Whitening pens are easy to use, small enough to take on the go, and they effectively enhance your smile. But not everyone is a fan of the peroxide most pens use as their whitening agent.
It gets the job done, but peroxide can be harsh on the enamel, often causing sensitivity, and it doesn’t taste great on its own. That’s why Lumineux created their whitening pen. Can a whitening pen without peroxide actually work? That’s just one of the questions we’ll be answering in this review! Here’s everything you need to know about the Lumineux Bright Pen.
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Lumineux Bright Pen at a Glance
At-home oral healthcare has always centered around powerful chemicals. And there’s a good reason for that: they work. Toothpastes and mouthwashes laden with a laundry list of ingredients you can’t pronounce kill bacteria, strengthen the enamel, and leave your teeth feeling squeaky clean.
The problem? Sometimes those products aren’t always the best for your health.
The Lumineux Bright Pen is, like all the company’s products, enamel-safe, dentist formulated, and made with plant-based ingredients. Everything in their formula has been clinically tested and they say it’s safe to use every day for as long as you’d like. We think that makes it one of the best natural whitening products out there. You can find Lumineux products online and at local stores.
Pros & Cons
Lumineux has made its name on natural products that don’t sacrifice results, and their whitening pen is no different. However, not every aspect of their pen is rave-worthy. So, what are the highlights and lowlights of the Lumineux Bright Pen?
Pros
- Peroxide can cause tooth sensitivity, but the Lumineux formula uses oils to break up stains instead, so it’s much gentler on your teeth.
- Because it’s so gentle, you can use it multiple times per day. Other whitening treatments require you to spread out your applications.
- As a pen, it’s easier to apply on the go than many other whitening treatments.
- Lumineux’s formula contains essential oils that make its taste more pleasant than competitors who primarily use peroxide.
- You can either use it to brighten your teeth or as a preventative treatment.
Cons
- Even though Lumineux pens are more convenient than many strips and trays, they require you to apply two layers of gel each time you use it — more than other strips.
- Strips and trays ensure the whitening gel stays on your teeth, but some Lumineux customers find the pen’s gel doesn’t stick well.
- Lumineux’s peroxide-free formula might reduce sensitivity, but it’s also less powerful.
Effectiveness
There are plenty of features you might want in a whitening pen: easy to use, natural ingredients, gentle on your teeth. But if a pen doesn’t actually whiten your smile, it isn’t worth the money.
The Lumineux Bright Pen isn’t as effective as those with more powerful formulas or kits that include an LED light. However, it does whiten the teeth by about two shades, putting it on par with the average whitening pen.
Not everyone wants a Hollywood-white smile. Plenty of people are happy with a more natural white, and in this way The Bright Pen really hits the mark — brightening teeth without causing pain or sensitivity. But this pen doesn’t just reverse stains; it also prevents them.
In this, the pen is not only effective but also rather unique. To prevent stains, you simply apply the gel to the teeth before eating or drinking highly pigmented foods and beverages. Give it about 60 seconds to dry, then dig in! The gel forms a protective layer, preventing the pigments from penetrating the enamel.
The bottom line? Don’t expect this pen to deliver a radical transformation, just subtle, natural results and stain-fighting protection.
Affordability
Products that prioritize natural ingredients are sometimes branded as niche or luxury items and carry premium prices as a result. Thankfully, Lumineux products manage to be both all-natural and budget-friendly.
The Bright Pen is sold in a two-pack for $50. This sticker price is pretty comparable to Lumineux’s competitors. However, each Bright Pen only has 10–12 applications, so you may go through the product more quickly than you would with a competing brand.
Lumineux offers a subscription feature, which can lower the price by up to 20%. Through this program, you can choose to have a new set of Bright Pens delivered every 30, 45, or 90 days. If you’re looking to whiten your smile in the long term, this option is a win-win.
If you’re prone to cold feet, Lumineux’s 30-day money-back guarantee may give you some peace of mind. You can give the Bright Pen a shot, and if it’s not a good fit for you just send it back within 30 days for a full refund.
For a product prioritizing natural ingredients, the Lumineux Bright Pen represents a great value, so you won’t need to choose between your values or your budget.
Quality of Ingredients
It’s always a good idea to check the ingredients in your oral care products. But it’s especially important when you prioritize natural ingredients. You need assurance that the ingredients are safe and that they work as well as the company claims. Lumineux is pretty true to their mission. Here’s what their whitening pen includes.
- Vegetable Glycerol: All whitening pens need to guard against their gel drying out. This keeps the gel inside the pens in a semi-liquid form. It is less likely than other moisturizing agents to cause digestive problems when swallowed.
- Deionized Water: Like any gel, water is a vital ingredient. Lumineux uses deionized water, which means minerals have been removed, making it as pure as possible.
- Carbomer: Here is the one synthetic ingredient that Lumineux uses. It helps the gel stick to the teeth, allowing the formula to do its work before being washed away by your saliva.
- Carboxymethyl: This is a water-soluble fiber that can be derived from cotton, wood pulp, and other natural sources. It can also be synthesized in a lab. It isn’t clear which type Lumineux uses.
- Coconut Oil: According to proponents of oil pulling, coconut oil can whiten teeth by attracting the bacteria around stains and plaque. Studies have shown that oil pulling also has other oral health benefits, like a reduction of plaque-induced gingivitis.
