Best Buy PRODUCTs Reviews

Braun Series 7- 790cc Pulsonic Shaver

I just want to start out saying that I have very sensitive skin; especially on the neck. I tried each of these shavers for 1 month. This was ultimately a journey in trying to find the best electric shaver. Thank God for money back guarantees or I would have gone broke in this process. Ultimately I felt that the Braun Pulsonic was the best of these shavers and the one I continue to use.

Philips Norelco 8240xl
-Really not a bad shaver. It is very quiet and the shave was fairly comfortable and quick. Also, it’s not that expensive and is a good value for the price.

Pros:
-gives a decent shaver overall
-quick shave
-fairly comfortable
-very easy to clean

Cons:
-had trouble getting all my neck hairs (had to keep going over neck)
-any more than a days worth of stubble and this thing will tug on your facial hair (hurts a little bit)

Panasonic 8243a wet/dry shaver
-not at all worth the money in my case
-I know alot of people like this shaver and I really wanted to but the actual performance of it led me to decide otherwise

Pros:
-ability to use shaving cream with this shaver reduces irritation
-does a decent job on the face
-shaves fairly close

Cons:
-used the shaver for one month and I always got ingrown hairs on my neck and jaw line after shaving with it
-frequently nicked my neck and jawline, drawing blood
-pretty loud

Philips Norelco Arcitec
-really not worth the money and overall gave a mediocre shave
-the 8240xl was a better shaver for my face

Pros:
-decent shave on the face
-shave was quick
-easy to clean

Cons:
-doesn’t shave that close for such a high end shaver
-very poor job on the neck (irritated my neck, always missed many neck hairs in spite of repeated passes)
-way to much money when the performance is not even as good as the 8240xl (looks like Philips paid too much attention to design and not enough on performance for this one)

Braun Pulsonic
-The hands down winner and best electric shaver I have used to date. Before I used the other shavers I bought this one first about 6 months ago and used it for a month. I initially felt that this did a very good job of shaving my face but wondered if I could find a better shaver for a cheaper price, so I sent the shaver back to Braun after a month. After having used the other shavers, I purchased the Braun Pulsonic again and continue to be happy with its shaving performance

Pros:
-very good shave for an electric shaver (if I take the time, can get almost as close as a blade)
-does not irritate my skin (even with repeated passes, that includes the neck)
-shave is very smooth and comfortable
-once your face adjusts to the shaver, the shave is fairly quick
-cleaning station is very convenient
-say what you will, it might seem unnecssary but it really is convenient, it lubricates the shaving head for a smooth shave, and it leaves the shaver head smelling nice and lemony

Cons:
-would be nicer if this shaver was cheaper
-this thing is loud, too loud
-the shaver head gets warm and quickly (tip: if head gets to hot, hold it in front of a fan for 10 seconds, cools right down)
-when I shave when the shaver head gets really warm it irritates my skin unless I let the shaver cool down

So the Pulsonic is the winner and even though this shaver is expensive, I was happy to pay the money for its superior performance to the other shavers. I also want to point out that the only difference between the Pulsonic 790cc and 760cc is that the 790cc has an lcd screen that shows power level and hygiene level and the 760cc has an led screen where led lights simply light up to indicate battery life. To me, the hygiene level on the 790cc is pointless; I mean, does someone really need to be reminded to clean their shaver.

Reviewed by : Kevin,   Jan 30, 2010

Crest Whitestrips Supreme Professional Strength 84 strips

As a dentist, I am often asked by patients and friends where to start in terms of selecting a bleaching product. Since Crest produces some very good products, I generally steer them to Crest products. However, there are a multitude of Crest bleaching products to select from, so where does one begin? Here is my advice in selecting and using Crest Bleaching products:

First, let’s begin with Crest Whitestrips Supreme Professional Strength. The bleaching strip is different from all the other Crest Bleaching products in two ways: It has a 14% hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel, and the strip is 50% thinner than previous products. The primary advantage to this system is (in general) a quicker bleaching result, and less exposure to hydrogen peroxide, as there is less hydrogen peroxide in each strip (which is why the strip is 50% thinner). One bleaches for 30 minutes a day for 21 days for maximal result. Crest also claims less gum irritation by using this product.

