitening pens, which are easier to transport and measure. However, application takes longer since you need to carefully brush the serum onto each tooth, and it can take as many as 30 twists to get the gel to come out. Place the tip of the brush at the top of each tooth and brush downward (brushing upward gets the gel on the gums, irritating them). The goal is to coat each tooth in the serum without laying it on so thick that it clumps or drips.
Keeping your mouth open, grab your phone and the cable for the LED mouthpiece. Connect the cable to your phone, then to the mouthpiece. Finally, place the light in your mouth with your lips loosely around it and turn it on.
You can use the mouthpiece for anywhere between nine and 30 minutes, twice a day. This gives you control over how quickly you see results and helps ensure you can fit SNOW into your schedule. Once your session is done, remove the mouthpiece and rinse it with water, along with your mouth. You can also use a gentle soap to get the device even cleaner. Then dry the light, put it in its container, and store it somewhere safe.
Once you achieve the level of whiteness you’re after, all you have to do is maintain it. SNOW suggests whitening twice a week to keep the color. Store your gel pens in the fridge to keep them potent.
SNOW is designed for portability. However, the drawstring bag would work better if it were a more solid case. Given that many whitening kits don’t even offer this much, though, we can’t really complain.
Teeth whitening is never a fully comfortable process. There’s typically something that feels a little awkward, from the taste of the gel to the way your lips wrap around the LED light. But some kits offer greater comfort than others. Overall, SNOW is pretty comfortable to use, though this depends on your needs.
For example, one of SNOW’s big selling points is that you don’t need to charge the light. It gets power right from your phone as you whiten. In theory, this is great; if you are like most people, your phone is always nearby and you’ll be scrolling as you whiten anyway. But not everyone wants to be tied to their phone, and sometimes, you might need to pass it to another person — but you can’t since it’s temporarily tethered to your teeth.
Can you skip the phone tethering? Yes, but then you will be stuck sitting next to an outlet, carrying around a tablet, or attached to a device with USB ports, like a computer.
The mouthpiece itself is pretty comfortable. Customers say it’s lightweight and not bulky. There is a small notch on top that ensures it fits snugly and it’s not a struggle to keep it in place. Some people note that they initially felt awkward doing their chores and other activities while wearing it but that they quickly adjusted.
The gel itself is specifically formulated to avoid causing tooth sensitivity, which ensures your comfort throughout treatment. It’s also not goopy, which is a common criticism of kits that use whitening strips. It has a light peppermint flavor, which helps mask the peroxide. While it isn’t perfect, we think that SNOW Teeth Whitening offers a decent level of comfort.
What Are SNOW Teeth Whitening Customers Saying?
SNOW Teeth Whitening doesn’t just have a lot of happy customers; it has genuine fanatics who swear by their system. As a result, most of their reviews are overwhelmingly positive. One of the biggest praises people have for this kit is that it whitens without causing irritation or sensitivity. Even customers who have experienced discomfort with other systems reported that they could use SNOW with no issues.
Something that really stood out to us was how SNOW handled things when customers ran into problems with the LED light. The company claims to back their light with a five-year warranty, and true to their word, when the light stops working, they quickly replace it. While this doesn’t seem to happen often, it’s good to know that they will help you when you need it.
Most customers noted significant whitening, though it depended on how bright their smile was at the start. Those with the most room for change saw the greatest differences and most seemed to finish with their teeth between 1 and 3 on the shade guide.
The only real red flag we noticed was that when customers purchased from wholesalers rather than SNOW itself, sometimes the kit arrived with issues like damaged packaging and empty whitening pens. So, we’d strongly recommend purchasing directly from SNOW or a reputable retailer rather than independent wholesalers.
SNOW Teeth Whitening might be one of the more expensive whitening kits out there, but it also represents one of the industry’s best values. You get so much in this kit and a price per whitening session that comes in at just under $2, plus a sensitivity-free formula that doesn’t use animal products or rely on animal testing.