- Dead Sea Salt: Lumineux considers dead sea salt to be their defining ingredient. There isn’t much official evidence for its whitening properties yet, but this 1999 study suggests that it has remineralizing properties — which can reduce sensitivity — and a study from 2017 showed that sea-salt rinses can help control plaque.
- Sage Oil: This doesn’t enhance the whitening effects of the pen. However, it does give the gel a more pleasant taste.
- Lemon Peel Oil: This is also a flavoring, meant to deliver a more enjoyable experience.
According to Lumineux, all of these ingredients are certified as non-toxic. They are also SLS-free, vegan, and sugar-free.
Convenience
Every whitening treatment requires some effort on your part, but pens are perhaps the most convenient option. You don’t need to carefully measure gel from syringes, place and remove strips, or wear a tray that prevents you from speaking.
Lumineux is more convenient than whitening trays and whitening strips, but falls a bit short of its whitening pen competitors, mainly because you need to apply two separate coats of gel to the teeth. This means applying one layer, waiting 60 seconds with your lips pulled back from your teeth, then applying the second layer and again keeping your lips pulled back for 60 seconds.
Doubling the application time isn’t just inconvenient; it stresses the muscles in your face. And if you are using your pen for stain prevention, you’ll need to do this three times a day.
Aside from this, though, the Lumineux pen is as easy as any other. You clean and dry your teeth and keep your lips pulled back so you don’t get them wet again. Then, remove the cap and twist the pen to get the gel onto the brush tip. Starting at the gumline of each tooth, brush down to the edge, then run the brush along the crevices between the teeth.
Once you’ve applied two layers and let them dry, you should avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes if you’re trying to whiten your teeth. If you are using the pen for stain prevention, you only need to hold off until the gel has dried.
Comfort
Whitening your teeth always has the potential for a little discomfort, but pens remove many of the more uncomfortable aspects of brightening your smile. There are no bulky trays to wear and no strips slipping around on your teeth. Yet three aspects of whitening pen treatment can still be slightly less comfortable than you might like: sensitivity, flavor, and texture.
The Lumineux Bright Pen is peroxide-free, so it doesn’t cause any tooth sensitivity. Unless you’re allergic to one of the ingredients, it shouldn’t cause any tooth or gum pain, making it one of the best whitening options for people with sensitive teeth.
Unlike most whitening pens, Lumineux doesn’t use peroxide, which has an unpleasant flavor. Their use of coconut and essential oils helps to elevate the taste, making it pretty pleasant to use.
In terms of texture, the gel is less goopy than most — one of the reasons you need to apply two layers. This makes it almost unnoticeable on your teeth. The texture is more oily than gummy, which most customers seem to appreciate.
What Are Customers Saying?
The Lumineux Bright Pen is the only pen we found in our research with such a plant-rich formula, and it has many dedicated customers who love it for this feature alone. However, this isn’t the only aspect customers appreciate. They also like that they can use it as often as desired to prevent staining and that it doesn’t cause sensitivity.
The number-one issue customers have with the product is that it doesn’t whiten the teeth as drastically as other treatments. Some people found that their smile was 2-3 shades brighter after two weeks of use, but some reported no change at all. Others stated that the gel doesn’t stick to the teeth, washing off before it can have any effect.
Overall, the customers who seem happiest with the Lumineux Bright Pen are those who bought it for stain prevention rather than whitening.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to enhance or protect your smile without harsh chemicals, the Lumineux Bright Pen offers an alternative to the typical formulas. It’s gentle enough to use multiple times a day and doesn’t have the usual unpleasant flavor.
Of course, Lumineux isn’t the only whitening pen on the market. To learn about your other options, check out our review of the 4 best whitening pens below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do peroxide-free whitening products work?
They can, but not as well as those that rely on peroxide. In general, whitening strips will work better than pens since they hold the gel against your teeth. If you want a natural product that offers better results than the pen, look into Lumineux’s whitening strips.
Do pens have advantages over strips and trays?
Yes, the main advantages of using pens over other whitening products are:
- More control over application.
- Easy to use on the go.
- You can target just a few teeth.
However, they tend to be less effective, so keep this in mind when determining which is right for you.
How do I keep my lips off my teeth while the gel dries?
If your widest smile still leaves some of your teeth covered by your lips, tuck cotton balls between the lips and gums to keep them away from your teeth.
Can it be dangerous to whiten your teeth at home?
If you go fully DIY and whip up your own formula, yes. Also, if your teeth or gums are damaged, don’t whiten without approval from your dentist. However, if you have good oral health and are using a legitimate product, it should be safe.
Are whitening pens just for maintaining the color of your smile or do they actually improve it?
It depends on which one you buy. For example, SNOW is a comprehensive treatment that combines whitening pens with an LED light, and it makes a big difference.
Usually whitening pens can make a small difference, but are better for maintaining a look you achieved through more powerful whitening treatments.
Can whitening pens address all types of stains?
No. They work best on mild yellow stains. If yours are dark or brown, they won’t make as much of a difference. Also, keep in mind that tooth discoloration isn’t always staining. In many cases, it is enamel loss that allows the naturally yellow dentin to show through.
Can I use a whitening pen while wearing braces?
It isn’t likely to cause any damage. However, since the gel cannot get below the brackets, the stains there will remain. When you get your braces removed, they’ll be unevenly colored.
Do whitening pens brighten restorative dentistry?
They can remove surface stains but they won’t lighten the original color.
How often can I use the Lumineux Bright Pen?
You can use Lumineux’s pen three times a day indefinitely.
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