Holiday time means old friends and family will get together and someone will take out a camera. Before you flash them your best holdiay smile, be sure it’s your whitest one.

Whitening teeth used to be something only your dentist could do and treatments could be costly. With the advent of home use products and do-it-yourself kits, even bleaching your teeth has become easy and inexpensive.

I have tried a few different products and know people who have used some other types of tooth whitening products. I don’t mind the brush-on gels, it’s not really hard to keep your mouth open for 30 seconds and they seem to begin working right away. They are probably the least costly of the popular methods and interfere least with your lifestyle. They are of moderate effectiveness, lightening teeth by one to three shades.

I can’t say I particularly like the products you put into a tray that fits around your teeth and have to keep in your mouth for 30 minutes. This is like having impression molds taken at the dentist, except it is a much longer time period and you cannot talk, eat or drink during that time.

One of the most convenient and popular whitening products is Crest Whitestrips. The flexible strips are applied to the teeth twice a day for 14 days, again for 30 minutes at a time but are more comfortable than the mouth trays. They have a good reputation for providing effective whitening.

Shop for Tooth Whiteners at your Beauty Store

If you love the smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and spice and if you need serious skin care, I have found the perfect kit for you.

If you have ever wanted to try the phyto-pumpkin products from Serious Skin Care, here is your perfect opportunity. For 29.50, you get a collection of products from face and body scrubs to shower gel and body souffle cream. The gift set even comes with a pillow and room spray to fill any room with the scrumptious scent of fresh-baked pumpkin pie. The items are packaged in a holiday box suitable for gift-giving and at this price you could cover every woman on your Christmas list.

Available at HSN.com.