But is SNOW right for you? The only way to know for sure is to check out the competition. Visit our review of the 5 best at-home teeth whitening products to compare your options.
Get SNOW Teeth Whitening Kit
Compare Other Whitening Options
Does the LED light improve results or is it just hype?
Does the LED light improve results or is it just hype?
It’s understandable to be skeptical, but research backs up SNOW’s claims. The use of certain types of light will speed up the whitening process, which is why dental offices use them. However, LED lights are the weakest of the effective lights. Considering other options aren’t safe for home use, though, they offer the best whitening booster you can get.
Will the mouthpiece get warm?
Will the mouthpiece get warm?
It is a common misconception that LED lights produce zero heat. In truth, they produce a very small amount — so small, you won’t notice it. Heat can make whitening more effective, but at the moment, the only kit that combines light and heat is GLO Brilliant.
Is it really safe to whiten my teeth at home?
Is it really safe to whiten my teeth at home?
Yes! Teeth whitening at home is not new, and millions of people do it every year. If you have healthy teeth and gums and are in good overall health, you should be able to safely use SNOW and other reputable kits. Just keep the following in mind:
Make sure you are purchasing an authentic product, not a knock-off.
Follow the directions that come with the kit. Never whiten more frequently than directed.
Ensure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.
Should I whiten my teeth before or after my six-month dental cleaning?
Should I whiten my teeth before or after my six-month dental cleaning?
After! When you see your dentist every six months, they remove plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth. If you whiten your teeth while they have spots of tartar and plaque, they’ll look spotty after your next cleaning. It is always best to whiten when your teeth are as clean as possible.
My smile used to be sparkling white. Now, it is getting a bit yellow. I don’t drink coffee or red wine. What happened?
My smile used to be sparkling white. Now, it is getting a bit yellow. I don’t drink coffee or red wine. What happened?
Coffee, red wine, berries, and tobacco are the major culprits when it comes to teeth stains. However, anything that can stain a t-shirt can alter the color of your smile over time. Plus, enamel wears down as we age, allowing the naturally yellow dentin to show through.
If I have a fixed appliance, like braces or a retainer, is it OK to whiten my teeth?
If I have a fixed appliance, like braces or a retainer, is it OK to whiten my teeth?
It isn’t dangerous but it also isn’t a good idea, at least with appliances that are fixed to the front surfaces of your teeth. If you have lingual braces or a wire retainer behind your teeth, it’s a matter of personal preference. That’s because the whitening gel cannot get below the dental adhesive holding your appliance in place. So, if you whiten, you’ll be left with a shadow on your teeth in the shape of your brackets. This might not be an issue on the back surfaces of your teeth, but you likely don’t want it on the front.
Can I whiten my teeth if I am using a removable appliance, like clear aligners?
Can I whiten my teeth if I am using a removable appliance, like clear aligners?
Yes! Many at-home aligner companies also sell whitening kits or include them with their aligners. Both Byte and SmileDirectClub offer whitening treatments, so if you haven’t bought your aligners yet, those two are great options.
Is it safe to use whitening kits when pregnant or breastfeeding?
Is it safe to use whitening kits when pregnant or breastfeeding?
There isn’t a lot of research on how a mother whitening her teeth can impact a fetus or infant. We suggest you consult with your OBGYN or child’s pediatrician before making a decision.
Can I whiten caps, crowns, fillings, and veneers?
Can I whiten caps, crowns, fillings, and veneers?
Whitening kits can remove surface stains that have built up on dental work. However, they cannot change the color of the dental material itself.
Can I use SNOW Teeth Whitening for more than 30 minutes twice a day?
Can I use SNOW Teeth Whitening for more than 30 minutes twice a day?
No, the maximum amount of time you should use SNOW is 60 minutes a day over two separate whitening sessions. Anything more could damage your enamel.
Pursuing orthodontic treatment as an adult can feel stressful and overwhelming. At Smile Prep, we strive to make the process as easy as possible for our readers. Our guides and reviews cut the fluff and give you the information necessary to take a confident step toward your smile goals.