Do Crest Whitestrips Expire?

How much to whiten your teeth is down to personal preference and often people will reach their desired level of whitening before a box of whitestrips is finished. Instead of discarding the remaining whitestrips, you might opt to save them for future whitening.

But this begs the question: do whitestrips expire?

In this article we will explore the safety and effectiveness of whitestrips past their prime.

Do Crest whitestrips expire?

The answer, in short, is yes.

All Crest whitestrips have an expiry date  and this also applies to whitestrips of other brands. The expiry date for Crest whitestrips can be found printed on the side of the box. In some cases, you can also find it printed on each individual packet.

Are expired whitestrips safe to use?

If you have accidentally discarded the box, or you know that your whitestrips have expired, don’t panic!

The expiration date on the box says “best if used by…” which differs from a “use by” date. “Best if used by…” indicates that while the quality of the product may decline, it is not unsafe to use past that date.

Crest specifically states that expired whitestrips are safe to use. However, be sure to check that each individual package is still fully sealed. If there is a tear in the packet, discard it.

But will they work?

Whitestrips work using the active ingredient peroxide. Over time, it can break down and become less effective.

This means that, although the whitestrips won’t do damage to your teeth, they are unlikely to work as well. In fact, they may not even work at all.

That said, there are many discussions across forums like Yahoo Answers and Quora with people commenting whether their expired whitestrips worked. Many have had successful whitening up to around 2 years after expiry dates.

Some users who have tried using expired whitestrips note that the whitening formula can become tacky. This causes the gel to stick to the teeth instead of removing with the whitestrip.

Can I make them last longer?

Refrigerating your whitestrips can help them to last a little longer, but typically the shelf life of whitestrips is around 1 year.

If you do refrigerate them, allow the whitestrips to come to room temperature before applying to reduce sensitivity.

Crest do not recommend freezing your whitestrips, but if they do become frozen, you should leave them to thaw out thoroughly before using.

Conclusion

Using your expired whitestrips won’t damage your teeth but you are unlikely to get the best results possible from them. If your whitestrips have expired by less than 2 years, it’s worth a try as it’s likely there will still be some whitening power left.

However, if you are hoping for maximum results in minimum time, it’s better to opt for fresh whitestrips.

Want the maximum out of your teeth whitening? Shop for new Crest whitestrips now!

Last update on 2024-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API