A brief review of the other Crest bleaching products is in order to understand the other options available. Crest White Strips come in as many as 7 different formulations. This can be very confusing for the consumer! Please remember the key difference in all these products is the strength of the hydrogen peroxide gel, and of course the price. The higher the dose of hydrogen peroxide, the faster the bleaching result, and the most costly as well. Here is a quick summary of the products:

1. Crest White Strips Classic (6% hydrogen peroxide, 14-day treatment). 2. Crest White Strips Premium (10% hydrogen peroxide, 7-day treatment). 3. Crest White Strips Premium Plus (10% hydrogen peroxide, and has 12 additional strips).
4. Crest Pro Effects (10% hydrogen peroxide, 10-day treatment).
5. Crest Advanced Seal (10% hydrogen peroxide, 10-day treatment).
6. Daily Whitening Multicare (6% hydrogen peroxide, 5-minutes/day, 6-week supply)
7. Daily Whitening with Tartar Protection (6% hydrogen peroxide, 5-minutes/day, has a chemical that discourages tartar from attaching to the teeth, 38 upper and lower strips)

In using any of the Crest bleaching products, please follow the specified instructions that come with each product.

1. For most products, the instructions will direct you to bleach twice a day for 30-minutes a time. The inner part of the strip has a chemical called hydrogen peroxide that causes the stains inside your teeth to be oxidized and turn white. Applying the strips has a small learning curve as you will probably bend or fold a couple of them before you get the technique down.

2. Leave the strips on for the time recommended in the instructions and do not overbleach your teeth, as this can lead to sensitivity. Crest bleaching products will generally work for most people, especially younger people and those with yellow stains.

Potential Disadvantages to Consider

1. Hydrogen Peroxide can “burn” your gums. If you notice a burning sensation when you use the product, it is the chemical oxidizing (or burning) your gums (it will turn them white with a minor chemical burn). Depending on how severe the burning is, it may cause you to want to stop the treatment. It is OK to stop the treatment for a day or two to let the gums heal. Once they are healed, resume treatment with the White Strips. Try to not get the strip too far up on your gums.

2. Your teeth may become senstiive during the treatment time. Try to tolerate the sensitivity if it is mild, but if more severe, take a day or two off to let the teeth settle down and then pick up where you left off. You may notice much more sensitivity to cold water, ice cream, etc. The peroxide causes a revesible inflamation of the inner pulp, or nerve center of the tooth and makes the teeth very sensitive to biting or cold drinks or foods. If your teeth become too sensitive, back off on the strips until the sensitivity is gone before resuming bleaching.

3. The strips only cover your front teeth, so only your front teeth will bleach. You may notice the distinct difference between the back (unbleached) teeth and the front (bleached) teeth. Since most people notice the front 6 teeth anyway, this is not a big deal. However, if you have a wide toothy smile, you may want to have a dentist make you a tray that will hold the chemical on the back teeth to whiten them too.

4. The bleaching effect works best on yellow stains. If your stains are due to tetracycline (brownish grey stains in a band on your teeth, your best bet is to have a dentist whiten your teeth in the office for two sessions and then use White Strips to continue the bleaching process.

Crest White Strips work for the vast majority of people. Younger people with yellow stains seem to respond better than older people or those with gray stains. If you have severely stained teeth, especially those with tetracycline (an antibiotic) stain, the strips may not work well for you.

If you are not satisfied with the results and still want whiter teeth, you can then see your dentist for a more concentrated in-office form of bleaching (called “power bleaching”).

Reviewed by : Jim “Konedog” Koenig, DDS,   April 20, 2009